2012 Centennial Conference Championship Site

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – After coming so close to hosting the Centennial Conference Tournament, the Gettysburg College women's soccer team will head down the road to Baltimore to begin its push for its first conference title in eight years.
 
Gettysburg (12-5, 8-2 CC) will enter the postseason as the No. 2 seed after finishing runner-up to Johns Hopkins (14-3-1, 9-1 CC) during the regular season. The Bullets will take on third seed Haverford College (12-3-2, 6-2-2 CC) in the semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 2:30 p.m. The host and top seed Blue Jays will play in Saturday's first semifinal at noon against the winner of the first-round match between Muhlenberg College (8-8-2, 6-3-1 CC) and Swarthmore College (11-5-1, 6-3-1 CC). Sunday's championship will take place at 1 p.m.
 
Gettysburg just missed earning the top seed and hosting the conference playoffs for the first time since 2004. Hosting rites came down to the final regular-season contest as Johns Hopkins edged the Bullets 2-1 at Clark Field.
  
“We were very disappointed not to win the regular season and host as that was a big goal for us this year,” said Head Coach Matt Garrett. “However, we need to remember all of our main objectives are still attainable and we get to play again which is something we love to do.”
 
In his sixth season at the helm, Garrett has led the Bullets to the conference playoffs in each of the last three campaigns. Last fall, Gettysburg defeated Swarthmore 1-0 in the semifinals to set up a showdown with host Johns Hopkins. The Blue Jays came out the victor, securing their seventh consecutive conference crown with a 2-0 decision on Homewood Field.
 
The Orange and Blue turned in another sterling season in 2012, winning a dozen matches for the third-straight year and ranking among the top teams in the region throughout the campaign. Gettysburg has allowed only nine goals on the year, while tying Johns Hopkins for the conference lead with 10 shutouts. Offensively, more than half the team has factored into the game plan with 16 players registering a point.
 
The success has come despite a rash of injuries to key players in the lineup. According to Coach Garrett, the Bullets have yet to field their best line up this season.
 
“We have a terrific squad and we talk about how the playing philosophy and style should not change no matter who is on the pitch,” said the Gettysburg mentor. “If you work on improving every day and every season on your own team and its strengths then it is about the team and not the individual.”
 
Gettysburg has the edge on paper against its semifinal opponent with a 2-1 victory over the Fords during the regular season. The Bullets turned in the final two tallies with sophomore Meg Castranova providing the game-winner on a corner kick in the 50th minute.
 
“I think it will give us confidence and belief,” said Garrett about his team's earlier victory over Haverford, “but hopefully not complacency as each game against the top teams in our conference is a battle.”