Photo courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics
By Shanna McCarriston
With the 2014-2015 women’s basketball season starting, there are a few things to watch for this season, and a few to specifically watch this weekend. Quinnipiac will play Army on Saturday at the TD Bank Sports Center to kick off its new campaign.
Head coach Tricia Fabbri is heading into her 20th season, and has just been inducted into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Honor Roll. Fabbri’s daughter has joined the team this year as a freshman at Quinnipiac.
Captains Gillian Abshire, Jasmine Martin and Samantha Guastella are all seniors and will be looking to make a big impact this season. Abshire has not missed a game in her three years at Quinnipiac, a testament to her durability on the court. She averaged 7.1 points, 6.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game as a junior.
Look out for Michigan transfer Val Driscoll who has one season of full eligibility left, and will open the season against the Black Knights Saturday. Her size will aim to fill in gaps that have been vacated, primarily by one person in particular.
The Bobcats lost forward Brittany McQuain who was a huge impact player for Quinnipiac. McQuain was among the top scorers and rebounders in program history, which will mean Driscoll among others will need to step into her place collectively. This year the Bobcats have a solid senior class with five seniors on the roster who should be able to fill the shoes of McQuain.
Last season, Quinnipiac finished with a 21-13 record and was the No. 4 seed in the MAAC Tournament. The Bobcats advanced to the MAAC Championship last year, upending the favored-Iona Gaels, but eventually losing in heartbreaking fashion to the No. 2-seeded Marist Red Foxes, 70-66.
In the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Quinnipiac tied with Marist for first place, reigniting the newfound rivalry. Marist has won the MAAC postseason title for the last nine years and will face the Bobcats in January and February. That will be a game to watch looking ahead in the season as a rematch of last year’s championship, and a faceoff of the two highest ranked MAAC teams.
Quinnipiac will start having conference games in December with its first at home against Siena, who was ranked 10th in the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Look for matchups late in the year against third and fourth-ranked Iona and Fairfield, respectivaly. These late season games could be a preview of how the MAAC with play out and could be indicative of the MAAC Championship.
What’s Up Next
The Bobcats will begin their season with a non-conference matchup against the Army Black Knights. Head coach Dave Magarity is in his ninth season with the Black Knights, and his team finished 25-8 last season with a 17-1 home record.
Guard Kelsey Minato was listed on ESPNW’s mid-major players to watch and will be a player to look out for in Saturday’s game. Another Black Knight’s player to watch is Olivia Schretzman, who started all 33 games last season averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds a game.
Last year, Army lost to No. 4 Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, just as Quinnipiac had the year prior. This year, in the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll, Army was picked to finish first with Minato selected as the Preseason Player of the Year.
Both teams have similar field goal percentage last season and should put up a good fight this Saturday. While it is only the beginning of the season both teams know every game counts and will be looking to gain confidence for their conference games later in the year.
