NCAA Division III Championship First and Second Round

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The start of another postseason campaign begins on friendly ground for the Gettysburg College women's lacrosse team as the Bullets open the 2015 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship on Clark Field this Sunday.
 
Gettysburg (15-3, 8-1 CC) is making its 14th-consecutive appearance in the NCAA playoffs. It is the third-longest active streak in Division III, trailing only The College of New Jersey (30) and SUNY Cortland (17).
 
"It is certainly a point of pride for the program, for the athletic department and for the college to remain so competitive for this long of a run," said 2015 Centennial Coach of the Year Carol Cantele '83. "But more importantly, I am just so happy for this team as it is the reward after working so hard and staying so diligent all season long."
 
Cantele has led the Bullets to the NCAA playoffs 15 times in the last 16 seasons. Gettysburg is 23-13 with five appearances in the semifinals. In 2011, the program claimed its first NCAA Division III title.
 
The Bullets turned in another strong regular-season campaign, ranking as high as No. 1 in the national poll before settling in at No. 5 in the final ballot. Two of the team's losses came at the hands of current No. 2 SUNY Cortland and No. 3 Franklin & Marshall College. The Diplomats denied Gettysburg a fourth-straight conference title with an 8-6 decision at Clark Field last Sunday.
 
"The game could have gone either way," noted Cantele, who ranks fifth among all NCAA coaches with 362 career wins. "It was a battle and while we were disappointed at that moment, we are back on the horse and ready to ride again."
 
Gettysburg will refocus its efforts on the opening rounds of the NCAA Championship. Clark Field hosts a national tournament game for the sixth consecutive season with the first and second rounds this weekend. FDU-Florham (16-3, 6-0 Freedom Conference) and Cabrini College (14-5, 9-0 Colonial States Athletic Conference) meet in the first round on Saturday, May 9, at 1 p.m. The winner has the unenviable task of trying to slow down the Bullets in the second round on Sunday at 1 p.m. Over the last decade, Gettysburg has gone 13-4 on its home field in the NCAA playoffs, including 8-0 in its postseason debut.
 
If the Bullets win on Sunday, they would host the regional championship for the third time in four seasons. Looming in Gettysburg's bracket are three other former national champions, including No. 6 Middlebury College (13-3), No. 8 Salisbury University (14-3), and No. 13 Hamilton College (11-5).
 
"Heading into the NCAA Tournament, I think our team is trying to focus on us and not read into other teams very much," said senior defender Chelsea Reed (Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh School). "We're just focusing on our skills, our team, and our practices every day so we can get better and enter into each game at our best.
 
"Of course, while we have goals to make it to regionals and make it to the final four, we really just need to stay present and focus on the next game ahead. "