Women's Basketball Preview at West Chester University 2014-15

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The upcoming 2014-2015 campaign for West Chester women's basketball marks Kiera Wooden's first year as a head coach for the Golden Rams. Being the lead assistant for the past decade, Wooden fills in for legendary head coach Deirdre Kane, who stepped down after 27 years of commanding the West Chester sideline. Wooden indicated that the moment feels "twofold" as she is excited for this opportunity, but loses a mentor in Kane who had been grooming her as a successor over the last 10 years. "Nobody can replace Coach Kane, and I'm not trying to," Wooden explained. "I'm trying to be the best Kiera Wooden I can possibly be. Trying to take what she taught me, not just in terms of X's and O's, but also in the family atmosphere and making sure her legacy continues." Coaching alongside Wooden is her newly acquired assistant, Allison Hostetter, a 2012 West Chester University alum. The alum rejoins the Golden Rams, but this time as an assistant, having been a 1,000-point scorer during her tenure (2008-12). West Chester enters as the favorite in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Eastern Division preseason coaches' poll, following an overall record of 19-9, including 13-3 in conference play last season. "As good as that record sounds, we did not win anything," Wooden described. "You build off of it more than you did last year. Win the [PSAC] East; win, or at least be in, the PSAC championship game; and make it to the NCAA tournament. Those are always our goals, and if we come up short of any of those, then it is not a good year for us. While that record looks good, it does not feel good when it is all said and done." West Chester has made four NCAA appearances in school history and this coaching staff understands what it takes to make it to the "Big Dance." Of those four appearances, both Wooden (2003) and Hostetter (2012) made the tournament during their playing days. Hostetter's senior season in 2012 marks the last West Chester appearance, while Wooden's club from 2003 is the only tournament win in school history. On being the favorite in the PSAC East, Wooden has told her players to embrace the moment. "Pressure is a privilege that not many teams get to experience," She said. "We need to enjoy it and not be afraid of it." Wooden being a rookie head coach, found it very strange to be the top seed. "Considering the fact that Bloomsburg has won the conference the last four or five years, and they have the majority of their starters returning, I appreciate the load of confidence, but was surprised by it," Wooden commented. West Chester will be using the team motto "all in" reflecting how every player and coach are all committed to a common goal that makes the team better. This winning mindset has the Golden Rams eager to get back on the court, especially Wooden, who is looking forward to see their development over the past year. West Chester returns 14 players from a year ago, giving them an opportunity to become a more mature squad. Another year under their built improves the chemistry on the court while the team knows what to expect heading into the season without "shell shock." The speed and depth on this squad benefits this style, since the coaching staff is comfortable going about nine deep on the roster. Wooden believes that every single player will be looked upon for leadership on the court. It is essential that, "each one of them has to be a leader in their own regard in order for this to be successful." Examples, she went on say, include leaders of a vocal nature. Collaborating as a team requires the players to be leaders and followers in order to gel together on the court. Experience is a significant strength for the Golden Rams this season as the entire starting lineup returns, including a pair of Golden Rams in Jr., G Dallas Ely (Montrose, Pa./Montrose) and Jr., G Brittany Sicinski (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West), who were nominated to the preseason All-PSAC East squad. Ely returns as the sharp-shooter, who led the PSAC in scoring with 19.4 points per game last winter, claiming the third-highest average in a single season at West Chester. Defensively, Ely had a knack for the ball by ranking fourth in the PSAC with 2.5 steals per game. In addition, her efforts from last season landed her a Division II honorable mention All-America by the WBCA, while also being named to the first team 2013-14 Daktronics, Inc., NCAA Division II Women's Basketball All-Atlantic Region squad. Wooden still believes the best has yet to come for the All-American Ely "She has yet to reach her full potential. There is still room for improvement," Wooden revealed. Part of Hostetter's role will be to aid Ely in her development, since she had the opportunity to coach an All-American in Erin Mann during her two-year tenure at Holy Family University. "We have the experience and talent to do big things this season," Ely stated. "All of the returning starters are back. So, after having a decent season playing together for the first time, I think this season will be what we make of it." Captain, Brittany Sicinski was the other player who received a preseason-all conference nod after being named to the All-PSAC East first team last season while averaging 14.8 points per game. Sicinski dished out 102 assists from a season ago and placed fifth in the conference. As a junior, Sicinski is expected to take on more of vocal leadership role for the Golden Rams, being a returning captain and starter. The past two seasons have shown that she is the type of player that leads by example, being extremely versatile on both ends of the floor. "I am excited to see what this season brings," Sicinski stated. "Especially after having a successful season a year ago as a young team. With our team's chemistry and hard work, I think we have the capability to prove why we were ranked No. 1 in the PSAC East preseason polls." A pair of players looking to utilize their unique skill-set for the Golden Rams this season is Jr., F Chikisha Steele-Hook (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.) and R-Fr., G Porscha Speller (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic). Steele-Hook came on strong at the end of the season, setting the tone defensively for West Chester. She offers the Golden Rams athleticism and speed when inserted into the lineup, in addition to her aggressiveness on the defensive end. Speller on the other hand had the opportunity to learn from a veteran backcourt after red-shirting her freshman season. The point guard is good in a variety of areas, including handling and attacking the rim. One characteristic that impressed the coaching staff was her ability to not be overwhelmed by the moment – especially during the UConn exhibition. The captains for this 2014-15 campaign are Sicinski and a pair of senior forwards in Serifat Junaid (Chesilhurst, N.J./Camden Catholic), and Kendall Benovy (Hershey, Pa./Hershey). Junaid brings experience, intensity and toughness to this Golden Rams' squad. "This year, we have the maturity, focus and determination to compete as a top PSAC contender. I'm looking forward to seeing if the conclusion meets the expectations." Junaid said. One change that this new regime emphasizes is defense, providing an up-tempo style that causes havoc for opponents. There is room for improvement in rebounding the ball as well as contesting 3-point shooters on a consistent basis. In effect, the Golden Rams will look to take advantage of transition buckets with a variety of presses that will be implemented, varying on a game-to-game basis depending on the matchup. The Golden Rams recently had their first exhibition of the season as they took on the Division I National Champion UConn Huskies in Storrs, Conn. Wooden viewed this as a good experience to take on a Division I program in their arena and atmosphere, coached by West Chester University alum, Geno Auriemma. Despite of the score, the coaching staff found moral victories within the match-up. "If the team can push through together, then we can accomplish things that haven't been done in a while," Ely added. The Golden Rams officially open up the 2014-15 season with the Carol Eckman Memorial Tournament held at Hollinger Field House as they face off against Concordia College (N.Y.) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.