By Shane Ostroski
Sports Editor
The Marywood Women’s Basketball Team is looking for their second consecutive CSAC playoff birth for the 2009-10 season. The Pacers, who are coached by Tara Macciocco, will try to improve on their 16-10 record from last year.
The Pacers backcourt will be led by last season’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Marielle Thorsen (Belvidere, NJ) who averaged 13.7 points per game. Thorsen shot a red hot 35.4% from behind the arch, while shooting 74.4% from the free throw line. Thorsen also averaged 5 rebounds per contest and led the team in steals with 50.
Junior guard Stephanie Fusaro (Bala Cynwyd, PA) will be asked to lead by example after being named captain of this year’s squad. Fusaro averaged 9 points per game and finished third on the team in rebounds with 129. Fusaro also totaled 49 assists and finished the 2008-09 campaign with 29 steals.
Sophomore guard Mariah Schaeffer (Bainbridge, NY) finished last season as the Pacer’s second leading scorer. Schaeffer averaged 10.9 points along with 4.8 rebounds per game. Schaeffer led the team in assists with 61 and finished second in steals with 40.
Sophomore guard Lauren Rogan (Archbald, PA) shot 34.4% from 3 point territory, as well as 73.8% from the free throw line, while averaging 4.4 points per game. Rogan also added 18 assists and 11 steals for the Pacers.
Junior guard Marilee Sobrinski (Ocean City, NJ) shot 69.2 % from the charity stripe, while totaling 23 assists, and finishing fifth on the team in steals with 24.
Junior guard Caitlin Ely (Montrose, PA) averaged 3.2 points per game, while shooting 84.2 % from the free throw line. Ely also recorded 23 assists and added 18 steals last season.
The Pacers also added three freshman to their backcourt. Sara Evans, (Hop Bottom, PA) who attended Mountain View High School, was named to the Lackawanna League First Team. Evans will also be asked to play the forward position for the Pacers.
Addie Long, (Pennsburg, PA) an Upper Perkiomen product, was named to the Pioneer Athletic Conference All-Star Team. Long will push for playing time at the guard position.
Amanda Lippincott (Doylestown, PA), who attended Central Bucks East High School, should see some significant playing time for the Pacers.
The frontcourt for the Pacers will be led by seniors Lizzy Green, and Amanda Lass. Lizzy Green (Shenandoah, PA) averaged 9.9 points and 5 rebounds per game last season. Green finished second on the team in both blocks with 15 and rebounds with 131.
Lass (Brackney, PA) averaged 10.3 points, and 7.4 rebounds per game last year. Lass shot 76% from the free throw line, while leading the team in blocks with 20 and rebounds with 193.
Junior Maggie Farrell (Telford, PA) finished the last season with 71 rebounds. Farrell averaged 3.6 points per game, while shooting 80% from the free throw line.
Senior Erin Furlong (Albany, NY) finished last season with 17 rebounds. The Pacers will also look for Furlong to be a leader as she is one of only two seniors on the team.
Sophomore Jill Flanagan (Monroe, NY) will add some much needed depth at the forward position for the Pacers.
Freshman Arielle Chard (Woodstown, NJ) rounds out the forward position. Chard should see some significant playing time this year off the bench for the Pacers.
The Pacers were picked to finish 5th in the CSAC pre-season poll.