GETTYSBURG, Pa. – After months of anticipation, the ultimate goal of the Gettysburg College women's lacrosse team – playing for a national title on its home turf – is within sight. But first, the Bullets must take care of business this weekend in the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Regional Championships at Clark Field.

Gettysburg was selected to host the 2010 NCAA Division II & III Women's Lacrosse Championships on May 22-23 late in the fall of 2008 and the prospect of playing on Clark Field in the event has been on the minds of the Bullets since the start of the current season.

“Believe it or not, back in February our girls talked about playing on Clark Field more than they do now,” noted Head Coach Carol Cantele. “Don't get me wrong, they are thrilled about playing at home, who wouldn't be? But, at least on the surface, it's not something we have really talked or thought about. We have all acknowledged the elephant in the room but have moved on. It's about the game, not the location.”

Added to the mix is Gettysburg's selection as one of four sites to host the NCAA Regional Championships set for May 15-16. The Bullets will welcome Babson College (15-3), Stevens Institute of Technology (17-2), and Trinity (Conn.) College (14-3) to Clark Field on Saturday. Gettysburg will face Babson at 11:30 a.m. with Stevens and Trinity squaring off at 2:30. Sunday's regional title game is slated for 3 p.m.

It will be a tough road for the fourth-ranked Bullets despite playing at home. The only school to host and win every NCAA game in a single postseason is The College of New Jersey, which accomplished the feat in 1991 and 1995. Gettysburg's first opponent, Babson, took home the championship in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) and just took out New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) champion Williams College 8-6 in the first round. Both Stevens and Trinity are in the midst of program-record seasons and either team will be a formidable quarterfinal opponent.

“We are in a competitive bracket and that is what the NCAA Tournament is all about,” stated Cantele. “While it's important to recognize each opponent and learn their tendencies, it is equally important to keep in mind what has gotten our team this far, and that's playing our game. We are confident in what our team can do, and as long as we continue to execute the little things we are excited to learn our fate.”

In most instances, timing is everything, and at the end of the regular season Gettysburg was at the height of its game, polishing off a perfect record in the Centennial Conference (9-0) and earning the right to host the postseason tournament. The Bullets took out Haverford College 16-6 in the semis and appeared on the verge of humbling three-time champ Franklin & Marshall, holding a 7-3 lead with eight minutes to play. But the Diplomats came storming back and won the contest in overtime 9-8. It was a tough loss, but the team has rebounded and learned from its mistakes over the last two weeks.

“That loss may have been the best thing for us,” said Cantele. “Winning the CC Championship would have been awesome, and losing was a tough pill to swallow but it taught us a valuable lesson. The game is 60 minutes; you can't play 45 minutes of good lacrosse against a talented opponent and expect to win. You can't leave anything up to chance.”

“We took a good hard look at ourselves after that game, addressed the breakdowns and talked about the road ahead,” she added. “It was an opportunity for us to decide what kind of team we want to be moving forward. And we're excited to have the opportunity to be that team.”

“Right now were at the peak of our season and the peak of our play,” noted senior co-captain Nicole Ditillo (Baldwin, Md./Fallston). “If all things come together as they should and we play the way we all know that we are capable of, then there's nothing that can stop us.”

Ditillo is one of 10 seniors on Gettysburg's roster this spring. Those players have helped the team reach the national playoffs every year, including going all the way to the semifinals in 2007 and 2009. The seniors started their collegiate lacrosse careers on what was probably a cold and snowy February morning four years ago on Clark Field, but now they have the rare opportunity to close out on that same field on the biggest stage.

“They set a great example for our younger players day-in and day-out,” said Cantele. “They play hard, they play to win, they have fun - it doesn't matter if it's February or May. “They set the tone, and this team led by our 10 seniors, is ready to get going in this NCAA tournament once again.”

The following is a brief capsule on each team participating in the Gettysburg regional:

No. 11 Babson College
Overall: 15-3
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference: 6-0
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 4
NCAA Tournament Record: 3-3
Head Coach: Kully Reardon (9th Season, 102-56)
 
Babson rolled into the postseason with a perfect regular season record in the NEWMAC, capped by taking home the tournament title. The Beavers opened the NCAA Tournament by getting by Williams 8-6 in the opening round. The Ephs started with control by netting three of the first four scores and went into the half with a 3-2 lead. After trading a pair of goals to start the final period, Babson went on a three-goal run midway through the half to take the lead for good.

Babson's resume includes wins over two 2010 NCAA Tournament participants and four ranked opponents overall. The Beavers have not given up more than nine goals in their last seven games and enter the weekend with a 9.29 GAA.

Anna Collins was named the NEWMAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while Jamie Spang was lauded as Rookie of the Year. Collins is Babson's leading scorer this spring, but fellow senior Kaitlyn Pettengill is the school's all-time leader in goals (216) and points (275). Goalie Sarah Macary has stopped just under 50 percent (.495) of the shots she's seen on goal this spring.

No. 4 Gettysburg College
Overall: 16-3
Centennial Conference: 9-0
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10
NCAA Tournament Record: 11-9
Head Coach: Carol Cantele (18th Season, 246-83)

Gettysburg was the runner-up in the Centennial Conference after falling in overtime to Franklin & Marshall. The Bullets controlled most of the title game and held a 4-1 lead at the halftime. Trailing 7-3 with less than eight minutes remaining, the Diplomats began the comeback with the final four goals to force the extra session. The teams traded goals in overtime, but after winning the final draw, F&M tallied the game-winner with just five seconds left.

The Orange and Blue's three losses have come to teams ranked in the national top 10. Gettysburg's resume also sports wins over current NCAA playoff participants Mary Washington, Catholic, Elizabethtown, Cabrini, and Franklin & Marshall. The team is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in 11 seasons and has played in the national semifinals three times in the past four seasons.

First-team all-conference selections Nina Emala and Hollis Stahl lead the scoring barrage for Gettysburg and have combined for 100 goals. Jessica Crane led the CC in caused turnovers this fall and is third on the team in every scoring stat. Goalkeeper Kristen Krammer owns a career-low 7.31 goals against average which ranks eighth in Division III.

No. 7 Stevens Institute of Technology
Overall: 17-2
Empire 8 Conference: 7-1
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2
NCAA Tournament Record: 1-1
Head Coach: Celine Cunningham (8th Season, 109-38)

Stevens captured its first Empire 8 championship to earn a bid to the postseason. The Ducks downed Ithaca 14-10 in the tournament finale, avenging its only regular season defeat in conference play. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Stevens scored its first-ever national playoff win by downing Montclair State 15-12. Trailing 5-3 with eight minutes left in the first half, the Ducks went on a 9-0 run and never looked back.

Stevens opened the year with a dramatic triple-overtime win over No. 8 Union and closed the year with an even more impressive decision, upsetting third-ranked TCNJ 16-14. The Ducks score roughly 15 goals per game and have won 59 percent of draws taken this spring.

Alyssa Pigott was tabbed the E8 Player of the Year for the second time and has put up 88 points on the board, giving her well over 300 for her career. Leah Wasserman is right behind Pigott in scoring and put up seven goals against Montclair State, while defender Kate Cox leads the team in ground balls (55) and caused turnovers (29). Goalie Shannon McFadden owns a 9.16 GAA and .465 save percentage between the pipes.

No. 8 Trinity College (Conn.)
Overall: 14-3
New England Small College Athletic Conference: 7-2
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6
NCAA Tournament Record: 3-5
Head Coach: Kathryn Livesay (4th Season, 47-19)

Trinity received an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament after being upset in the NESCAC semifinals by Williams. The Bantams exploded into the playoffs by powering past Bridgewater State 19-3. Trinity tallied the first four goals and led 13-1 at the break. The victors held Bridgewater State to just nine shots, only three of which were on goal.

Trinity was top dog in the NESCAC during the regular season with its only losses coming to a pair of ranked teams. The Bantams took down five ranked teams during the spring thanks to a stingy defense that ranks among the national leaders with a 6.94 GAA.

Sarah Remes led Trinity with four goals and an assist against Bridgewater State in the opening round. All-NESCAC First Teamers Caitlin Irvine and Rachel Romanowsky added three and two goals, respectively. Irvine leads the team in goals, points, and draw controls (25). Midfielder Liz Bruno ranks among the national leaders with 50 caused turnovers and paces the team with 48 ground balls. Gina Dinallo has played the majority of time in goal and owns a 7.43 GAA and .439 save percentage.