"Lady Eagles have new coach, new goals"

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - You wouldn’t know by talking to Jennifer Smith that she is new to the Lock Haven women’s basketball team.

The former head coach at Goldey-Beacom College, Smith brings a new presence to the team, which came up just short of making it to the playoffs last year.

Now, with a new group of starters and a new coach putting it all together, the women’s team hopes to make its first trip to the postseason in well over a decade and improve on a 12-15 record from one year ago.

The very thing that might get them there is Smith, who basically turned around a less-than-stellar team at Goldey-Beacom two years ago.

“Yes, this team lost a lot of seniors last year, but there is a lot of talent still on this team, more than I expected,” Smith said. “We’re not scared, we’re not nervous. We’re not looking at this as a rebuilding year, either. Our number one goal this year is to make playoffs. It doesn’t matter what our record is, we want to make playoffs. It has been 17 years since this team has made it, and that is way too long.”

The Lady Eagles will have to deal with the loss of several seniors — including Elizabeth Gabriel, Ginger Williams, Shameka Lee and Candace Sillers — all starters for the Haven.

But according to Smith, the girls that cheered from the sidelines will see plenty of playing time this year, and have already started stepping up to fill in the gaps.

“A lot of the girls that are here now didn’t get a lot of minutes, so they didn’t feel like it was their team,” Smith said. “Now, it is their team and they are taking ownership of it. They are ready to go play and fight and do whatever it takes. They are ready.

“Number one, they need to believe in themselves. When I went to coach my last program, the team was in pretty bad shape. These kids need to believe in themselves and believe that they can do it. That is the first step in getting it done.

“Looking good and feeling good is important.”

So far, things have been going well for the Lady Eagles. Smith has noticed improvement in several players, including junior Lauren Kelshaw.

A guard, Kelshaw was in a four-way tie for three-point shooters last year, and returns as a threat from beyond the arc for the Haven.

“She didn’t get a lot of minutes last year, but this year she is doing it,” Smith said. “She is so tough, and she shows it every day. In our first scrimmage, she had 20 points. The last scrimmage, she was right around that. But, it was offensively and defensively. She has been carrying a lot of the weight recently.”

Smith also brought over some players from Goldey-Beacom, including guard Casi Donelan. A sophomore, Donelan was fourth in points (171) for the Lightning and will also bring some experience from 3-point range.

Look for the return of Kristen Kudrick, who got some starting time last year after Lee suffered a season-ending injury, and some other familiar faces to return to the Thomas Fieldhouse.

“Evelyn Wynn and Kristen Kudrick are our starting forwards and have been working hard,” Smith said. “Malika Miller has been our starting point guard, and Michelle Mitchell has been coming off the bench for us. Ilia Lopez is out, which obviously hurts. One of the freshman that I brought in that I thought could have been rookie of the year this season is out for the year. That hurts us, but we still have 13 other bodies, and I really feel that we can go 13 deep. I’m used to playing with seven kids. We literally might play 13 kids this year if the girls work hard and step up. We’re very balanced. It’s not like we have five superstars and then the bench. It’s very balanced from number one to number 13.”

What could help or hurt the Lady Eagles is the lack of veteran leadership. Mitchell is the lone senior on the team, and it could take some time for the Crimson and White to develop on the court.

“Kids are funny. When they look good, it instills a little bit of confidence in them, even when they haven’t even touched the basketball,” Smith said. “I did that same thing at my last school, and it worked. I think it is working with these girls. They are proud to wear the Lock Haven practice jersey.”

The Lady Eagles will begin their season Friday at the Tip Off Classic against Glenville State. They won’t wait long to return to the Thomas Fieldhouse, as their first home game will be Nov. 21 against Wilmington College.

Smith will return to her former college on Nov. 26 to square off against Goldey-Beacom before hosting a three-game homestand starting on Dec. 1. LHU will see its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West competition on Jan. 16 against Cheyney.

The Lady Eagles will host four home games in February — Edinboro, IUP, Shippensburg and Clarion — before ending the season on the road against IUP on March 1.

Article Courtesy of the Lock Haven Express and Sports Editor Tom Fox, article written by Kim Moerschbacher (kim@lockhaven.com)