Emmanuel College Women's Basketball Chosen #1 in GNAC Coaches' Preseason Poll

Emmanuel College, the reigning 2007-2008 GNAC Women’s Basketball Champions, earned the number one spot in the 2008 Great Northeast Athletic Conference women’s basketball coaches’ preseason poll. The Saints earned ten first place votes for a total of 154 points to outpace the rest of the field.

Emmanuel returns five players from last season, led by junior co-captain and 2008 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Iman Davis. Davis led the Saints, averaging 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season.  The Saints’ other two returning starters are sophomore point guard Casey Shevlin and junior center Abby Brenkach.  Other returning veterans include sophomore Kristin LeBel and junior Meredith Shaw.

2007-2008 GNAC Runner-Ups, Suffolk University, earned second place in the preseason polls with 134 points followed by Norwich University at 120 points.

Poll Results

1    Emmanuel    154
2    Suffolk    134
3    Norwich    120
4    Emerson    118
5    Johnson & Wales    115
6    Saint Joseph’s (ME)    108
7    Simmons    90
8    Rivier    87


WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2008-2009 PREVIEWS

ALBERTUS
This year will feature the most depth the Lady Falcons have seen in years. The Lady Falcons return their entire team from last season and feature 9 newcomers to this year's team. Rookie of the year and 1st Team All Conference center Nikki McClease and junior Krystal Bryant will pace the offensive attack this season. Sophomore Bianca Brown has returned from injury after appearing in just 3 games last season before requiring ACL surgery.

Freshman 5'11" Forward Collette DuBose, 5'10" Katelyn White, and 5'9" Tegan Bedard will add strength to the Lady Falcons Front Court. Freshman 5'8" Liz Williams, 5'7" Chantel Davis, 5'7" Shay Anderson, and 5'6" Aly Camden should add firepower to the Lady Falcon offense. Senior Co-Captain Guards Gia Paturzo and Dena Mental will add leadership and experience along with junior guard Alyson Medeiros.

The Lady Falcons open their season Saturday as they travel to York College for a 2:00 PM Tip-Off.

EMERSON
Emerson College women’s basketball coach Bill Gould’s team made great strides over the first year of his tutelage, and looks for even better results in 2008-2009.  Although the Lions lost four seniors, the most impactful of which is four-year starter Lindsay DeStefano, Gould has the core of his team returning.

Senior guard Maude Okrah was the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.  Okrah averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.  Senior Lauren Vassallo was an All-Conference selection following her junior year when she averaged a double-double (11.9 points/10 rebounds).  Sophomore Kathy Andrade had a solid first year with averages of 10.6 points and 7.4 rebounds in the front court. Junior Andrea Kosek returns at the point.  The key newcomer is Lauren Zaniboni, a sophomore transfer from North Carolina State University. Zaniboni was a volleyball player at N.C. State and led Emerson to its best volleyball season ever in the fall.

Emerson will open the season by hosting a tip-off tournament on Saturday, November 15th and Sunday, November 16th and will face Curry College on Saturday.

EMMANUEL
Graduating seven players and coming off a 22-7 campaign last year, the Emmanuel Women’s Basketball Team is optimistic about the upcoming season.  Head Coach Andy Yosinoff returns for his 32nd season with the Emmanuel program.  The esteemed coach enters the 08-09 season just four wins shy of 600 for his career.  Yosinoff will be just the fifth NCAA Division III women’s basketball coach to ever accomplish the feat.  Despite returning just five veterans from last season’s GNAC Championship squad, Yosinoff will be looking to lead the Saints to their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance.

Among Emmanuel’s five returners, is junior co-captain and 2008 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Iman Davis. Davis led the Saints, averaging 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season.  The Saints’ other two returning starters are sophomore point guard Casey Shevlin and junior center Abby Brenkach.  Other returning veterans include sophomore Kristin LeBel and junior Meredith Shaw. The freshman class is Yosinoff’s largest recruiting class in program history, adding eleven freshmen and one sophomore.

The team opens up play with a home game against Wentworth Institute of Technology on November 18th.

JOHNSON & WALES
In just his second year as head coach, T.J. Ciolfi plans to have the team competing for the conference championship.  “We have three returning all-conference players and all five starters back this year,” said Ciolfi.  “We’re going to rely on our experience and conditioning to keep us in every game.” 

Junior Alexia Ramirez averaged a double-double with 15.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game and was a first-team all-GNAC selection in 2007-08.  Senior point guard Johanna Santosuosso earned second-team accolades last season after averaging 12.9 points and 5.9 assists per game.  Senior Alyse Ragaglia rounds out the returning all-conference performers, chipping in with a team-high 15.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest last year.  Senior Maria Valletta notched 9.1 points and was second on the team with 5.1 rebounds per game while junior Jeniphr Moxley had 7.7 points and 4.6 boards for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats open their season on the road at Roger Williams on Saturday, November 15th.

LASELL
The Lasell women’s basketball team looks to carry last year’s late success over to the 2008-2009 season.  The Lasers finished last year winning 4 of their last 5 games, ending with an 8-17 overall record.  This year, second year Head Coach Kelly Stubbs will look to her returning veterans, including three talented seniors, to lead the team to success.

Seniors Shauna Kelly, Katie Schumitz, and Katie Farr will bring loads of leadership and experience to the court for Lasell.  Kelly was the Lasers leading scorer last year netting nearly 12 points a game, and totaling 288 points in the season. Even as a guard, Kelly also is one of the top returning rebounders for Lasell. Farr will be the ringleader, running the point for her second season with the Lasers, while Schumitz will be a big threat from 3-point land. Lasell’s other returners include, junior forward Tricia Culver, who will look to dominate all year in the paint, and sophomore guard  Brittany Jefferies. Rounding out the team will be the six first year students,  Amanda Driscoll, Kelsey Correia, and JoAnna Bishop will make their presence felt down low, while Kara Hinthorne, Kelsey Converse and Victoria Elms will bring depth to the Lasers backcourt.

The Lasers will open the season at the Wheaton College Tip-Off Tournament the weekend of Nov. 15th and 16th.

MOUNT IDA

First year head coach Jack Casey will look to integrate five returning players, six newcomers, and a completely different system to lead his team into the 2008-2009 season. Mount Ida women’s basketball will showcase a strong defensive mindset led by backcourt speed and quickness, strong rebounding on both boards, and great team chemistry.

The Mustangs return five players including leading scorer and rebounder last season junior Cherie Parisi.  Parisi will bring a strong offensive presence in the paint and around the outside along with excellent rebounding skills. Senior Elise McLear will control the ball handling with outstanding speed, great court vision, and solid defense while junior Nicole Casimiro will provide a threat from three point land.  Sophomore Becky Tisbert stepped up when the Mustangs lost numbers halfway through the season last year in the guard position with great quickness and tenacious defense. Newcomers to the Mustangs include Katie Morvan, Hannah Blum, Ashley Boyd, Jenny Davis, Jeileen Rivera, and Shaniece Bynoe.

The Mustangs open their season on Saturday, November 15th at Regis College.

NORWICH
The Norwich University women’s basketball team is looking forward to another exciting season, after reaching the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals last season. The Cadets return virtually the entire roster from last year’s team that finished with a 10-3 record against GNAC foes (12-14 overall).

 Junior guard Ally Daniels, who led the team in scoring (10.0 ppg.) and ranked second on the squad in rebounding (6.9 rpg.) is back and figures to be a key cog to the 2008-09 club. Junior guard Erica Rate, who led Norwich with 63 three-point field goals and listed second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg.) will play a major role once again this year. Senior guard Kayleigh Shappy (8.3 ppg.), sophomore forward Laural McWilliams (7.5 ppg., 6.2 rpg.), sophomore forward Christine Daniels (7.4 ppg., 6.7 rpg.) and senior forward Jess Jaggars (6.8 ppg., 7.5 rpg.) are all back for another season as well. Junior guard Natalie Marchese, who led the team in assists (4.0 apg.) returns this season too.

Norwich will travel to Plattsburgh State on Saturday, November 15th for their season opener.

PINE MANOR
With a mix of returning talent and fresh faces, new Pine Manor head coach Darryl Simpson is excited going into his Gators debut.

Simpson inherits the top two scorers from a Gators team that went 7-17 a year ago. Senior center Amanda Dennis, who led the team at 15.1 points and 2.7 blocks per game, looks to anchor the interior. Dennis, a skilled 6-foot-1 pivot, was the most efficient Gator from the charity stripe (.682) and also added 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals a year ago. Sophomore Enjolee Phillips (12.2 points per game) returns to the backcourt mix. Sophomore Jammy Torres returns to the backcourt for the Gators. Newcomers include, Paulette Wright, Stacie Beauford, Michell Campbell, Angeline Capre, and Yiafia Dowridge.

The Gators open on the road at No. 21 Amherst College in the first round of the Amherst Invitational.

RIVIER
The Raiders will rely on a combination of experience and talent to make a run at the GNAC Championship this season. Rivier returns the top 4 leading scorers from last season along with 3 of their top 4 rebounders. Added to the Raider squad are 5 very talented newcomers who will be relied upon to have an immediate impact. The bulk of the Raider talent has been with the program for 3 years. They are battle-tested and ready to improve upon the 13 wins of a season ago.

Leading the way this year will be the Raiders lone senior Justine Nims. The 2-year captain finished 3rd on the team in scoring (9.5) and 2nd in steals (45) while leading the team in assists (88). Three of Rivier’s top 4 scorers can be found in the junior class. Blair Carpenter returns as the Raiders leading scorer (15.6 ppg) and top long-range threat. Captain Jess Mellen was a 2nd Team All Conference selection a season ago and returns as the Raiders best all around player. Mellen was 2nd in scoring (12.3), rebounding (8.6) and assists (81) a season ago while leading the team with 75 steals. Captain Monica White returns to the Raider lineup as one of the top point guards in the conference. White finished last season 4th in scoring (9.3), 3rd in assists (2.7) and 3rd in steals (42).  Sophomore Steph Adams returns as the Raiders only true post player. Sophomores Courtney Contigiani and Stacey Laine round out the returning players. The newcomers include sophomores Kelsy LaRose and Brook Lashua, and freshmen Allie Parent, Stephanie Sauve and Karen Waterman.

Rivier opens the season on the road taking on the College of New Rochelle in the Bard College Tip-Off Tournament.

SAINT JOSEPH (CT)
A very young Blue Jays squad features just two returning players but welcome six first-year players who should play a key role for the Blue Jays this season.

The Blue Jays return their top-scorer in sophomore guard Ilaria Schiano who averaged 14.5 points per game a year ago, was second on the team in assists per game (1.8).  The Blue Jays also return senior Gina Morales who led the squad in rebounds (6.3 per game) and averaged 6.0 points per night at forward her junior year. Sophomore point guard Nathalie Masterreno, first-year guard Michelle Fillion, first-year guard/forward Sam Royce, and first-year center Sarah Phillips will each see significant playing time in their debut season with the Blue Jays.

SJC opens the season on November 18th at MCLA.

SAINT JOSEPH’S (ME)
In her fifth season at the helm of the Saint Joseph's College women’s basketball program, Coach Deb Reardon continues to add the necessary ingredients to turn the Monks into a Great Northeast Athletic Conference contender. St. Joe’s returns the entire starting line-up that led the squad to a 15-10 record last season as well as several game tested veterans. 

Senior Aly Ludwig  returns for her final season averaging 7points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 steals per game.  GNAC First Team selection junior Carolyn Freeman looks to continue her SJC record setting career and improve upon her team high 12 points and  6.5 rebounds from a year ago.  The point guard spot will once again be shared by sophomores Erin Cartwright and Casey Drake. The Monks will see action early and often from retuning guards sophomore Kayla Boston, sophomore Sarah Fournier and junior Katie Gagnon. Also challenging for minutes will be Kayla Nowell who joins the team as a sophomore after a record breaking field hockey season. Juniors Allison Miner and Meghan Daigle bring great speed and athleticism to the post along with 8.3 and 6.8 points, respectively.  They will be joined in the paint by senior Andrea Enright, first year Megan McDevitt and first year Ashley Geel.  Other first year players include Amelia Lamb and Dana Clark.

The 2008-09 Monks tip-off at home on 11/15 at 1pm against Maine Fort Kent.

SIMMONS
Simmons Basketball is gearing up for another season under Head Coach Tony Price, who is beginning his ninth year at the helm of the program. Last season the Sharks finished in 8th place and qualified for the Great Northeast Athletic Conference tournament, their 6th straight appearance.

The team is led by Senior All-Conference Guard Lauren Kreckie, transfer Forward Stephanie Fox and 2006-07 All-Conference senior Sarah Clayton. Other key returners include Junior Forward Aubree Giarrosso and standout sophomore Point Guard Morgan Johnson. One of the players expected to help fill the void in the post position is freshman Center Brittany Langford. The Sharks have also added an extra punch to the scoring squad this season with the addition of junior transfer Guard Julianna Eagles. The team returns a solid core of players with experienced juniors Defensive Stopper Julia King and Guard Jamie Liberty; sophomores Stephanie Murray and Liane Lantagne. Newcomers include Jordan Manchester, Christina Cavagnaro, Alexandrah Acloque and Jessica Thomas.

The Sharks open the season at home on Saturday, November 15th against College of St. Elizabeth.

SUFFOLK
Youth is the theme for the Suffolk University Women’s Basketball team in 2008-2009 as they feature nine freshman and only four returning players from last year’s 20-9 squad. Meghan Tracey is expected to get better once again after winning her team’s Most Improved Player Award the last two years. Tracey averaged 6.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg in 07-08 and is the heart and soul of Suffolk’s suffocating defense which earned them a spot in the GNAC Final, a road loss to Emmanuel, and also held opponents to a conference leading 53.9 ppg. Head Coach Ed Leyden’s calm demeanor should rub off well on the young bunch. Senior Kerry Bowman (Guilford, CT) is the Rams returning scorer from last season after averaging 8.5 ppg. Senior Emily Duquette (Harrisville, RI) could be a pleasant surprise on offense as she is expected to get extended playing time in her final season.

The Rams open the season on the road traveling to Gordon College on Saturday, November 15th.