The Gettysburg College women's lacrosse team's journey to the national title was an epic ride with its share of intriguing storylines too big to fit the championship game's recap. Below are a few fun facts from Gettysburg's title trek.
 
Second Verse, Similar to the First: For those of us that were around in 2011, the path to the 2017 championship possessed a vibe familiar to the program's first national title:
 

• Gettysburg was ranked seventh in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division III Coaches' Poll prior to the start of the NCAA Division III Championship in both title runs. In both cases, the rank was the highest by the eventual NCAA champion over the last 32 years.
• In both seasons, Gettysburg lost to TCNJ and Franklin & Marshall by a goal. In fact, the scores in the losses to Franklin & Marshall came in the Centennial Conference Championship and were exactly the same (7-6).
• The Bullets played the highest scoring team in the country in each NCAA playoff, defeating Adrian College 25-10 in 2011 and beating Rhodes College 19-1 in 2017.
• Gettysburg had to beat Salisbury University in the regional final to reach the semifinals in both campaigns. The Bullets beat the Sea Gulls 14-13 on their own turf in 2011 before pulling off a 10-2 win at Clark Field in 2017.
• The first person off the team bus upon returning to Gettysburg carried the same endearing nickname - Mac. In 2011, it was captain Laura McIntyre '11 (Glenmoore, Pa./Coatesville) and in 2017 it was captain Macauley Mikes '17 (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), the latter of whom played in more games (86) than any Bullet in program history.

 
It's How You Start and How You Finish: Steph Colson '19 (Westminster, Md./Manchester Valley) ended the season just like she started it – with a goal. Colson tossed in Gettysburg's first goal in the season opener against Messiah College, a game that saw the sophomore also tally the game-tying goal with two seconds left to force overtime. Colson scored the first and last goals in the national title game against The College of New Jersey.
 
To Be the Best:  Gettysburg defeated eight of the top 14 teams in the country in the final national poll on the way to the national title. The Bullets beat No. 2 TCNJ (6-5), No. 3 Washington and Lee (10-4), No. 4 Trinity (8-4), No. 7 Franklin & Marshall (12-6), No. 8 York (9-5), No. 9 Salisbury (10-2), No. 10 Messiah (7-6), and No. 14 Hamilton (10-6). Both Franklin & Marshall and TCNJ were ranked No. 1 when they fell to Gettysburg. It was the first time in program history that Gettysburg beat two No. 1s in the same year. 
 
Defense Wins Championships: The old adage certainly held true for the 2017 Bullets. Gettysburg allowed only 116 goals this year and ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense at only 4.83 goals allowed per game. The team's goals against average of 4.79 shattered the previous program record (5.79) and Centennial Conference record (5.33). Gettysburg's team save percentage of .574 was its highest in two decades.
 
Rise, Fall, Rise Again: The Bullets ascended to the top of the Division III poll following an 8-0 start, but the ranking didn't last long. The College of New Jersey handed the team a 7-6 setback and Muhlenberg, which had never beaten Gettysburg, shocked the team with an 8-7 decision. The losses reignited the Bullets to beat then No. 1 Franklin & Marshall the following week and win their final seven games of the regular season. Only a double-overtime loss in the finals of the Centennial Conference Championship marred Gettysburg's final 15 games.
 
Top Conference: The Centennial Conference is the only conference in Division III with more than one institution owning multiple national titles in women's lacrosse. Gettysburg (2011, 2017), Franklin & Marshall (2007, 2009), and Ursinus (1986, 1989, 1990) have reached the pinnacle of Division III lacrosse, though the Bears' titles came prior to joining the Centennial in 1994. Four current members of the NESCAC have won national titles (Middlebury, Amherst, Trinity, Hamilton), but only Middlebury has won it more than once.
 
Goalie Love: Shannon Keeler '17 made a combined 21 saves in the final two games and she had plenty of support from former Bullet goalies and national champs Lisa De Banico '84 and Maddie Coleman '12, who were both in attendance during championship weekend. De Banico started each of the final 10 games in helping the 1980 field hockey team claim the institution's first-ever national title. Coleman made a combined 19 stops in the final two playoff contests in guiding Gettysburg to the NCAA title in 2011.
 
Sister, Sister: Prior to taking the field at Kerr Stadium, Steph Colson '19 was busy watching her younger sister Lizzie help Maryland capture the Division I title and complete a perfect season. Lizzie, a freshman midfielder, started the championship game against Boston College and posted two ground balls, three draw controls, and one caused turnover. Steph posted two goals, one ground ball, one caused turnover, and two draw controls on the way to being named Most Outstanding Player.
 
Family Sides: The championship game featured a battle between Gettysburg's Caroline Jaeger '17 (Hampton, N.J./North Hunterdon) and TCNJ's Kathleen Jaeger. Caroline tallied a goal and a caused turnover on the way to being named to the All-Tournament Team. Kathleen was also named to the All-Tournament squad after leading the Lions with two goals and two draw controls. Caroline's older sister, Ali, was a three-time All-American at TCNJ, but the former Lion was proudly wearing orange and blue in support of her younger sibling.
 
Coaching Club: Head Coach Carol Cantele '83 became just the fourth women's lacrosse coach to reach 400 career wins when Gettysburg defeated Salisbury 10-2 in the NCAA regional championship. Cantele ended her 29th season as a head coach with a record of 402-128. She is 378-105 in 25 seasons at Gettysburg. The opposing coach in the title game, Sharon Pfluger, is the NCAA's all-time leader with 494 career wins, making the 2017 finale the first featuring two coaches with 400-plus victories.