FeedsNew talent leads ‘Stangs
With the season opener less than a week away and the first week of true practice over with, the Northville Lady Mustangs are ready to get the basketball season started.
Team chemistry is a big factor with any team but is probably Northville’s biggest strength this year.
“Everyone has been working really hard,” said Jessica Boerger, a senior forward/center. “It’s been really good because everyone is working better together this year. There’s not any problems with the team and everyone’s been getting along. The team’s chemistry is really good this year.”
It’s an amazing feat, considering the roster had a major overhaul from last year.
The Mustangs lost both Toney sisters—Simone and Danielle. Simone graduated and will play soccer at Bowling Green University this year and Danielle, who would be a senior, opted not to play so she could concentrate on soccer and her verbal commitment to play at Penn State.
They also lost seniors Lindsey Blair a soccer player—Ulrika Karlberg and Heather Cox as well as Sarah Comai, would be seniors Jackie Bolinger and Devon Johnson and would be junior Theresa Yankovich—also a soccer player.
On the bright side, Head Coach Pete Wright will return seniors Kristin Fiscus and Emily Pelts and gain Boerger. Juniors Krysta Cicala, Allison Holmes and Sarah Stern are back, too.
New to the team are Juniors Kelsey Whelan, Annie Tasse, Casey Neville, Brianna Jenkins and Brittany Birdsall and sophomores Chelsea Atzinger and Kelsey Baskins.
Fiscus, a shooting guard/small forward, thinks the team will move on from all of the losses even the Toney sisters.
“I think we work really well as a team and have a lot of good things to look forward to,” she said. “(Simone and Danielle) were good assets to our team but I think we’re going to be more of a team without them. We’ll be able to count on working together then have them work for us.”
The team went 12-9 last year and Wright hopes to improve on that.
“I’m really excited about this group; I really like the make up of this team,” he said. “They are working extremely hard everyday and they want to improve. It’s early yet so there’s a lot to work on yet.”
“We are fast; faster than last year,” she said. “We like to take it right down and score. Our point guard Sarah Stern has great speed and a great layup. So we’re counting on scoring right away and getting right back on defense. That’s how we won most of our games last year.”
The team sped up and down the court during drills last Friday morning, making crisp passes and smooth lay-ups. It was like watching two liquids being mixed together—like chemistry. They jelled together and now they’re just waiting to explode.
Northville will have to wait to see how the reaction will work out when the team faces Saline on the road in the season opener at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29. The Lady ‘Stangs’ home opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5 against Ann Arbor Pioneer.
