Patterson Tagged D3 Preseason Player of the Year

Patterson_Courtney_Ithaca_2019
Patterson_Courtney_Ithaca_2019

For the second consecutive year, Gettysburg College features the top player in Division III heading into the season as senior midfielder Courtney Patterson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) was selected as the 2020 US Lacrosse Magazine Division III Women’s Preseason Player of the Year it was announced on Friday, Dec. 20.
 
Patterson is the third Bullet to be named Preseason Player of the Year by Lacrosse Magazine, following in the footsteps of former teammate Steph Colson ’19 in 2019 and Becky Lutz ’11 in 2011. Patterson and Colson were both selected by the staff at US Lacrosse after consulting with collegiate coaches, while Lutz earned the honor by way of an online fan vote.
 
The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III Midfielder of the Year and a first-team All-American in 2019, Patterson dominated from end line to end line as a true two-way player. Every game started with her overpowering opponents in the draw circle to the tune of 100 draw controls as she became just the third player in program history to reach the century mark in a single season.
 
Patterson also led the squad with 34 ground balls and set personal highs for points (50), goals (39), and assists (11), while starting all 21 games. Tagged Centennial Conference Midfielder of the Year, All-CC First Team, and All-Metro Region First Team, she was at her best in some of Gettysburg’s biggest games. She tallied a career-high 11 draw controls against No. 19 Ithaca College and captured eight draws against third-ranked Washington and Lee University. Patterson posted four goals and three assists against seventh-ranked York (Pa.) College.
 
A three-time all-conference selection, Patterson already ranks fourth on the program’s career list with 246 draw controls. She has scored 105 points on 90 goals and 15 assists over 68 games.
 
The Bullets have featured eight IWLCA Players of the Year across the defense, midfield, and attack since 2005. Colson was named the overall Division III Player of the Year in 2018.
 
Gettysburg finished 19-2 overall in 2019. The Bullets spent eight weeks as the No. 1 ranked team in the country and finished fifth in the final national poll released by the IWLCA. The team captured its 12th Centennial title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 18th consecutive season. Gettysburg was No. 2 in the 2020 Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Preseason Poll.
 

This story was originally posted on the Gettysburg College Website.