GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Bolstered by a supportive crowd of fans, parents, and alumni on hand for Senior Day, seventh-ranked Gettysburg College (12-3, 7-0 CC) easily dispatched visiting Muhlenberg College (9-5, 2-5 CC) 18-7 at Clark Field on Saturday afternoon.
 
Gettysburg remained in control of the top spot in the Centennial Conference standings with just one week left in the regular season. Franklin & Marshall College (13-2, 6-1 CC) and Haverford College (11-3, 6-1 CC) remain a game behind the Bullets with two games remaining.
 
The day started on a high note with Gettysburg honoring its six seniors: Julia Horner (Leesburg, Va./Rock Ridge), Nora Janzer (Havertown, Pa./Haverford), Caroline Keenaghan (Yorktown, Heights, N.Y./Yorktown), Caroline Regan (New Rochelle, N.Y./Ursuline School), Maddi Seibel (Newtown, Pa./Pennington School), and Cecily Stabler (Summit, N.J./Summit). The group has helped the Bullets post a 40-7 record over the last four years.
 
Gettysburg also recognized retiring coaches Carol Cantele '83 and Barb Jordan. The pair have worked side-by-side on the lacrosse field for two decades, with Cantele as head coach and Jordan as assistant/associate coach. During that time, the Bullets have won 333 games, 10 conference titles, and three national titles. Cantele has won 439 games at the helm of the women's lacrosse program over the last three decades, while Jordan is the field hockey program's all-time leader in wins with 182. Adding in Cantele's 121 wins at the field hockey helm prior to Jordan, the duo has accounted for an incredible 742 victories at Gettysburg.
 
The seniors and coaches tacked on another win Saturday, although defense was the name of the game in the opening minutes. Despite forcing Muhlenberg into five turnovers, the Bullets came up empty on the offensive end as Ellison Ervin posted four saves. Junior Katie Fullowan (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon) eventually broke the egg with a drive to the cage at 6:15. Sophomore Caroline Sullivan (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) followed up with an unassisted tally at 3:30 as Gettysburg took a 2-0 lead into the second quarter.
 
Fullowan opened the next period by scoring just 10 seconds off the draw. Sullivan added another tally to push the lead to 4-0. Hannah Wolfe scored the Mules' first goal on a free-position goal at 8:01 and Ellsa Peabody tacked on another score to pull the visitors to 4-2 with just over three minutes left in the half.
 
Momentum swung Gettysburg's way in the final minute of the second quarter. Freshman Emily Crane (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) scored twice inside the final 41 seconds with her second coming with nine seconds to go and giving the hosts a 6-2 lead.
 
Muhlenberg matched Gettysburg with two goals early in the third quarter, but the Bullets ran off three-straight goals for an 11-4 advantage. The defense thwarted each Mules' possession with caused turnovers during the run before Keenaghan lit the lamp at 4:01. Following a goal by Muhlenberg's Emily Gaffney, sophomore Jordan Basso (Rye, N.Y./Rye), who was celebrating her birthday, turned in the final goal of the third period to hand Gettysburg a 12-5 lead.
 
Gettysburg was leading 14-6 when an outlet pass by Ervin was picked off by Horner, who dumped a pass in front to Keenaghan for a score. Two more goals by Fullowan and Stabler, the latter coming off a feed from Keenaghan, gave the Bullets a 17-6 lead with 3:31 remaining. Fullowan iced the game with her final goal with six seconds left.
 
Gettysburg dominated the game statistically, holding the lead in shots (43-18), ground balls (29-11), and draw controls (16-12). The Bullets also forced the Mules into 26 turnovers.
 
Fullowan finished with four goals, while Sullivan filled the stat sheet with three goals, eight ground balls, and four caused turnovers. Crane posted a hat trick and both Keenaghan and junior Gabi Connor (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) each tallied two goals and two assists. Sophomore Annie Nikolic (Paoli, Pa./Conestoga) and junior Kaitlyn Bergen (Millstone, N.J./Allentown) each caused three turnovers with the former also scooping four ground balls.
 
Ervin posted a game-high 18 saves in goal for Muhlenberg. Madeline Dill turned in a pair of goals and Emily Vaughan tracked down eight draw controls.
 
Gettysburg plays its final regular-season home game against McDaniel College on Wednesday, April 27, at 4 p.m.