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Previews
A look at the upcoming season
2002-03 season
Northeast Region teams
Bowdoin
For Bowdoin, the numbers just keep getting smaller. Not the roster size,
mind you, but the postseason accomplishments. In 2000-01, it was the Sweet
16. In '01-'02 it was the Elite Eight. In 2002-03 the Polar Bears hope
to cut that number in half again with dreams of Terre Haute, Ind., and
their first Division III Final Four.
The good news is that head coach Stefanie Pemper returns all but one player from a record-setting squad that finished the season 26-2 the best-ever record by a Bowdoin basketball team, men's or women's. This year, the Polar Bears are ranked second in the D3hoops.com preseason national poll.
The bad news for Bowdoin is that the only loss was senior captain Jessie Mayol, who was the Polar Bears' starting point guard from the day she stepped on campus as a freshman in 1998. But with the returning strength of D3hoops.com All-Region selections senior Kristi Royer (Lewiston, Mass.ine) and junior Lora Trenkle (Surry, Mass.ine), the Polar Bears will again be a threat in 2002-03.
"A No. 2 ranking is generous," says Pemper. "Last year if you looked at the teams ranked in the Top 15 in the country at the end of the year my guess is any team could beat another on a given night. Losing Jessie is significant, no question. Her senior year she provided us not only with key statistics, but her knowledge of our systems and her ability to get the ball where it needed to go was huge. Kristi and Lora are very talented basketball players and provide an 'inside/outside' threat that is as good as any in the country."
The front-court will be solid as Royer's 14.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 50.3 shooting percentage returns for her senior year. Royer surpassed the 1,000-point mark in her career last season before over 1,700 home fans in Bowdoin's NCAA win against Emmanuel. She will be counted on this season to defend, rebound and stay out of foul trouble. Looking to support Royer up front will be junior Lindsay Bramwell (Marshfield, Mass.ss.) who averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest a year ago, and sophomore Erika Nickerson (Benton, Mass.ine) who saw action in all 28 games as a first-year, and averaged 5.5 ppg and 3.7 rpg playing only 13 minutes a game.
Bowdoin seemingly has a legion of 5-11 and 6-0 players as seniors Jess Reuben (Houston, Texas) and Corinne Pellegrini (Canton, Mass.ss.) will provide key experience off the bench, along with up-and-coming sophomore Maren Leuer (Long Lake, Minn.) and first-year Justine Pouravelis (Old Orchard Beach, Mass.ine).
"Post play is a very important part of what we do and we have great leadership there this year, from the seniors to Justine," says Pemper. "We have a lot of versatility in our depth. We'll ask our posts to be aggressive defensively, to communicate, to control the boards, to run the floor, and to make good decisions with the ball."
The backcourt will be strong as well. Trenkle, the NESCAC and New England Player of the Year, returns with her 15.4 ppg and 37.6 3-point shooting percentage, and will be counted on for defensive leadership and play-making. Sophomore Alison Smith (Stockton Springs, Mass.ine), the team's defensive stalwart, started 23 games last year, and averaged 1.3 steals and 4.6 rebounds. Junior Courtney Trotta (Sharon, Mass.ss.) will look to take over point guard duties this season after playing in every game for Bowdoin last year.
Depth will not be a concern for the Polar Bears as juniors Kristina Fugate (Glenview, Ill.) and Beth Damon (Livermore, Mass.ine) will provide leadership off the bench. Three talented first-year guards will also force their way into the mix as Lauren Withey (Rockport, Mass.ine), Vanessa Russell (Tewksbury, Mass.ss.) and Ashleigh Watson (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) will make their presence known right away.
"Our guard play will be interesting to watch; we will need our first-years to step-up," says Pemper. "The ability to know when to look for something in transition or to get us into a set is difficult but critical. I don't expect us to be polished right away but I'm confident we'll get there with this group. Our guards are versatile, talented and smart; it will mostly be an issue of chemistry."
The only team to have ever won a NESCAC Championship, the Polar Bears will look to make it three in a row in the winter of '02-'03. Highlights of the season include a home date against in-state rival Southern Maine on Dec. 3, along with appearances outside of the region at the Skidmore Invitational (Nov. 23-24) and Cal-State Hayward Tournament (Jan. 3-4). Bowdoin will have a tough go of it, with only six home dates on the season and 17 scheduled away games. But the team is eager for the challenge of taking the next step, and playing late into March of 2003.
"We'll take the season one game at a time as we've learned to do the past couple years," says Pemper. "Our tip-off tournament at Skidmore is huge in terms of getting things going the right way. NESCAC is so strong this year with a very talented senior class; I look forward to every game being a battle. I love the women on our team and the unique qualities they contribute. They listen, they work very hard, they support each other, and they enjoy the experience. We are more talented than last year; if everyone accepts their role it could be one heck of a season."
Western
New England
After losing three starters and eight players from last year's 20-8 team
that tied the school record for wins, Western New England will have a
somewhat new look this season. "Due to key players either graduating
or not returning, we will have a very inexperienced team on the floor
this year," says fourth-year head coach Wendy Davis.
Western New England lost almost 62% of its offense, so defense and rebounding again will be important keys to the team's success. The Golden Bears traditionally have been strong in those areas — last year they held opponents to only 33.1% shooting while holding a +5.3 per game rebounding advantage.
WNEC has a top player in senior forward Jamie Carney (Orleans, Mass.) who led the team in scoring (9.8 avg.) and rebounding (7.2) last year. Davis has two veteran players in the backcourt, senior Lindsey Black (Bernardston, Mass.) who averaged 4.6 points in 27 games (7 starts) and junior Emily Sward (Plainville, Conn.) who averaged 4.0 points in 28 contests (19 starts). After these players, no other returnee averaged over four points or three rebounds.
"Other than Jamie Carney, we have upperclassmen who were not necessarily looked upon to score last year," noted Davis. "This year, they have to be ready to step up and make an impact offensively. Also, our four freshmen do not have time to be 'true' freshmen this season. They will be looked upon to play and score immediately. I think this class will welcome that challenge."
The other returning players are senior guards Heather Gaydos (Barre, Vt.) and Ashley Koch (Annville, Pa.), sophomore forward Shelley Everson (Plainville, Conn.), and sophomore guard Mandee Signor (East Haven, Conn.). Signor had the most playing time last season averaging 3.1 points in 26 games with one start.
The five newcomers making their varsity debut are sophomore guard Kristin Pimental (North Tiverton, R.I.), freshmen forwards Lisa Masella (Newtown, Conn.) and Chelsea Whelan (Westerly, R.I.), and freshmen guards Sarah Brixner (Hamden, Conn.) and Jessica Harrica (Morrisonville, N.Y.).
Western New England opens its season at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 at home against Elms. The Golden Bears will participate in the Keene State Tournament and inaugural Pioneer Valley Classic this season. WNEC also will travel to Pennsylvania to play Albright and Alvernia for the first time. Western New England College will host the semifinals and championship game of the GNAC Tournament on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 1.
Items of Interest: Black, Carney, and Koch will serve as team tri-captains. Carney (cross country), Gaydos (field hockey), Pimental (field hockey), and Signor (volleyball) haven't practiced with the team yet. Davis, a former standout at UConn, has a 52-27 record (64.2 winning percentage) in three seasons.
Elms
Elms first-year coach
Laura Habacker is not one who focuses much attention on preseason polls.
However, with four experienced seniors, including tri-captain Tenielle Hill (Chicopee, Mass.) back from last year's 15-12 team, Habacker knows the pieces are in place for a very successful season.
"We have several players on this team that can give us six to 10 points a game and that kind of balance is hard to stop," Habacker said.
Hill and senior Kim Fontaine (Chicopee, Mass.) will provide a potent one-two punch for Habacker in 2002-03. Those two have combined for 2,319 points and 1,412 rebounds and rank one-two respectively in scoring for the Blazers since 1996.
In three seasons, Hill has already scored 1,250 points and pulled down 911 rebounds. She was recently named preseason All-North Atlantic Conference.
"She is very creative, quick and uses her body very well to get positioning," Habacker said of Hill.
Although Habacker knows the value of Hill, she is also determined to utilize the Blazers' depth to take some of the offensive burden off of Hill.
Habacker plans to use both freshman Mary Kate Roos (Ridgefield, Conn.) and senior tri-captain Amanda Huston (Westbrook, Maine) in roles in both the front and back courts.
"Mary Kate and Amanda will split time for us between the guard and forward positions," Habacker said. "When someone comes off the bench for the opposing team, we can just switch them. They give us more options."
Senior tri-captain Kara Dupre (Easthampton, Mass.) will provide the Blazers with both experience and leadership up front this season.
"She does a lot of little things very well for us," Habacker said. "There is a different energy on the court with her out there."
Junior Tina Fontaine (Granby, Mass.), 6-0 sophomore center Samantha Hebert (Westbrook, Maine), and 6-3 freshman center Heather Scanlon (Westfield, Mass.) will add a physical presence inside the paint for the Blazers this season.
Attack…attack…attack! Regardless of who steps on the floor in the backcourt for the Blazers this year, you can bet that is exactly what they will want to do.
Fontaine enters her final year having already eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau (1,069), but even more impressive, she has snagged 911 rebounds from the guard position.
"Kim is very aggressive and is not afraid to attack the basket," Habacker said.
Junior Andrea Malloch (Palmer, Mass.) will start at point guard for the Blazers this season, while freshman Sarah Castro (Russell, Mass.), who also plays on the varsity soccer team, may also earn significant playing time after an impressive preseason.
"Andrea is very fit and likes to push the ball up the court," Habacker said. "Sarah will see some playing time. She picks things up in practices very quickly."
Senior Lynn Zaccaro (Tolland, Conn.), who is currently recovering from two torn knee ligaments, will provide an even more potent punch to the Blazers' backcourt when she returns to the lineup after Christmas break.
"She is probably our best shooter and can handle the ball," Habacker said of Zaccaro. "Lynn will add a whole new dimension to our offense when she returns."
Freshman Natalie DaCunha (Hartford, Conn.) will add quickness to the Blazers backcourt.
The 2002-03 schedule features early season games against quality non-conference opponents WNEC (20-8 overall, ECAC tournament qualifier), and Wesleyan (15-10 overall).
Elms College will also play three games at the Hawaii Tournament during the final week of December. The Blazers will face tough opposition in Midwest Conference champion Lake Forest (19-7 overall), Illinois-Wesleyan (14-11 overall), and Willamette (11-14 overall.)
"I think it is great for us to play quality teams like that," Habacker said. "It will help us to better prepare for conference play."
The month of January brings no reprieve for the Blazers, who will play eight games in 20 days - all North Atlantic Conference opponents. The Blazers will need to take advantage of a four-game homestand during that time.
The pieces of the puzzle are in place for the Blazers to make a return trip to the NAC championship game. Habacker feels three things will be needed for that to happen.
"We will have to rebound the ball well, be super aggressive on defense, and be patient on offense," she said.
Brandeis
The 2002-03 season for Brandeis should be an intriguing one. The Judges
face the loss of two of their all-time leading scorers, in Jen Curran
'02 and Lindsey Sensenbrenner '02. Both were All-UAA honorable mention
last season.
Leading the Brandeis returnees in coach Carol Simon's 15th season is junior forward Danielle Fitzpatrick. The 5-11 forward was second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg). She also led the squad with a .605 shooting percentage. Forward Jayne Wise, a 5-10 junior, joined Curran and Sensenbrenner in starting all 24 contests for the Judges last season. Wise is the team's top returning ball distributor, averaging 2.8 apg in 2001-02. The third returning starter from the team is 5-11 forward/center Audra Lissell. Lissell's 6.2 rpg topped Brandeis last year. She was also effective from the free throw line, hitting 83.7 percent.
A couple of sophomores who made impacts off the bench last year will have to step up in 2002-03 for Brandeis. 5-9 forward Lisa Pritzlaff averaged a team-high 16.9 minutes per appearance as a sub last season, contributing six points per game. Classmate Kristin Fountain, a 5-9 forward, played in every game off the bench. She averaged 16 minutes per game, grabbing three rebounds and scoring 2.5 points per game. With no seniors on the squad in 2002-03, more playing time will be up for grabs. The hope is that some of the newcomers can step up. Point guards Amanda DeMartino and Sierra Yaun look to contribute to the back court. The incoming frontcourt boasts four players taller than 5-10, including 6-2 Christine Clancy.
The Judges kick off their 2002-03 season with the Brandeis Tip-Off Tournament against Daniel Webster on Nov. 22-23.
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