GETTYSBURG, Pa. –   Over the last four years, the Gettysburg College women's soccer team has put together an impressive run.
 
During that stretch, the Bullets have won 12 matches and reached the Centennial Conference playoffs each year. The squad advanced to the conference title match in 2011 and has competed in the semifinals in each of the past two seasons.
 
Despite such impressive accolades, the Orange and Blue have unfinished business heading into the 2014 campaign, according to eighth-year head coach Matt Garrett.
 
"Our goal every season is to compete for a conference title and get to the national tournament," said Garrett, who enters the season with a career record of 70-45-13. "For three years running we've missed that by one game. But we are working on things that as a team we haven't worked on before to hopefully get us there."
 
The Bullets are coming off a 12-2-4 season, and the team's recent run has left the current squad eager to continue and improve upon the program's tradition of success.
 
"We've lost a very good senior class, but what's good about it is the next senior class is ready to emulate what they did on the field, and their leadership off the field," said Garrett. "I think it sets expectations for each team to get better and better every year."
 
Gettysburg is coming off another outstanding defensive season, finishing ninth in Division III in both goals-against average (0.42) and shutouts (13) while breaking the school record in both categories.
 
"We want to keep building on our defensive record but also be more of an attacking threat in the final third," said Garrett. "I think we've improved in every area from last year, but it's really about trying to create more goal-scoring opportunities and finishing our chances. I think we want to transform from being just a great possession and defensive team to being more of a complete team."
 
The Bullets return plenty of ammunition on both ends of the field this season to pose a threat for the conference title once again. Gettysburg retains its starting goalkeeper and a number of back row players while the offensive unit brings back 91 percent of its goal scoring from a year ago.
 
Leading the way at goalie is junior Eliza Gray (South Orange, N.J./Columbia), who is coming off another outstanding season as the team's starting keeper. She reset her own school record for goals-against average (0.45) and finished second in school history with nine shutouts en route to earning All-Centennial Conference honors for the second year in a row. Seniors Paige Della Badia (Scotch Plains, N.J./Scotch Plains-Fanwood) and Morgan Patullo (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) will provide the Bullets with depth between the pipes.
 
In front of Gray, the Orange and Blue lost a pair of starting defenders but feature a number of experienced players, led by senior Meg Castranova (Pennington, N.J./Pennington School). A two-time All-Centennial Conference selection, she played in 14 games and made 11 starts while contributing one goal and one assist. The Bullets will also bring back senior Mary Kamovitch (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe), who started all 18 matches and posted one assist, and junior Cailin DiGiacomo (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Germantown Academy), who appeared in 17 matches, started 12 times, and also handed out an assist.
 
In addition, sophomore Carly Cobbol (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield) will make the move from midfielder to defender and could see playing time right away. Sophomores Courtney Long (Ipswich, Mass./Ipswich) and Alex Maciejewski (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) will also push for playing time in the backfield along with freshmen Haley Brazier (Reston, Va./Herndon) and Gillian Sencindiver (Strafford, Pa./Conestoga).
 A deep and balanced offense returns its top-four scorers from a year ago, including senior All-Centennial Conference forward Brigid Behan (Newport, R.I./Portsmouth Abbey), who posted five goals and two assists. Also returning up front is senior Georgia Ferguson (Bethel, Conn./Bethel), who posted a breakout season a year ago with her team-leading seven goals.
 
Junior Melissa Seidner (Hamilton, N.J./Peddie School) returns to the front row after posting two goals and one assist while playing all 18 games and making four starts last season while a pair of Bullets – junior Lauren Schapiro (Stamford, Conn./Stamford) and sophomore Hannah Theurer (Darnestown, Md./Northwest) – will move up from the midfield. Theurer scored four goals while playing all 18 games and starting three times last season while Schapiro notched one goal and two assists over 18 games and one start. Senior Jill Baltz (Seaville, N.J./Ocean City) also returns after recording three goals and one assist in 2013.
 
Also competing for playing time will be sophomore Jackie Perotti (Peapack, N.J./Bernards) and freshmen Jessica Cuttone (Mahwah, N.J./Mahwah), Audrey Dannenbaum (Weston, Conn./Weston), and Maddie Heaney (Allendale, N.J./Northern Highlands Regional).
 
In the midfield, the Bullets face the challenge of replacing a pair of starters but return a number of Bullets with ample experience. Senior Molly Phillips (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury), an All-Centennial Conference performer as a freshman, is back after finishing second on the team in scoring with 13 points on four goals and five assists last season. Also returning is sophomore Julia Ramsey (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga), who added one goal while playing in 17 games and making four starts.
 
Providing additional options in the midfield will be sophomore Maddie Brown (Canandaigua, N.Y./Marcus Whitman) and freshmen Taylor Atlas (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista), Krissy Bradley (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe), Shannon Brady (Glen Head, N.Y./Our Lady of Mercy Academy), Nicole Crofton (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip), and Jordan Stefanacci (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy).
 
The Bullets kick off their season with the Gettysburg Cup this weekend, playing defending national champion and No. 1-ranked William Smith College on Friday at 7 p.m. before taking on Gustavus Adolphus College on Saturday at 4 p.m. Gettysburg's Centennial Conference opener is set for Sept. 20 at Ursinus College.