The Clarion

Issue date: 11/11/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Matt Daniels Madison Area Technical College basketball players prepare for the upcoming season during a recent practice.

The Madison Area Technical College women's basketball team had a season for the record books last year. After a 21-5 regular season, the team lost the state championship to conference rival Milwaukee Area Technical College 75-65. Five days later, they won a rematch with MATC-Milwaukee 70-40 in the regional final and subsequently defeated Hibbing Community College to win the regional championship and advance to the national tournament.

Two tough wins against Camden Community College and Monroe College put the WolfPack in the national championship game. But the team lost, 87-63, to tournament host Rochester Community and Technical College, ending the season on a sour note.

"Last season was amazing," said head coach Jessica Pelzel. "It's one that the players and the coaches aren't going to forget. We had an unbelievable group of players and all the second-year players who were there last year are saying 'let's get back there!'"

Only four of the 13 players from last year's roster are returning. They include Alyssa Bowe, Athena Brabant, Clarese MacAskill and Kendra Mussehl. Of them, only Bowe started more than one game last year, but they provide experience and mentoring for a comparatively young roster.

"We have a talented team, but we're very young as well," said Pelzel. "Luckily, our four returning players are great leaders, on and off the court. They have been awesome at conveying what we do and we have some first-year players who will make an immediate impact on our team."

The WolfPack's roster this year features 11 new players, including Gabi Hungerford who transferred from the University of Detroit-Mercy, an NCAA Division I school. Having so many new players presents quite a challenge for the team.

"Our biggest obstacle is getting these new players to mesh right," said Pelzel. "We have to figure out and understand what everyone does best. The better we do that, the better we will be."

The national preseason poll puts the WolfPack at No. 2 in NJCAA Division III, only behind the defending champions, Rochester CTC. The WolfPack are the early favorites to win the championship in their new conference, the North Central Community College Conference (N4C). They faced two N4C teams last year, Joliet Junior College and the College of Dupage, and won both games by double digits. Both of these N4C foes are rated in the top 12 in the 2009-2010 preseason poll.

The WolfPack will face Central Lakes College on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. and then they will take on Rochester CTC in a rematch of last year's national championship on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. Both games will be at home.

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