The targets are on our backs this year, and Sunday was our first test to see how far we have all come as a team since the pre-season. We're a really special group of young women this year, and though some may think that the fact that we're so young and inexperienced may hurt us, the drive and determination we each have to stay a successful program helps us get better with each passing day.

                We lost a lot of talent last year when our seniors graduated, and we lost a lot of great leadership too. Our captains and upperclassmen this year have had no problems filling in those shoes and setting good examples for the sophomore class and our freshmen. They're like the "big sisters" of the group. They know the ropes and really care about guiding us through the obstacles we each face as a team and individually. This year I feel that our freshmen are really going to play an important role, and with each passing day they become more aware with Coach Giorgis's system and more comfortable with playing at the next level. As for the sophomores, a lot of this is new to us just as it is to the freshmen, seeing since last year was such a crucial learning year for us. Now after watching and taking in everything we needed to know, we're more than ready to contribute to the team in any way we can.

                The one thing that I'm most amazed by so far this year is our team chemistry. It's not only by class, but all of this year are so close already. We each genuinely care about one another's development, and we love playing with each other. It didn't take long for us to create bonds with one another, and I Think the coaching staff did a great job in recruiting such talented freshman with great personalities that click so well with everyone.

                Preseason wasn't easy. There were days when practices really looked ugly, and all of us have been guilty for hanging our heads and getting down on ourselves. With motivation from our coaches and players, we each helped pick each other up and pushed ourselves to work harder for each other. We finally started to practice hard and a lot of good things started to happen. We played our first two scrimmages and got an idea of what we need to work on as a team and as individuals. Since then, almost every morning you can find a different player in the gym working with the coaches on each end of the court. After seeing how hard we've worked the last few months, I have nothing but confidence in our team this year. We still have a lot to learn and a long way to go to get to where we want to be. The team shares the same hunger to better ourselves and to carry on the tradition of success from the previous seasons.

                At the beginning of the season Coach Giorgis told us all had a choice. This was either going to be a rebuilding year, or a year were we just pick up where we left off. WE have the full intentions of picking up where we left off. It seems like we're off to a good start since we won our first home game on Sunday. We all couldn't be happier but we know the long road ahead of us. Right from the beginning, we came out relentless and took it to the other team. However, we all knew the game would not have been set in stone in just the first half. We let up in the beginning of the second half and caused U. Albany to catch up on the scoreboard. Julianne and Rachele really stepped up and helped us add to our lead. The night was especially exciting for our entire freshmen class who all scored their first points of their college careers in the McCann Center on the same night. Everyone contributed Sunday and all the hard work in the preseason paid off. We are all very anxious to keep the momentum going and to not let up. We face our next challenge this weekend as we head off to Boston to play Northeastern on Friday followed by Harvard on Sunday. We can't wait. Wish us luck!