GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history, the Gettysburg College women's soccer team will set its sights high once again in 2015.
 
The Bullets went 13-4-2 overall – the program's winningest season since 2006 –  and posted an undefeated (9-0-1) record in Centennial Conference play in 2014. The Orange and Blue finished in first place in the conference standings, earned the right to host the CC tournament, and captured the team's first national ranking in 10 years after being slotted No. 19 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Gettysburg capped the season by earning the seventh NCAA Division III Tournament berth in program history with an at-large bid.
 
Gettysburg has now won at least 12 matches and qualified for the Centennial Conference playoffs in five consecutive seasons, and ninth-year head coach Matt Garrett is hoping the Bullets can use their considerable accolades as a springboard for even greater accomplishments.
 
"As a program our goals are always to get better in every capacity," said Garrett, the 2014 Centennial Conference Coach of the Year. "We want to be the best place to play soccer in the country, on and off the pitch. Every year we want to compete for a conference title, try to make the national tournament, and be a top-25 program."
 
Though Gettysburg bid farewell to five starters from a stellar senior class, the team returns plenty of talented performers and a deep squad in 2015. Along with the return of six starters and 18 letterwinners, the Bullets welcome a large freshman class of 15.
 
The Bullets continued their tradition of strong defense once again last season, tying a school record with 13 shutouts and finishing third all-time at Gettysburg in goals-against average (0.56). This year, the Orange and Blue will look to continue their stout defensive play while also increasing their intensity on the offensive end.
 
"We'd really like to be a lot more technical and a lot quicker," said Garrett. "We'd like to be more of an attacking team. We've always based ourselves on possession, which we don't want to lose. We've been very good defensively, but we had so many 1-0 games. So we want to continue the qualities we've had while being a little more expansive and dynamic as a team."
 
Returning to lead the defense – which allowed just two goals in Centennial Conference regular-season play – is senior goalie Eliza Gray (South Orange, N.J./Columbia), who has enjoyed an outstanding career over her first three years at the Battlefield. The netminder registered a 0.59 goals-against average and .796 save percentage to go with 10 shutouts en route to earning First Team All-Centennial Conference, First Team NSCAA Division III All-Mid-Atlantic Region, and Third Team NSCAAA Division III All-American recognition, becoming the first All-America goalie in program history. A three-year starter, she has posted impressive career statistics that include a 37-11-6 record, 0.51 GAA, .856 save percentage, and 26 shutouts.
 
Gray is the team's only returning goalie, and she will be backed up by a pair of first years in Kelliann Bolash (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) and Kiera Loftus (Westfield, N.J./Westfield).
 On the back row, the Bullets graduated a pair of all-conference performers but return three players who started at some point last season in senior Cailin DiGiacomo (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Germantown Academy), junior Carly Cobbol (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield), and sophomore Gillian Sencindiver (Strafford, Pa./Conestoga). DiGiacomo returns after collecting Second Team All-CC status a year ago in her second year as a starter. Sencindiver played in 16 matches and started the final 10 games of the season, scoring one goal. Cobbol played in every match and started nine games while handing out one assist.
 
Other returning defenders who will vie for a starting role this year will be juniors Maddie Brown (Canadaigua, N.Y./Marcus Whitman) and Courtney Long (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) and sophomores Haley Brazier (Reston, Va./Herndon) and Aoife Schanche (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon). Long appeared in six matches off the bench last season while Brazier and Brown each made three appearances. Schanche is a transfer from Division I Drexel University.
 
Five freshmen will provide additional depth in Taylor Buckley (Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley), Gabby Kase (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard), Annie McNamara (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe), Stefany Soltesz (Bordentown, N.J./Princeton Day School), and Skye Speciale (Annapolis, Md./Northern Highlands Regional).
 
Offensively, the Bullets bring back their leading scorer from 2014 in senior Lauren Schapiro (Stamford, Conn./Stamford), who racked up 14 points from her forward position a year ago. She tied for the squad lead with five goals and distributed a team-leading four assists.
 
Also returning up front is senior Melissa Seidner (Hamilton, N.J./Peddie School), who notched one goal and one assist while playing all 19 matches and making 16 starts last season, and sophomore Maddie Heaney (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional), who tallied three goals and one assist while appearing in 18 matches and starting once. Sophomore Jessica Cuttone (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah) is also back after appearing in four games and posting one assist.
 
Freshmen vying for playing time at forward will be Samantha Esposito (Portage, Mich./Portage Central), Danielle DeMichael (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), Alexa Soltesz (Bordentown, N.J./Princeton Day School), and Daisy Sullivan (Manchester, Vt./Burr and Burton Academy).
 
Junior Hannah Theurer (Darnestown, Md./Northwest) and sophomores Krissy Bradley (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) and Jordan Stefanacci (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy) also return as significant offensive contributors from a year ago and could see playing time at forward or midfield. Theurer played in 18 matches and made 10 starts while posting one goal and one assist. Bradley handed out a pair of assists over 19 matches and one start while Stefancci netted one goal in six matches off the bench.
 
In the midfield, junior Julia Ramsey (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) returns after starting 18 matches last season, posting two assists. She will be joined by sophomore Shannon Brady (Glen Head, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy Academy), who registered three goals and two assists in 18 matches off the bench last season. Sophomores Nicole Crofton (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) Taylor Atlas (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista) will also return to the midfield – Crofton scored one goal over eight matches last year while Atlas appeared in two matches.
 
Also bolstering the midfield will be freshmen Alexa Bushey (West Chester, Pa./Bayard Rustin), Paige Heiden (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood), Lauren Miesemer (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City), and Virginia Sanford (Norfolk, Va./Norfolk Collegiate School).
 
Gettysburg plays its season opener Sept. 1, when it visits ninth-ranked College of New Jersey at 7:30 p.m. The Bullets play their home opener on Sept. 5 when they take on Hiram College at 7 p.m. as part of the Gettysburg Cup.