This story appears in the January 2020 edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don't get the mag? Head to USLacrosse.org to subscribe.

If Gettysburg women’s lacrosse coach Carol Cantele had to guess, senior midfielder Courtney Patterson would have no problem stepping into a Women’s Professional Lacrosse League game once she graduates.

The better question, though, might be if the Whitehouse Station, N.J., native could even squeeze it in. Patterson, the IWLCA Division III Midfielder of the Year, is a health sciences major and plans to attend medical school after Gettysburg. She has thought about taking a gap year, with plans of going into sports medicine or orthopedics.

“Coach and I talk about it, because I don’t know if I’ll have a career beyond college in lacrosse,” Patterson said. “She’s in my corner, but it’s also about being realistic.”

That possibility is months away, but in the meantime, Patterson knows what lies ahead. It’s one more chance to make it three national titles for her Bullets’ career, starting the new decade by raising a trophy at Homewood Field in Baltimore.

Arguably the most complete player in the country, Patterson took the Centennial Conference by storm last year to finish with 50 points, 34 ground balls and 100 draw controls. She isn’t the biggest player — just 5-foot-2 —  but Cantele can’t think of many players whose fitness levels and overall athleticism are higher.

“It’s her ability to get out of traffic and dodge and turn on a dime,” Cantele said. “She’s so light on her feet, and her agile way of playing is very unique when compared to other kids in our program or around the country. From a physicality standpoint, she’s the total package, and then you couple that with a championship mindset. She steps on the field, and she believes she’s going to play well.”

Patterson pondered playing Division I lacrosse. But the Division III path made more sense. She wanted to play at a high level while studying something she’s passionate about and having a social experience. Enter a school like Gettysburg, where Cantele stressed the combination of a high-end athlete and high-end student is more common than one might think.

“In her freshman summer, she had an opportunity to shadow an orthopedic surgeon,” Cantele said. “She was on the operating floor during a knee replacement surgery, not up observing. That was as a freshman, so to have that opportunity then is why a school like ours — and many are out there — can make sense.”

After Gettysburg’s NCAA quarterfinal loss to Wesleyan last spring, Patterson said the toughest part was knowing that that exact locker room environment would never again exist. In the following days, not wanting the season to end, players drove out to Patterson’s family beach house in New Jersey to spend more time together.

“I drove home Monday and girls were coming in and out from Tuesday to Sunday,” Patterson said. “That was pretty incredible to see, just how much we meant to each other.”

Cantele emphasizes the social benefits of going to Gettysburg and playing for the Bullets.

“I’m a huge believer in the idea you can’t compete and go at it in between the lines without having a trusting, nurturing and loving relationship off the field,” Cantele said. “When we’re between those lines at practice, it’s fierce competition and we ask our players to take risks and get out of their comfort zones. It’s hard to do if you’re in a hostile or judging environment. They feel safe, and a lot of it is organic and works on its own, but there’s also a lot of methodology behind it.”

Patterson said it’s even common for other teams on Gettysburg’s campus to remark how close they are. It’s clearly working, too. The Bullets won NCAA championships in 2017 (over TCNJ) and 2018 (over Middlebury) and are ranked No. 2 this preseason.

“My class, we’ve had so much success and know what’s needed to do that again,” Patterson said. “I’m really excited to cherish this season.”