GETTYSBURG, Pa. – After another successful regular season, Gettysburg College hits the postseason trail with the goal of reclaiming the Centennial Conference championship that eluded the Bullets last spring.
Gettysburg (14-2, 8-1 CC) spent seven weeks at the top of the NCAA Division III Poll and the team claimed seven wins over top-25 foes, including current No. 1 TCNJ. The success of the season goes out the window when playoffs start, however, as the Bullets refocus on the task at hand.
"We see this part of the season as a new beginning but with a very solid, established foundation," said Head Coach
Carol Cantele '83, who has guided Gettysburg to the CC playoffs every year since the tournament was established in 2001. "All remaining teams in the CC tournament are on a level playing ground as we are all currently 0-0. We know that these next two games are must wins for the automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament."
Cantele has guided the Bullets to a conference record 10 championships, but the team won't be the favorite heading into the weekend. Franklin & Marshall College (15-3, 9-0 CC) secured the top seed with a perfect regular-season record in conference play, including an 8-4 win over the then-top-ranked Bullets on April 4.
After cruising through the first six weeks of the season, the Orange and Blue struggled to find a groove in the regular-season meeting with F&M, connecting on just four of 32 shots. With the bad comes the good as the team refocused its efforts on a strong closing effort in April. Gettysburg put up 115 total goals in its final seven games.
"I wouldn't call it a wake-up call, but it is a natural thing when your team doesn't play its best, regardless of the outcome, that you take a look at what you need to reinforce moving forward," noted Cantele. "We have improved our team communication on all areas of the field and have focused on staying in the moment."
F&M will host Gettysburg, Washington College (13-4, 7-2 CC), and Dickinson College (9-8, 5-4 CC) on May 5-6. The seventh-ranked Diplomats will face Dickinson, which defeated Haverford 17-12 in the first round, Saturday at noon. The fourth-ranked Bullets and 25th-ranked Shorewomen will follow at 3 p.m. Sunday's title game is set for a 1 p.m. start.
The last time Gettysburg made the trek to Lancaster for the CC playoffs in 2016, the team walked off the turf holding the trophy high. After falling to the Diplomats in double-overtime in last season's playoff finale, the team has its sights set on earning two victories and securing an automatic bid the national playoffs.
"They know that they need to battle and play at their best level to achieve that goal," said Cantele. "I can think of no better people to take that journey with and I am so grateful for this team which battles every day and has fun with one another. These women have been such a point of pride for the college and have represented Gettysburg so well."
