2021 Women’s Lacrosse Season Preview

GETTYSBURG COLLEGE
GETTYSBURG COLLEGE

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College women’s lacrosse team begins its long-awaited title defense this weekend when the Bullets head to Washington College for the start of the Centennial Conference schedule on Saturday, March 20, at 4 p.m.

Gettysburg won the last two conference titles in 2018 and 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 campaign. The Bullets will return to the roots of their championship history this spring by engaging in a six-game round-robin schedule where the conference champion and NCAA qualifier will be determined by the regular season record. Gettysburg was the last team to claim both achievements in this manner, winning its first-ever Centennial title in 2000.

“Like every year, 2021 will be no different as our goal is to put out the best product possible every time we step on the field,” said Head Coach Carol Cantele ’83, who enters her 29th season with the Orange and Blue. “We know that what we do EACH day is a step towards playing late in May. We know the end goal, but we are focusing on the pathway right in front of us now.”

In 2020, Gettysburg’s bid for three consecutive conference crowns was stopped before it started as the team managed just five non-conference outings. The team went 4-1 in those contests, including a dramatic 12-11 overtime victory at No. 7 Salisbury University right before the season was halted.

Cantele, who ranks third in NCAA history with 446 career wins over 32 seasons as a head coach, has a core group of talented and trustworthy seniors to help lead the team into this unprecedented season. The group includes defenders Gabby Dunning (Oreland, Pa./Springside Chestnut Hill Academy), Sara Howard (Skillman, N.J./Montgomery), and Alex Jarvis (West Hartford, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall) and attackers Kerry McKeever (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville), Maddy Ruffini (Media, Pa./Strath Haven), Bri Stokes (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury), and Kerry Ullman (Fairfield, Conn./Academy of Our Lady Mercy Lauralton Hall).

This year’s senior class was part of Gettysburg’s NCAA championship run in 2018 and they’ve helped the Bullets to a record of 44-5 over the last three campaigns.

“Our seniors have been excellent at teaching the underclasswomen the ‘Gettysburg way,'” stated the coach. “They have provided encouragement and support while challenging them to get out of their comfort zones and compete.  They have set the tone for adherence to standards; keeping everyone performing and behaving above the line all while having fun and joy.”

Howard, Stokes, and McKeever are serving as team captains this spring. McKeever was also named to the US Lacrosse Magazine Division III Preseason All-America Team.

Gettysburg leads all conference schools with 12 championships and the team is once again slated to finish atop the standings according the CC Preseason Poll. Gettysburg received five first-place votes and 35 points to finish in front of rival Franklin & Marshall College. The Bullets have earned the top nod in the conference’s preseason poll 11 times since 2007.

The Bullets enter the regular season ranked fourth in the latest IWLCA Division III Poll, while the Diplomats are ranked No. 1.

No fans will be allowed at athletic contests hosted by Centennial Conference institutions this spring. All home lacrosse games at Gettysburg will be streamed live and feature live in-game statistics.

This story was originally posted on the Gettysburg College Website.

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