Gettysburg returns enough talent to challenge for its third straight NCAA championship and enters the season No. 1 in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women’s Preseason Top 20 rankings.

The Bullets repeated as national champions last season behind IWLCA National Player of the Year and first-team All-American midfielder Steph Colson, who’s back for her senior season. With young talent amassing points offensively a year ago and senior defender Brooke Holecheck in front of senior goalie Bailey Pilder, Gettysburg could indeed make history by winning it all again.

No. 2 The College of New Jersey lost just three seniors, be they talented, and will have every opportunity to dethrone Gettysburg. The same could be said for No. 3 Middlebury, which tested the Bullets before falling in the NCAA final, 11-9. Upstart NESCAC rival Wesleyan lost just two seniors from a breakthrough season to enter at No. 4, while No. 5 Amherst won’t sneak up on anyone after starting 2018 unranked and climbing to No. 1 at one point.

Check back to uslaxmagazine.com as we roll out our preseason rankings and players of the year for Division I, II and III men’s and women’s lacrosse and look for an extensive NCAA preview in the February edition of US Lacrosse Magazine — an exclusive benefit for US Lacrosse members. Join today to start your subscription.

Nike/US Lacrosse Rankings

Division I Men | Division I Women
Division II Men | Division II Women
Division III Men | Division III Women

Also considered (alphabetical order): Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Denison, Geneseo, Rowan, Stevens