With Back-to-Back Titles, Blazers Look to Add Another

          The 2007-08 College of Saint Benedict basketball team will have high hopes, but of course, this is nothing new for head coach Mike Durbin’s team. For the second consecutive year, Blazer basketball will be defending its MIAC regular season title. The question is: Will they be able to make it a three-peat as MIAC champions?

          That is precisely what the Blazers will try to answer as soon as the season gets underway. CSB finished the 2006-07 season with a 22-6 overall record, which earned the Blazers their 15th NCAA Division III tournament appearance. The Blazers also altered the MIAC record book. They captured their 10^th basketball title in Blazer history, and tied CSB with St. Thomas for most titles by any school in MIAC history. Furthermore, the Blazers earned the MIAC regular season title and went on to win the MIAC playoff championship, a feat no other team has accomplished in the same season since the playoff format was instituted in 2000.

After the 2006-07 season, the Blazers graduated five seniors that had made a tremendous impact the past several years. Graduating from CSB were Ellie Boone (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove High School), Darby Noreen (Avon, Minn./Albany High School), Katie Kempe (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), Jen Dalhed (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley High School), and Jaime Goehner (Jamestown, N.D./Jamestown High School). The quintet averaged a combined 35.7 points and 15.1 rebounds per game and included two All-MIAC selections in Boone and Noreen. Their leadership and experience will be missed.

          Despite losing five seniors, the Blazers have retained a cohesive group of core players. CSB is returning nine players, including three starters. They also added 13 first-year players that will be a great asset to the team.

          The returning starters are senior wing Mackenzie O’Neil (Waseca, Minn./Waseca High School), junior forward Ariel Tauer (Edina, Minn./Edina High School) and junior point guard Nikki Carter (Edina, Minn./Edina High School). Each of these three returners brought vastly different talents to starting lineup last season and will do so again this year.

          Selected to the MIAC All-Defensive Team and named an All-MIAC Honorable Mention last season, O’Neil received a lot of attention for her tenacious defense. O’Neil’s 3.3 steals per game, and sometimes just her defensive presence, consistently translated into turnovers and offensive opportunities for the Blazers. She also averaged 6.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season.

          Tauer will create her opportunities underneath the basket on both ends of the floor. She averaged 5.3 rebounds per game last season and recorded a career-high 18 boards against Salve Regina University in a Boston, Mass. tournament last November. Tauer led the Blazers with 2.4 assists per game. Despite playing in the post, she was often able to find the open player on the perimeter and across the lane. She also finished the year averaging 7.0 points per game. The Blazers will rely on Tauer to generate offense for herself and others in the coming season.

          Eight games into the 2006-07 season, Carter inherited the starting point guard position and will have the ball in her hands from day one this year. The Blazers’ success hinges on their strong ballhandling abilities and consistent decision making. This fact was clearly seen in 2006-07 as the Blazers’ secured their second consecutive NCAA Division III statistical championship with only 13.5 turnovers per game. Carter will continue to be a huge contributor in this area. She averaged 3.6 points, 2.1 assists and only one turnover per game last season. Her 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio was much better than the official conference-leading 1.5 ratio. Carter’s ability to run the offense effectively will be a determining factor in CSB’s success this year.

          Other returners who will make an impact include senior wing Judy Falvey (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville High School), junior post Alyssa Mohr (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial High School),  sophomore wings Mindy Schmidt (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park High School), Anne Kuduk (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View High School) and Caitlin Ries (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley High School).

Schmidt is coming off of a MIAC All-First Year Team selection and a tremendous second half of the season. After working into the rotation early in the season, Schmidt broke out with a 20-point game nearly midway through the regular season schedule. The game was one of three 20-point performances; she also added four other games with 12 or more points. As a first-year player, Schmidt came off of the bench to average 8.6 points and 3.2 rebounds. In her second season she will move into a starting role for the Blazers.

Falvey averaged 6.1 points and 2.1 rebounds last year. The Blazers will utilize her versatility to work inside the lane and step out and on the perimeter. Mohr, who averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds a season ago, will add depth in the post and provide solid interior defense.

          Several first-year players, including a trio of guards - Joelle Waytashek (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial High School), Amy Stifter (Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer High School), and Devin Bowlin (Winona, Minn./Winona Cotter High School) - hope to make immediate contributions to the team. These new guards will even further solidify CSB’s backcourt.

          Other first-year players will contribute in the front court; Heather Gillund (Blaine, Minn./Blaine High School), Betsy Hutchinson (Detroit Lakes, Minn./Detroit Lakes High School) and Danielle Frank (Caledoinia, Minn./Caledonia High School).

          The Blazers were recently selected as the favorites to win the regular season conference title, according to the MIAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. With seven of the possible 11 first-place votes, the Blazers appear to be in a good position to make a run.

Athletic Department
College of Saint Benedict
37 South College Avenue
St. Joseph, MN 56374
320-363-5301
Fax 320-363-6098