Unstoppable Bullets Rip through Shoreman four to zero
Junior Molly Phillips has been a pivotal part of the Bullets dominance this season. She has
scored four goals off only ten shots, and also has three assist to her name. She is sixth in the Centennial Conference. Photo Courtesy of David Sinclair
By Shannon Keeler, Contributing Writer
The Gettysburg Women’ s soccer team walked away from the Washington College Shoremen Saturday with a four to nothing shutout win and their strongest victory thus far. It has been nine years since the Bullets have started off their season with such domination, obtaining a 6-0-2 undefeated record.
What is even more impressive is that six out of eight of their games have been shutouts.
Senior Captain Rachel West credits the team as a whole in regards to their defensive dominance. “Our D is so strong, it is the core of our team as coach says, and other teams are not able to score easily,” West said. “Our shutouts start with our offense as well, pressing throughout the field. It’s a team effort.”
On Saturday, amidst undesirably torrential weather conditions, the Bullets still managed to defeat Washington College decisively.
Junior Molly Phillips put the Bullets on the board with a goal at 9:27 into the game, assisted by Senior Rachel West. Junior Jill Baltz, who before the game was scoreless on the season, had a big break-out performance, scoring the next two goals of the game all within four minutes. The second goal and last of the half was assisted by Senior Colleen Looney. Junior Brigid Behan finished off the Bullet’s scoring effort early in the second half, scoring off an assist from Phillips.
The fourth consecutive shutout was led by a trio of goalies. Sophomore keeper Eliza Gray manned the net in the first half and had one save. The dominance was upheld in the second half by Paige Della Badia, with one save, and Morgan Patullo to finish the game. The collective team-defense was the big key on the day, as the Bullets held the Shoremen to a microscopic three shots, compared to Gettysburg’s 15.
After finishing week off with a tie against York, and this win against Washington College, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III Mid-Atlantic region ranked the Bullets #4. It has been nine years since the team has started off the season so strong.
West explains that the team’s relationship off the field greatly contributes to their success on the field, “We’re a really tight nit group. Coming into preseason two weeks before school starts helps a lot because we only have each other and stick together,” West said. “This helps us bond as a team. We do everything together, we eat together, we hang out together, so I think our connection off the field is what pulls us together on the field.”
The Bullets have never won a CCC, but West acknowledges that they are more than eager to change that statistic.
“We want to make the NCAA’s and a CCC, it’s been a long time coming,” West said. “There’s no game in our schedule that we should lose if we keep playing like we have been. The past 3 years we were predicted to get a bid and we didn’t, we want this and we’re ready.”
With an undefeated record, a first place tie with Johns Hopkins and a team full of motivated individuals, the Bullets are on the right track.
