Gettysburg College Athletics

OPENING FACEOFF: Today's non-conference game marks the seventh all-time meeting between No. 8 Gettysburg (0-0) and No. 8 Lynchburg (0-0) in a series that dates back to 2013. The Bullets lead the all-time series 4-2 and have won the last two but the two teams have not met since the 2016 NCAA tournament. The last Hornet victory was 11-9 in the 2015 NCAA tournament semifinals.

WHEN LAST WE MET: Gettysburg survived a scare in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament, holding off a furious late-game rally from Lynchburg to earn an 8-7 victory at a misty Shirk Field on May 11, 2016. (Full Recap) (Box Score)

LAST TIME OUT: The 2023 Gettysburg season ended in the NCAA third round with a 12-7 loss to No. 4 Christopher Newport. Kieran Ward recorded a hat trick to go with one assist and one ground ball. Alex Brendes led the Captains' offense with five goals and three assists. The Bullets ended the season with a record of 13-5. (Full Recap) (Box Score)

NO. 8 WITH A BULLET: In three polls issued so far in 2024, Gettysburg has hovered between eighth and ninth in the USILA rankings. The Bullets were the preseason No. 8 team before switching places with Lynchburg and falling to ninth in the week one poll on Feb. 5. Then on Monday, the two teams were deadlocked for the No. 8 spot in the week two poll. 

DEFENSIVE MINDED: Gettysburg returns two of its top defenders and starting goalie from the 2023 campaign. Frank Barbera was a first-team all-conference performer last season and tabbed a first-team preseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse. The long-stick midfielder played all 18 games and was second on the team with 51 ground balls while adding 17 caused turnovers. Andy Marquet was a second-team all-conference honoree and honorable mention preseason All-America according to Inside Lacrosse. He started all 18 games, leading the team with 25 caused turnovers to go with 47 ground balls. The defense is backstopped by honorable mention preseason All-American Chase Morgan, who started all 12 games in which he played last year with a 10.59 goals-against average and .450 save percentage.

LAST TIME OUT: Lynchburg's 2023 season ended with a NCAA quarterfinal loss 17-9 at Amherst. The Hornets finished the campaign with an overall record of 15-7. (Full Recap) (Box Score)

HONORED HORNETS: Lynchburg, which is the preseason favorite in the ODAC, had three players land spots on the USILA preseason All-America teams. Riley Mitchell earned first-team honors, and Jake Rust and Tyler Hadley secured third-team honors. Mitchell was a first-team All-American midfielder in 2023, scoring 32 goals and recording 30 assists last season. Rust was also an All-American in 2023, leading the team with 41 goals while his 51 points ranked third. Hadley started 21 games in goal for the Hornets racking up an ODAC-best .584 save percentage. He made 191 saves.