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GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College women's lacrosse team aims for its first trip to the national semifinals in four years, but first the Bullets will have to take down York (Pa.) College for the second time this season and claim an additional victory in the regional championship of the NCAA Division III Championship at Clark Field this weekend.
 
For the third time in four seasons, Gettysburg hosts the regional round of the NCAA playoffs. Joining the fifth-ranked Bullets will be No. 12 York (14-5), No. 6 Middlebury College (14-3), and No. 13 Hamilton College (12-5).
 
Saturday's games are regular-season rematches with Gettysburg meeting York at 11:30 a.m. and Middlebury facing Hamilton at 2:30 p.m. The two winners will square off on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with the right to compete in the national championships next weekend at PPL Park on the line.
 
"We are living in the moment and focusing on each day," said Head Coach Carol Cantele '83, who has led the Bullets to 14-straight NCAA appearances. "We know the dangers of looking too far ahead.  Of course we are watching film on all the teams in our bracket and practicing with all the teams in mind, but our true focus is on us and how we are feeling and playing."
 
Gettysburg met York on March 24. The Bullets cruised to a 15-9 victory with senior Mandy Buell (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) tossing in a career-high seven goals. The win was the first of 10 in a row for Gettysburg, while the Spartans went on to win eight of their next 10 contests. The game plan for the rematch is likely to be quite different for both teams.
 
"It's a whole new season when it comes to postseason," said Buell, who leads Gettysburg with 72 goals and 93 points. "It's one-and-done. We have to emphasize on executing every little thing. They're going to change things, we've changed things. It's just a matter of everyone playing their best game at this point."
 
Saturday's second game will see Middlebury and Hamilton square off for the second time this spring. The two New England Small College Athletic Conference foes met on April 15 with Middlebury pulling out a 12-10 decision. The Panthers would like nothing more than to give Head Coach Missy Foote another win in her final season at the helm and draw a potential postseason rematch with Gettysburg. The Bullets ended Middlebury's 2014 campaign with a 9-7 decision in the NCAA playoffs.
 
All four teams are trying to reach the national semifinals and championship slated for March 23-24 at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. Gettysburg last reached the semis in 2011 when it went on to win its first national title. Middlebury has been a regular in the championship round with 15 appearances, most recently in 2013. Hamilton has made three trips to the semis, while York is seeking its first trip to the final weekend.
 
"At this point in the year all the teams share the same goal and have the talent to achieve it," said Cantele. "It will take solid performances at both ends of the field to advance. It will take a winning mindset which includes composure, relentless hustle, and adaptability. It will take heart and each member of the team being all in. I believe that we are ready to do just that."