| The Bullets hoist Walnut and Bronze for the first
time in NCAA Division III. Gettysburg athletics photo by Lee Weissman |
Gettysburg captured its first NCAA Division III championship of any kind in dominating fashion with a 16-5 victory over Bowdoin in the women’s lacrosse finals held at Motamed Field on the campus of Adelphi University on Sunday.
Appearing in its second national final ever, Gettysburg (19-4)
handily won its first national title in program history, and just
the second national championship ever attained in school history.
The 1980 field hockey team won the Association for Intercollegiate
Athletics for Women Division III title, a squad on which current
women’s lacrosse coach Carol Cantele was a
member.
“As intimate and exciting as it was for our own team (1980
field hockey), not many people knew we were doing it,” added
Cantele. “We’ve had the college completely behind us,
and the interest in the media, and that’s just so great for
the sport and for women’s athletics, and great for, in
particular, the girls here. They showcased themselves and the
institution in the upmost fashion. It’s a whole different
feeling and truthfully it’s so much fun to be an observer of
it. It will really be a lasting memory.”
Most Outstanding Performer Hannah
Church finished with a Gettysburg postseason
record-tying eight points on five goals and three assists.
Freshman Kelsey Markiewicz pumped in four
goals for the second consecutive day and added two assists and was
also named All-Tournament, while junior goalie Maddie
Coleman garnered All-Tournament accolades after posting
nine saves in the final.
Joining the aforementioned trio on the NCAA All-Tournament team
were sophomore Lindsey Robinson, who finished with
one goal and three assists, and sophomore Mairead
McGuirk, who led Gettysburg to a 13-10 advantage in draw
controls.
Sunday’s finale was never in doubt as Gettysburg jumped out
to 5-0 lead as four different players tickled the twine. Robinson
started the run with a free-position shot for the game’s
first goal at 25:09 and Church ended it with a move down the left
side at 21:47.
“I kind of had the idea that we could do that because we
practiced against the backer defense at practice every day,”
noted Church. “We knew what we were doing and that we could
get ahead of that defense.”
“This whole tournament all we’ve been saying before
every game and every huddle is ‘We’re going to win
this,’ said Church. “We’ve just been so confident
and that’s really what’s gotten us here.”
After Bowdoin (18-4) put in its first goal, the Bullets went on
another streak with six more shots finding pay-dirt. Pruitt
benefitted from a pair of passes from Church and Robinson for two
goals, while Markiewicz closed the run with back-to-back tallies
from Robinson. Coleman was up to task in goal, stopping a pair of
free-position shots at point-blank range at Gettysburg went up 11-1
with just over four minutes left in the first half.
The Polar Bears seemed to finally put some pieces together with the
final goal of the first half and three of the first four goals of
the second half, but the Bullets put the game to bed with each of
the final four tallies. A quick shot in front of the net by
freshman Katie Blumenthal off a feed from Pruitt at 6:22 sealed the
game’s outcome.
Church’s eight points gave her 29 for the tournament,
shattering the previous record of 25 set by The College of New
Jersey’s Lauren Dougher in 2005. Church also set the
tournament record for total goals with 26 and her 99 points this
season is the fifth-highest in school history.
Pruitt finished with three goals and one assist and
senior Marnie Commins and
sophomore Lindsay Menton each tallied one
goal, the latter adding one helper as well. Junior
defender Lexi Kelly posted two caused
turnovers and two ground balls and senior Becky
Lutz logged three ground balls.
Coleman finished with 20 saves combined in the semifinal and
championship games for Gettysburg. Senior Laura
McIntyre closed out the final minutes of the
championship win.
“I’ve never cried happy tears before and that was the
first time I cried happy tears,” said Lutz. “Everything
that I’ve done in my life in sports has led up to this
moment. It’s up there with one of the most momentous moments
in my life that I will always look back on and remember. I
couldn’t be prouder of my team. I couldn’t be happier
with the teammates I got to play with and the coaches I got to
have. It just really ended my college career really
nicely.”
“I think it means an incredible amount to the three
seniors,” said Cantele. “I think that Becky Lutz put it
together well. It’s wonderful to end the season with a win,
because then you can still be celebrating. It’s almost like
something that will never end because it’s going to be hers
and theirs forever. We’re nothing but smiles because they
finished their work and in a fun, fine fashion. I think
they’re going to just keep smiling, and it doesn’t end
for them.”
Gettysburg dominated the game statistically with more shots
(27-19), ground balls (17-13), and draw controls (13-10). The
11-goal differential was the biggest in the national title game
since TCNJ defeated William Smith 29-11 in 1994.
Carolyn Gorejek and Katy Dissinger, the latter earning
All-Tournament recognition, each tossed in a pair of goals for the
Polar Bears. Tara Connolly was tabbed All-Tournament after posting
five saves in goal.
“I just would say the whole season’s been an absolute
joy,” said Cantele. “From the hard work and crazy
weather, we made light of so many things while we were doing
serious work. That’s a tough combination to have the
camaraderie and joy amongst a very driven task at hand. I think
that this group more than any group I’ve seen knew how to
strike that balance of having fun and working, and having a goal.
That’s what I will remember most – their ability to
enjoy what they’re doing, and at the same time getting it
done.”
The Polar Bears, who graduate only two seniors -- Ingrid Oelschlager and Dissinger -- close out their year with a school-record 18 wins and coach Liz Grote ends the year as the program's winningest coach with 104 wins, breaking the mark of 103 held by long-time coach Sally LaPointe. Bowdoin was making its first-ever appearance at the Division III "Final Four".