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Falcons Turn To Veteran Leadership In 2009-10 Season

Fitchburg State enters the 2009-10 season with unfinished business after earning a MASCAC Tournament berth last year. The Falcons earned a first round bye after placing second in the conference with an overall record of 16-10 (9-3 MASCAC), but fell to the Vikings of Salem State 64-50 in the semifinal round.

 
KRYSTLE O'BRIEN

This season, the Falcons return a solid core of players, including two seniors with 62 career victories and five juniors with playoff experience. "We have a very solid and talented core coming back this season," said 11th year head coach Walter Paschal. "With seven players who have playoff experience, our team knows what it needs to do to reach the next level."

Leading the Fitchburg State offense will be junior Kelley Rogers (Lowell, Mass./Lowell), who enters the season as the Falcons leading scorer from a year ago. Rogers, a MASCAC All-Conference second team honoree, averaged 8.6 points per game (ppg) on 74-224 shooting from the field and 45-58 shooting from the free-throw line. The junior guard was also solid on the glass, posting 4.4 rebounds per game (rbs/g).

Aiding Rogers on the offensive front will be forwards Melissa Proffitt (Hubbardston, Mass./Quabbin Regional) and Rebecca Goreham (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy). Last season, the two combined for 11.0 ppg with 9.7 rbs/g and 11 total blocks. Proffitt ranked fourth on the team in scoring with 6.4 ppg, while Goreham added 4.6 ppg and 3.7 rbs/g.

 
KARI AVERILL

Rounding out the Falcons top five are senior captains Kari Averill (Barre, Vt./Spaulding) and Krystle O'Brien (Malden, Mass./Malden). Averill is coming off a successful junior season, totaling 7.1 ppg with a team-best .347 pct from three point range, while O'Brien sparked the Falcons defense with a team-best 80 steals and 74 assists.

Off the bench, junior Kim Duprey (Bernardston, Mass./Pioneer Valley) has proven to be a vital asset after averaging 4.8 ppg as the Falcons sixth player last season. Duprey possess a strong 3-point shot, hitting 41-of-138 last season, while adding seven steals and 11 assists. Classmate Kristen Love (Londonderry, N.H./Londonderry) also adds depth to the Falcon post players, totaling 132 minutes a year ago.

Fitchburg State will also look to its incoming class as sophomore Vanessa Cote (Ashby, Mass./Saint Bernards), classmate Alyssa Fanelli (Fitchburg, Mass./Fitchburg) and freshman Jill Moses (Dedham, Mass./Dedham) will see significant action in their first year in a Falcon uniform. Fanelli, a transfer from Division II Assumption College, and Moses will serve a primary role down low, while Cote adds quickness to Fitchburg State perimeter game.

The Falcons open their 2009-10 campaign at home this season as it hosts Clark University on November 17. Later in the week, Fitchburg State will compete at the Endicott College Invitational Tournament, before opening up league play after the Thanksgiving break. "This year, our schedule bodes really well for us," said Paschal. "Our true test will be in our conference games as the MASACAC is always a competitive league."