BOSTON? University of Hartford is the unanimous choice to repeat as America East Women’s Basketball Champions according to a vote of the conference’s head coaches. The Hawks received all eight possible first-place votes, tallying 64 points (coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team).
Complete Poll
Stony Brook earned 56 points and garnered the only other first-place vote to finish second in the poll. Boston University finished third with 49 points. Binghamton University was fourth with 37 points, University of New Hampshire was just one point behind Binghamton garnering 36 points for a fifth-place preseason billing, while UMBC was sixth with 33 points.
University of Maine, University of Vermont and University at Albany rounded out the nine-team poll with 23, 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The two-time defending champion Hawks, (27-4, 15-1 America East in 2005-06), became just the second team in America East women’s basketball history to win an NCAA tournament game as they shocked sixth-seeded Temple in the first round a season ago. Despite the loss of 2006 Player of the Year Erika Messam, head coach Jen Rizzotti returns nine players from last year’s roster, including a pair of preseason all-conference selections in, Danielle Hood (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) and Erica Beverly (Bridgeport, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral). Hood was a first-team all-conference pick in 2005-06, while Beverly was the Rookie of the Year in the conference.
Stony Brook (20-10, 12-4) finished second in the regular season a year ago and had one of the best single-season turn-arounds in league history. The Seawolves return 10 players from last year’s team including a pair of preseason all-conference selections Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Trenton/Cheshire Academy) and Jessica Smith (Butler, N.J./Butler). Ford is the league’s top-returning scorer as she averaged 15.4 points per game in 2005-06, while Smith was in the top five in rebounding and scoring. Last season, the Seawolves participated in their first-ever Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
Boston University (18-12, 9-7) has advanced to four-straight America East Championship title games and third-year head coach Kelly Greenberg hope to keep this streak alive for the Terriers. Despite losing first-team all-conference selection Rachael Vanderwal, Boston U. returns 12 players from 2005-06, including four starters. Cheri Raffo (Asbury, N.J./North Hunterdon) (10.9 ppg) is the Terriers’ top returning scorer. In addition, all-rookie selections Jesyka Burks-Wiley (Kansas City, Mo./Lincoln College Prep) and Christine Kinneary (Plainedge, N.Y./Holy Trinity) should help power the youth movement at Boston U.
Led by preseason all-conference selection Laine Kurpniece (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh), Binghamton (17-12, 9-7) is predicted to finish fourth again this season. The Bearcats finished fourth last year and have finished in the top five in each of the past three campaigns. Kurpniece, a second-team all-conference selection last season, led Binghamton in scoring (12.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). Head coach Rich Conover has led the Bearcats to four-straight winning seasons in conference play. Binghamton’s Events Center will serve as the host of the 2007 America East Women’s Basketball Championship on March 8-11.
New Hampshire’s (15-13, 7-9) Danielle Clark (Corinna, Maine/Nokomis Regional) will return for her final season as a Wildcat after leading the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) last year and being selected to the all-conference second team. She will be joined by Whitney Edwards (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Trinity Catholic), a 2006 all-defensive team selection, and Ray Williams (Mississauga, Ontario/The Woodlands School), a second-team all-conference selection. Head coach Sue Johnson, who has the longest longest tenure of any current head coach in America East, added six newcomers to the 2006-07 squad.
UMBC (15-13, 7-9), one of the league’s most improved teams over the past season, earns its highest preseason billing since joining America East. The Retrievers rattled off six-straight wins over America East foes in early February to post a program-best 7-9 fifth-place finish in the conference. Sharri Rohde (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central), a second-team all-conference selection, will play her final season at UMBC. She is the only player in the league to rank in the top-11 in conference games only for scoring (fifth, 14.8 ppg), rebounding (11th, 6.4 rpg), assists (8th , 2.94 apg) and field goal percentage (3rd , 57.1 percent). She also has a streak of 84 consecutive games started.
Maine (10-19, 5-11), who is traditionally one of the most successful programs in America East with seven league titles, looks to bounce back from a 10-19 finish in 2005-06. Senior Bracey Barker (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island), a third-team all-conference selection, returns to lead the Black Bears. She was the team’s top scorer (13.8 ppg) and rebounder (6.6 rpg) last season. Fellow senior Ashley Underwood (Augusta, Maine/Cory) averaged 13.4 points per game and was one of the league’s top outside shooters.
Senior Brittney Cross (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) will look to lead a youthful Vermont (9-18, 5-11) team this season. After back-to-back seventh-place finishes, this year’s team will look to return Vermont to more familiar surroundings among the America East elite. Vermont, who has the second-most titles (four) behind only Maine, will rely greatly on its six-player sophomore class and its four incoming freshmen. America East all-rookie selection Andrea Cihal (Mississaura, Ontario/Cawthra Park) will be asked to play a greater role during her sophomore campaign.
Albany (7-21, 3-13) head coach Trina Patterson returns juniors Sherri Mikus (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquenita), the team leader in assists, and Gia Sanders (Bowie, Md./The Bullis School), who led the league in blocked shots (1.86 bpg). Behind Sanders, the Great Danes led the league and were ranked 42nd in the nation in blocked shots.