Women’s Basketball is Set to Defend Eastern Division Crown

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester University's women's basketball squad enters the 2016-17 campaign as the defending PSAC Eastern Division champions, after capturing the title outright for the first time since 2004. The Golden Rams (21-8, 17-5 PSAC) will have a fresh new look heading into the season. They feature five new faces in the starting lineup, after graduating seven seniors from a season ago. Despite the new faces, third-year head coach Kiera Wooden expressed that her expectations do not change. "We expect to compete for the Eastern Division," Wooden stated. "Our expectations do not change because the players and jerseys have changed. I think we are a talented group and are going to surprise some people." Wooden begins her third season at the helm for West Chester, having amassed a 45-14 record (.763) in her first two seasons, while also being the first to lead her squad to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. West Chester has reached the NCAAs in three of the last five campaigns. This kind of success is something the Golden Rams are going to try and build off of as they head into the season. West Chester was selected to finish fourth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Women's Basketball preseason coaches' poll. "Graduating seven seniors, I feel that is a good place to be seeded," Wooden mentioned. The three teams ahead of them in the standings in order are Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, and Millersville. In the 2015-16 season, West Chester led the conference in scoring by manufacturing 73.9 points per game. Two key departures in the senior class included the school's top two all-time leading scorers in Brittany Sicinski (1,624 points) and Dallas Ely (1,607 points). Overall, the seven seniors in the class combined to score 5,975 points in their four years (two of them five) at West Chester. Only 16 percent of the offensive production returns. Coach Wooden plans to replace that offensive production through a variety of different sets. Expect to see an offensive approach more predicated on ball movement and screens to get players open looks. "This is not going to be the same team," Wooden said. "We do not have a Brittany (Sicinski) or Dallas (Ely) for isolation plays. Only 16 percent of our scoring returns because these players sat behind a veteran core. They did not have the ability to show they can play due to limited minutes." A pair of key juniors featured for West Chester this season are guard Porscha Speller (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) and forward Madison Torresin (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley). Speller is a combo guard, who has good vision, while also setting the tone defensively. Wooden referred to her as the defensive spark, who can lead the squad on the floor. Torresin is a versatile scorer, who can attack the rim in addition to stepping out and hitting the 3-point shot. The captains this season for Coach Wooden's squad are Tori Smick (Pilesgrove, N.J./Woodstown), Mariah Traywick (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford), and Camden Boehner (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg). Each player brings something unique to the team as Smick and Traywick will be featured as veteran presences in the frontcourt. Smick is a vocal leader, who does all the little things for the Golden Rams. Meanwhile, Traywick is more of physical and post presence that provides rebounding. Boehner, on the other hand, is a sharpshooter from the outside, who helps spread the floor. West Chester women's basketball will have several new faces on the squad, but will also continue its relentless style of play. The Golden Rams will continue to utilize their attacking style of defense, pressing their opponents to generate turnovers. This approach has become a trademark of West Chester basketball, dating back to former head coach Deirdre Kane. Wooden revealed that an emphasis this season will be on the defensive end compared to previous years. "We have scoring potential. But, we are going to go through our ups and down," the head coach stated. "We need to focus more on the defensive end of the ball, considering we do not know what we are going to have offensively." With that being said, West Chester's motto for this season will be "good vibes." Wooden expressed that this team is genuinely excited for each other. The chemistry is a work in progress, but will certainly improve as the season progresses with the vast amount of freshman on the roster. The Golden Rams will look to transfer that positive energy into the start of the season. West Chester opens its 2016-17 slate on Saturday when it hosts the 31st Annual Carol Eckman Memorial Classic at Hollinger Field House. Edinboro, Glenville State and Wheeling Jesuit will join the Golden Rams in lifting the lid on the new campaign at the tournament. Coach Wooden reflected upon the longstanding tradition, calling it an, "exciting weekend of basketball and a great opportunity to begin the season at home."