Bullets Swept in Tournament

Depleted lineup battles fatigue and injuries in addition to opponents

Captain Mark Bouchard and the rest of the Bullets were unable to overcome IUP and PSU Altoona

Gettysburg hoped to use some of the momentum they picked up in their opening weekend to propel them to a good showing, but they were unable to translate that into success in their first of two showcase tournaments of the year. The Bullets were shorthanded from the very beginning, heading into the weekend missing many of their top veterans, including their two Assistant Captains. Senior Dan Willman and Junior Cory Jackmuff filled in by donning the "A's," but with only 17 players to begin the weekend and three games in 18 hours, the Bullets were worn down and dropped all three games in Altoona.

The Bullets first game came late on Friday night, an 11pm tilt vs. Penn State Altoona. All but six of the Bullets' sixteen position players were rookies, playing in only their third collegiate hockey game. Their inexperience showed, as Gettysburg quickly fell behind 5-1 in the first period. But the last two periods were much better, as sophomores Graham Harkins and Jon O'Hara added two goals and senior captain Mark Bouchard added two of his own, but the Bullets still fell 7-4. Less than eight hours later, the two teams were matched up again with a 9:30am start. The Bullets were not only tired but more shorthanded, with freshman Ryan Anderson serving a DQ earned for fighting at the end of the previous night's game. Despite fewer players, Gettysburg started much better, trailing by 1 through the first period and tying the game in the second on rookie sophomore Connor Flanagan's first Gettysburg goal. The Bullets would stick with PSU Altoona until late in the third period when a flurry of goals buried Gettysburg, leading to a final score not indicative of the competitiveness of the game (6-1). Less than five hours after the conclusion of that game, the Bullets would have to play yet again, facing Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Gettysburg stuck with IUP again through the first period-and-a-half, with Bouchard adding his third goal of the weekend before being knocked out of the game with an injury. At that point the wheels started to fall off, as injuries and general fatigue led the Bullets falling by the eventual score of 14-1.

Next weekend the Bullets return home to face MDCHA opponent University of Maryland on Friday night in York, and then face Canisius College on Saturday at Twin Ponds East in Harrisburg.