When heading to Panther games this season, make sure to pick up program on your way in as the team went through a drastic makeover with many players not coming back.
Only four players return this season from a 2-18 team; chief amongst the losses were 2nd team All-AUS Myra Donkin and Suzanne Canvin who was fifth in league scoring and led in rebounding. Also gone is five time AUS Coach of the Year Dave MacNeill who left the team after a storied coaching career. With so many losses, the team has become very young featuring five freshmen, two transfers from Holland College and a rookie coach who comes in with an impressive coaching resume. Halifax native Carly Clarke was hired in May, after spending a year with Canada Basketball¹s National Elite Development Academy in
Hamilton, Ontario. ³We spend every day working to get better; from a team and individual
standpoint, to what we can do as a coaching staff to get the most out of us.² Clarke says. ³We are young but have some nice pieces to work with; and if we continue to come together as a team I think we are capable of surprising some people.²
The lone size on the squad comes from a 6¹0 pair of third year forwards Kelly DeBow and Katie Moore. DeBow is one of the team¹s best outside shooters, and has led the team in scoring and rebounding in the offseason. Moore, from Charlottetown, was one of the league¹s mostimproved players over the second half of last season regularly scoring in double figures, expect her to have a breakout season. Moore however is
up for the challenge. ³It¹s a new team now, we¹ve got to play together and there are people who took over from last year¹s positions and I think it¹s a good change. think this year it¹s a totally different team. Kelly and I are the only posts on the team and when I am the biggest one and that doesn¹t say much when you look at the other teams,so there is pressure there to keep up with them and play your role.² Moore reflected on her new role. Summerside¹s Victoria Walker is the lone senior, and the Education student will need to be a leader on the floor and in the locker room for the squad in addition to her role as an outside shooter and defender on the wing. Also returning is All-AUS rookie team member Carly LaFave who will play both backcourt positions, and improve upon a solid freshman campaign.
After being hired in June, Clarke scrambled to fill out the roster bringing
in some solid pickups. Julia Vidic and Nadine Chomyc, two Ontario products have been impressive in the preseason, with their shooting range. Charlottetown products Kristen Walker and Marie Younker spent two seasons at Holland College and will help team depth as they adapt to the AUS. Also joining the team are Islanders Sara Moore and Julia McKenna.
Although the team is short on size, Clarke plans to run the floor at every opportunity and rely on outside shooting with most of the team being very interchangeable. "This season we will try to play a bit uptempo as we are guard heavy with most, if not all, of our team being decent or good shooters. We will need to mix it up defensively and be a little bit creative to make up for our lack of size, but it it something which will take time."
Point guard Shylanda Saunders is the jewel of the recruiting class. The Nova Scotia native
played high school at prestigious Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Oak Hill
produced over twenty players who have gone on to play in the NBA including Carmelo Anthony. Although Saunders missed close to two months due to injury, she has the explosive speed and one on one ability to create points. Look for her to be the next in line of exciting guards who have worn the green and white.
"Missing all that time it was a hard adjustment to get back playing but I
feel I am back in the groove now. We have a fast team and we want to run,
and that¹s how I like to play." Saunders said earlier this week.
While winning may not happen early in the season for the team, expect them
to make great strides once they gain some experience under their belt and
build on restoring a UPEI tradition of excellence.
Department of Athletics