Women's Basketball 2008-2009 Season Preview

A season ago the Penn State Behrend women's basketball team earned its eleventh consecutive winning season with an overall record of 14-13, and regular season conference record of 11-7.  The Behrend Lions then continued a remarkable streak in the AMCC Tournament by defeating La Roche 63-49 in AMCC Tournament first-round action and reaching the AMCC Tournament semifinals for the eleventh straight time.  That AMCC semifinal appearance means the blue and white have been among the final four league teams competing every season since the AMCC was formed. 

This year's women's basketball team is hard at work to keep the winning tradition of Penn State Behrend basketball rolling.  Coach Roz Fornari, the winningest women's basketball coach ever at Behrend, returns for her sixteenth season in charge of the blue and white.  Last year she went past 250 coaching wins and enters the season with 257 wins with the Behrend Lions.  Joining Fornari for the second season will be assistant Alanna Daniels.  Also assisting with coaching duties will be Amy Stranahan (16 seasons), Becky Reed (12 seasons), and joining the staff for the first time is former Behrend basketball standout Katie Weigold.

The 2008-09 Behrend team will feature a skilled group of guards who hope to use their team speed to push the pace on opponents.  Coach Fornari said, "This is a special group of players who are driven to learn and improve.  They are very coachable and their energy makes it an atmosphere we are all enjoying.  They bring tremendous intensity that we will need throughout the season."

The seniors and co-captains are guards Natalie Engel (McDonald/Fort Cherry) and Ellen Kolos (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) each of whom played in all 27 games a season ago. Engel averaged 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game and will be looked to for even more scoring this season.  Kolos contributed 30 points, 24 rebounds, and 17 assists as a junior guard. 

Fornari cites the outstanding leadership those two bring as a factor in the team's success.  She said, "Natalie and Ellen have allowed other players to give input and help them lead, and have created a positive and fun atmosphere.  They are exceptional and it is because of them we will be successful."  The lone junior is Christine Krankota (Conneaut Lake/Conneaut Lake) who increased her role a season ago and snagged 27 boards in 19 games played.

Fornari also expects big things from her three sophomores, Amy Oldach (Erie/Villa Maria), Rachel Richardson (Moon Township/Moon Area), and Kelly Nowacinski (Erie/Mercyhurst Prep).  Oldach has superb court vision and will be taking on a larger role as the point guard this season.  She will look to improve on last season's totals of 34 assists and 27 steals and should be a fun player to watch for the blue and white.  Richardson, who scored 87 points last year, should emerge as a major scoring threat with the ability to take the ball to the hoop and also knock down shots from the perimeter.  She will likely play multiple positions and should be among the team's leaders in rebounding.  Nowacinski, who played in 18 games as a freshman, made big strides toward the end of last season and appears ready to use her excellent speed and footwork to make a big impact this year. 

The freshman class is four deep, and will look to adapt to the college game quickly to make an impact early in the season for the Behrend squad.  The newcomers include guards Abby Henderson (Meadville/Meadville), Christie Spear (Erie/McDowell), Kim Pol (Erie/Central), and forward Courtney Bricher (Erie/Central).  Bricher is an intense and highly driven athlete who should play the three or four spot for the blue and white and see significant time this winter.

Defense and stellar home play have been hallmarks of the Behrend women's basketball program under Fornari.  Last season was no exception as the Behrend Lions ranked second in the AMCC in scoring defense, yielding just 55.4 points per game.  Since the Junker Center opened for the 2000-2001 season, the women's basketball team has played outstanding ball at home.  The squad has posted a record of 84-34 in those eight seasons, a winning clip of .712 in front of the Junker Center crowds.

This past summer the women's basketball team also took part in an international trip of Italy in May that included stops in Venice, San Marino, Florence, Pisa, and Rome.  This was the program's third international tour of Italy combining a mix of culture and competition.  Behrend women's basketball played three games while on the tour against Italian teams, posting a 2-1 record on the trip.  The squad will look to benefit from that shared experience to create a tight group with strong team chemistry this winter.

It is no surprise that the schedule will be demanding as always for the Behrend Lions who will play some tough competition in non-conference play early in the season.  The annual Behrend Tip-Off Tournament kicks off the season November 22-23, as Penn State Behrend begins the season against Cazenovia.  AMCC league play begins December 3 when the blue and white will welcome Mt. Aloysius to the Junker Center in a 6:00 p.m. game to be televised on the Image Sports Network.  Behrend will also play another Image Sports televised game on January 14 versus the AMCC defending champion Medaille Mavericks.  The conference should be highly competitive once again, with a lot of balance among the usual contenders.  The alumni game is scheduled for February 21 before Behrend plays its final regular season home game at 6:00 p.m. versus AMCC foe Pitt-Bradford.

Fornari said, "Our team always has postseason and conference championship expectations.  Right now our main focus is to come together as a team and find ways to get better daily."  With a skilled group of ball-handlers, strong team chemistry, and an exciting mix of youth and team speed, the 2008-09 Penn State Behrend women's basketball team will push to make it 12 straight winning seasons and looks forward to another postseason run.