Lady Jackets gear up for 2006-07 season
Nick Williams, Assistant SID

DEFIANCE, Ohio - With the 2006-07 season on the horizon, the Defiance College Women’s Basketball team looks to put last year’s performance in the past and focus on overall team improvement, which hopefully will lead to a record that will surpass that of 2005-06 season.

Head Coach Corey Laster will begin his second season with the Lady Jackets, along with Assistant Coach Julie Porter starting her second year as well. In the 2005-06 season, the Jackets finished the year 6-20 and 3-11 in the conference for a seventh-place finish. Boasting a roster of only nine players, Laster was able to bring the most of his players and cultivate the talent that they possessed. Now with a roster that is nearly double that size, Laster feels that the team is deeper than last year and will be able to better compete against any opponent.

Returning for their third season on the Yellow Jacket squad are juniors Kayla Mengerink and Sarah Bird. Mengerink averaged 6.7 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game last season and will be looked upon for leadership. Bird finished last season second on the team in scoring, putting up 10.8 per game while tying for the team lead in steals with 39. Laster feels that she has a chance to play a significant role for the team this year.

The Jackets also have three players coming back with a year of experience under their belts. Sophomores Sarah Grime, Stephanie Lieto, and Allison Ramsay all saw action last season and will be part of the Yellow Jacket roster again this year. Grime began the season coming off the bench, but was soon inserted into the starting lineup. She made the most of the opportunity, averaging 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Laster feels that she will play a bigger role this season. Lieto was utilized as the sixth man for most of the season. Although she was not a focal point of the offense, her presence was felt on the other side of the ball, as Laster feels that her defense is her strong suit. Ramsay provided extra depth on the bench and will help contribute to the team this season as well.

In addition to the returners, the Lady Jackets are adding some fresh faces for the 2006-07 campaign. Laster and Porter’s recruiting activities have culminated with 12 new players for the Yellow Jacket squad. Transferring from Lansing Community College are Mollie Patterson, Katie McNamara, and Sara Jacobs, members of 2005-06 Stars team that went 21-7 and won the MCAAA State championship. DC also brings in nine freshmen in the form of Kayleigh Boyle, Elisa Hickman, Joy Kubuske, Jasmine Martin, Lauren Ranalli, Kimmy Taylor, Lindsay Vos, Mandy White, and Kim Zura. With this group of girls, Laster feels that the future is looking bright for the Yellow Jacket team.

As with the beginning of every season, the team will have to look to replace the contributions made by graduated seniors, and this year is no different. The Jacket squad will seek to fill the void left by Meghann Savard (DC ’06) and Kara Jones (DC ’06). Savard, who was named 2005-06 Co-MVP of the HCAC, ended her career among the all-time Lady Jacket greats, finishing third in school history in scoring with 1,553 points. Jones, a 2005-06 All-HCAC Honorable Mention, was a threat from downtown, as she holds the school record for three-point percentage with a .442 mark during the 2004-05 season.

The Lady Jackets open the season on November 17 when the team takes on Albion College in the Manchester Tournament and play their HCAC opener on November 29 against Manchester College. Defiance plays its first home game on December 2 against Anderson University.