LANCASTER, Pa. – Four different players recorded hat tricks as second-ranked Gettysburg College advanced to the title game of Centennial Conference Championship for the 19th consecutive season with a 17-8 victory over No. 24 Washington College at Shadek Stadium on the campus of Franklin & Marshall College Saturday afternoon.
 
For the seventh consecutive season and the 16th time in the last 17 years, Gettysburg (16-1) and fourth-ranked Franklin & Marshall (15-3), which beat Haverford College 16-10 Saturday, will meet in the conference tournament finals. The Bullets have won eight of those meeting and are seeking their 12th overall Centennial crown. The Diplomats are hunting for title No. 8 and look to avenge a 15-7 loss to Gettysburg in last year's finale at Shadek Stadium.
 
Sophomore Kerry McKeever (Stony Brook, N.Y./Ward Melville) posted three goals and an assist, while juniors Liza Barr (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) and Courtney Patterson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) and sophomore Bri Stokes (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) each tossed in three goals. Junior Ella Orzechowski (Elkridge, Md./Howard) added two goals and two assists and junior Maria Nemeth (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) produced two goals and an assist.
 
Aubrey Robinson, Lauren Brenner, and Colleen Keefe all posted two goals for Washington (12-6).
 
Just one week ago, the Shorewomen jumped out to an early lead before Gettysburg battled back to score a 16-13 decision in the regular season finale. On Saturday, the Bullets left nothing to chance and seized the momentum early. Senior Steph Colson (Westminster, Md./Manchester Valley) logged the first of her career-high tying five caused turnovers on Washington's opening possession and the Bullets came back on the other end with senior Lauren Cole (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) finding Stokes for the opening goal.
 
The Bullets ran off the first seven goals of the game with Nemeth closing the run with a goal at 17:16 and an assist to Barr 40 seconds later. Robinson stopped the run with Washington's first tally before back-to-back goals by McKeever made it 9-1 with 7:31 left in the first half.
 
The Shorewomen cut into the deficit with a three-goal run over 74 seconds late in the first half, but Gettysburg regained control with tallies by Orzechowski and Barr in the final 28 seconds to take an 11-4 advantage into the break.
 
Washington would get no closer than five in the final period. Following a free-position goal by Keefe with 21:09 to play, the Bullets rattled off the next three tallies, including two by Patterson, to surge in front 15-7 with less than 13 to go.
 
Gettysburg finished with the edge in shots (31-21), ground balls (20-12), and draw controls (16-11).
 
Colson added four ground balls to her caused turnover total, while junior Claire Macatee (Bel Air, Md./North Harford) posted three ground balls, seven draw controls, and two caused turnovers. Senior goalie Bailey Pilder (Rowayton, Conn./New Canaan) logged four saves.