2006-07 season preview

November 16, 2006

NORTON, MA- Three years ago head coach Melissa Hodgdon had a vision to bring the Wheaton College women's basketball program back to the national prominence it once savored, a time when the Lyons were expected to win while succeeding on the conference, regional and national levels. Entering the 2006-07 season with three recruiting classes in place, Hodgdon is quietly making a case to turn that vision into a reality.

With seven new faces joining a returning corps that was devoid of seniors a year ago, when Wheaton posted its most victories since 1999-2000, the Lyons are itching to get started. And what better way to kick off the new campaign than to host a tip-off tournament and commemorate a former team that reached the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

"It's coincidental that we're honoring a team we're aspiring to resemble," said Hodgdon of the 1993-94 squad that will be in attendance for the home opener against Wentworth Institute of Technology. "Last year we developed the attitude of expecting to win, and that's exactly what the 1993-94 team had. We want to get Wheaton basketball back to the NCAA Tournament."

The Lyons are coming off a 14-12 season, including posting a 6-7 mark in the competitive New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Wheaton also boasted its first-ever conference rookie of the year and first all-league selection in 10 seasons. Eight returners plus the seven incoming freshmen comprise the Blue and White's 15-member playing roster.

Hodgdon, second-year assistant coach Kate Williams '05 and first-year assistant Veronica Jutras understand reaching a championship regardless of the level is not an overnight occurrence, especially when given the length of a basketball season. "Our goal is to win the NEWMAC title," stated Hodgdon. "But we don't talk about that on a daily basis, as what we're preparing for now is Wentworth. We're developing a new team, a new identity, and that's going to take some time."

Realizing the importance of having depth while pursuing a league title, Hodgdon is pleased thus far at the progress the underclassmen have made and the leadership the upperclassmen have offered. "I'm really impressed with the veteran leadership, as they know how important it is to bring the new players along and together," added Hodgdon. "The team chemistry is great, and if you don't have good chemistry you're never going to achieve anything no matter how much talent you have."

So now that the main goal of seeking a conference championship is set, what is the coaching staff preaching to its flock in order to stay the course? Something they refer to as the three Ps: preparation, patience and passion. Hodgdon acknowledges the three Ps are important to the team's success and stresses each player must buy into this philosophy.

The Lyons will be able to gauge their progress early in the season, as Wheaton faces a pair of nationally-ranked teams in their first nine games. The Blue and White is slated to play Brandeis University on November 28 and Williams College on January 2, as the Judges are 16th and the Ephs are 19th according to the USA TODAY ESPN Division III preseason poll. However, Wheaton's home schedule is favorable early on, as the Lyons play seven of their first eight games within the friendly confines of Emerson Gymnasium.

"Our schedule is a lot tougher this year," said Hodgdon, "and the NEWMAC is strong across the board. The non-conference schedule is going to prepare us for the NEWMACs, and I'm grateful to have that because it's going to allow time for our freshmen to develop chemistry and our coaches to find the right combinations. We're going to have different combinations that can contribute in different ways. It's going to make us difficult to defend and prepare for."

Hodgdon is confident knowing she can count on the strong core from a year ago, and she will strive to be eleven players deep in wanting to play an up-tempo style and do some things the team hasn't been able to do in the past because of numbers. Hodgdon is also enthused about how hard her players worked in the offseason and how much they've improved from a season ago.

Leading that charge is senior co-captain Casey Sorbara (Port Chester, NY/Trinity Catholic), who is expected to be the floor general after pacing the league in assists per game (4.9) while finishing tied for second in steals per contest (2.6). Sophomore Jennie Pleat (Nashua, NH/Nashua South) should also see some time at the point, as should freshman Andrea Bailey (Needham, MA/Needham), who Hodgdon looks to eventually complement Sorbara.

Bailey's addition at the point would allow Pleat to move over into a shooting guard role, joining senior co-captain Samara Audet (Derry, NH/Trinity) and sophomore Bri Smith (Westford, MA/Westford Academy). Pleat has worked on getting her shot off quicker from the perimeter, Audet is returning from a knee injury that sidelined her for most of last season, and Smith has added a lot to her game after finishing third on the team in scoring (11.5). Also vying for time are sophomore Lauren Gosline (Peterborough, NH/ConVal Regional) and freshman Stephanie Walker (Somers, CT/Somers).

Wing players are junior Becky Aitchison (Norwalk, CT/Trinity Catholic) and freshman Stephanie Michals (Fairfax, VA/Saint Stephen's & Saint Agnes School), with Aitchison nailing down the starting slot following a sophomore season in which she averaged 12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.6 steals. Aitchison was also among the league's leaders in four categories, finishing first in steals per game, ninth in rebounding average and field goal percentage (.435) and 13th in scoring.

The small forward position is occupied by a pair of veterans in senior Kim McCormack (Milton, MA/Milton) and sophomore Krystin Hickey (Manchester, NH/New Hampton School). McCormack was fourth on the team in scoring (9.9) and second in rebounds (7.0), while Hickey, last year's NEWMAC Rookie of the Year and an all-conference selection, paced the Lyons in scoring (14.2) and field goal percentage (.441) while finishing second in free throw percentage (.762). Her 368 points were the most scored by a Wheaton freshman and were good for ninth overall in program history. She also led all NEWMAC freshmen in scoring average, field goals (145) and steals (57).

Wheaton also has a quartet of freshmen in the frontcourt mix, as Hodgdon points to their size and depth as key pluses while looking for them to make an immediate impact. Ashley Arra (Stowe, VT/Stowe), Jenny Champney (Bedford, MA/Bedford), Ida Kruse (Vershire, VT/Rivendell Academy) and Callie Schneider (Nashua, NH/Bishop Guertin) comprise the group.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 1/31/07.
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