The Cabrini women’s basketball team has high hopes for this 2005-2006 season. The team welcomed back only four returning upper classmen but brought in an impressive recruiting class of 14 eager freshmen.
Cabrini ended its 2004-2005 season with a 15-10 finish and were eliminated in the first round of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference tournament by Gywend-Mercy College. The team is looking forward to facing the team that knocked them out of the tournament the most and their across-the-street rivals, Eastern University.
The Lady Cavaliers started off with a rocky start with two straight losses at the 24th annual Scotty Wood Tournament at Muhlenberg. Cabrini fell to Wilkes 57-52 on Nov. 18 and then lost to Albright 55-36 on Nov. 19. Sophomore English and communication major Sharae Middlebrook opened her season with 16 points in the Wilkes game and made the all-tournament team.
Aside from the tournament at Muhlenberg, the young team gained experience from their two preseason scrimmages against Goldie Beacom and Ursinus. Senior co-captain and exercise science major Jackie Yoder said that the scrimmages were good starting steps and showed the team what they need to do to get ready for the season. Cabrini was picked to finish second in a preseason poll of the PAC coaches.
Bobbi Morgan is returning as head coach for her second year at Cabrini. Morgan moved just five miles up the Main Line after coaching at Haverford High School for 15 years prior to coming to Cabrini.
Head coach Morgan is excited to have such a large recruiting class as her first at Cabrini and thinks that it will have a huge impact on the team.
Last season Morgan had to beg players to come out for the team because numbers were so low. Morgan recalls having to pull recruits from the soccer and lacrosse teams, but this year there was no such problem. “I think we have a real athletic team and a lot of depth,” said Morgan. Like every coach at Cabrini, Morgan’s goal for her team this season is to bring home the PAC champion title.
Cabrini also welcomed two new assistant coaches to their staff last season, Kate Pierangeli, an All-American from Scranton University, and Caroline Traves, a former player of Morgan’s at Haverford High School. “The freshmen are going to have to learn to not play like freshmen because there are so many of them,” Pierangeli said.
Sophomore psychology major Samantha Hartling and Middlebrook are two of the team’s key assets returning this season. Hartling was named PAC rookie of the year last season while Middlebrook received an honorable mention. Morgan said that both players have great skills to bring to the court and are players to watch for this season.
The top freshmen include exercise science major Katelin Ryan and English and communication major Brittany McLeod. Both Ryan and McLeod made all-Catholic teams in their high school careers. “I think we’ll go far this season even though we’re a young team,” McLeod said.
Senior co-captain and exercise science major Jen Skursky says that the biggest obstacles the team will face this season are learning to adapt and getting used to each other as a team. Skursky said that the team this year is the most talented team she has seen. Co-captain Yoder said that the chemistry this year is better, and there is an overall better atmosphere. “Everyone is committed to winning this season,” Yoder said.
The Lady Cavs and Morgan hate to use the clich
