Women's Basketball Team Picked Fourth in CACC Pre-Season Poll

The University of the Sciences women's basketball team has been picked fourth in the 2011-12 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Pre-Season basketball poll recently released by the conference office. The conference's 14 head coaches conducted the voting.

USciences (21-6 overall in 10-11) received 47 votes in the poll behind Philadelphia University's 75. Defending CACC Tournament champion Goldey-Beacom College was picked to win the Southern Division getting eight first-place votes and 90 points.  The Lightning went 18-12 overall and 13-6 in league play.   Holy Family University picked up the remaining six first place votes finished second in the poll with 87 points. Chestnut Hill College (37 points), Wilmington University (34) and Georgian court University (22) rounded out the southern division poll.

Caldwell College collected 12 first place votes and 99 points to top the Northern Division poll, while  Bloomfield College was second with 86 points and two first-place nods.  Felician College (66 points) and Dominican College (53)  round out the top four finishers in this year’s poll.

The 2011-12 campaign will be a rebuilding one for the Devils and head coach Paul Stadelberger who is faced the enormous task of replacing his entire starting lineup, including the 2011 CACC Player of the Year Caitlin Shaw. Stadelberger with have a mix of five returnees plus six newcomers as the season begins.

Junior Becca Ruggear (Oxford HS/Oxford, Pa.) is the Devils top returning scorer averaging 7.5 points per game last season.  Ruggear shot nearly 50% from the field and also averaged 5.7 rebounds per game coming off the bench last season.  Senior Sarah Hickman (Wilmington Christian School/ Newark, Del.)and junior Carolyn Edwards (St. Basil's Academy/Huntington Valley, Pa.) also return.   Hickman averaged 3.7 points per game while Edwards 2.9.   

Also returning for the Devils is junior Kathleen Connelly (Brick Township HS/Brick, N.J.) and sophomore Erica Simi (West Windsor-Plainsboro HS South). Both should see time in the backcourt this season.

Joining the five returnees will be six newcomers.  Brianne Traub (Eastern Christian HS/Wayne, N.J.) was a 2,000 point scorer in high school while Jessica Sylvester (Trevose, Pa.) was a standout guard at Nazareth Academy earning All-League honors three straight years.  Junior transfer Elsebeth Birman (St. John’s College HS/Silver Spring, Md.) should also see a lot of time at the guard position along with Kaitlin Schmid (Howell HS/Howell, N.J.) Up front the Devils will have two new faces, Isabella Ross (Central HS/Philadelphia, Pa.) and Kelly Otchet (St. Peter’s HS for Girls/Staten Island, N.Y.).  Both are expected to contribute.     

The 2011-12 CACC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll is below:

                                   2011-12 CACC Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll                                  

                               () – first place votes