Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The third-ranked Gettysburg College women's lacrosse team took care of business on Senior Day, locking up the top seed and hosting rights for the Centennial Conference Championship with a 13-3 victory over Washington College at Clark Field Saturday.
Gettysburg (15-2, 8-1 CC) needed a victory and a loss by Muhlenberg College (13-3, 7-2 CC) to secure the top spot for the sixth time in eight seasons. Muhlenberg dropped a 17-10 decision to Franklin & Marshall College (14-4, 8-1 CC) to settle the fight for first and the Bullets broke the tie with the Diplomats by virtue of a 12-6 victory on April 5.
Prior to the game, Gettysburg honored its five seniors: Emma Christie (Cos, Cobb./Greenwich), Caroline Jaeger (Hampton, N.J./North Hunterdon), Shannon Keeler (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown), Macauley Mikes (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington), and Katelyn Neillands(Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge). All five played big roles in the game with Christie and Jaeger each scoring twice and Keeler, Mikes, and Neillands leading a second-half shutout of Washington.
Junior Katie Willis (Baltimore, Md./Notre Dame Prep) poured in a career-high five points on four goals and one assist, while junior Katie Landry (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) and freshman Courtney Patterson (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) each tallied a goal and an assist.
After belting out a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, junior Maggie McClain (Wexford, Pa./Sewickley Academy) opened the scoring with a run to the cage just 24 seconds into the game. Washington tied the contest less than four minutes later on a tally by Cecily Docktor.
Gettysburg would keep the Shorewomen in the rear-view mirror for the rest of the game thanks to a four-goal run. Keeler keyed the defense with two saves and two caused turnovers, while Willis put up an assist and a goal to make it 5-1.
Washington trimmed the deficit down to three by halftime, but the visitors would not convert another attempt over the final 34:42. The Bullet defense allowed just nine shots in the second half and Keeler picked up four more stops before exiting with two minutes left.
The offense, meanwhile, was clicking. Willis opened the scoring with an unassisted tally and Christie added a free-position goal at 19:16. Patterson turned in the game's final goal with 6:06 to play.
Gettysburg led in shots (20-17) and ground balls (16-9), while Washington won the draw battle 10-8.
Keeler finished with seven saves, three ground balls, and a pair of interceptions. Neillands corralled three ground balls and junior Ali Gorab(Southport, Conn./Ludlowe) posted two ground balls, one draw control, and a caused turnover.
Sophomore Brooke Holechek (Reisterstown, Md./Notre Dame Prep) logged three ground balls and a caused turnover and held Washington's top scorer and the second-leading goal producer in the Centennial Conference, Katherine Vincent, to just one goal.
Joining Gettysburg in the conference tournament will be Franklin & Marshall, Muhlenberg, Dickinson College (9-7, 6-3 CC), and Washington College (10-6, 5-4 CC). Dickinson hosts Washington in the first round on Wednesday, May 3. The winner will face Gettysburg in the semifinals next Saturday, while the Diplomats and Mules will square off again in the second semifinal. The championship will take place Sunday, May 7.