Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College Women's Basketball team enters the new season with a balance of returning experienced players along with a blend of fresh new faces. The Soaring Eagles come off an 8-17 season in which half of their wins came in the competitive Empire 8 conference. The squad consists of nine returning players, with just one senior but a strong core of five juniors. The team features nine underclassmen, including six freshmen.

Elmira is led by standout junior Jessica Zoltowski '14 who led the Empire 8 Conference with 19.1 points per outing a season ago. She led the team in minutes per game (35.4), blocks (18), three-pointers made (56), three-point percentage (37 percent), field goals made (161), and field goal percentage (42 percent). Meanwhile, Zoltowski was second on the team in rebounds per game (4.6), assists per contest (1.9), and steals (57). For her efforts on the court she was named to the All-Conference First Team.


Maria Thannhauser '14 returns for her third season in the Purple and Gold and looks to be an important component to the team once again. Last season she finished second on the team with 8.4 points per game. She stuffed the stat sheet with 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest to go along with 18 steals and shot a team-best 88 percent from the charity stripe.

Alex Balara '15 had an outstanding freshman season at the point guard position for EC. She started every game at the one spot for the Purple and Gold, finishing third on the team in points, scoring 7.8 points per game. The rookie guard was an important asset on the glass as she finished third on the team with 105 rebounds, hauling in 4.2 per game, while snatching a team-high 66 steals.

Liz Forrest '14 started all 24 contests she appeared in, averaging 6.4 points and a team-high 4.7 boards per contest, while playing 30.1 minutes per game. Kelsey Geisler '15 made an immediate impact in her first season in the Purple and Gold. She started one contest and appeared in all 25 games, playing mostly point guard. She tallied 3.8 points per game, draining 32 percent of her attempts from downtown, while averaging 20.4 minutes per outing.


Returning contributors from a year ago also include Tempestt Black '14, Breen Loney '14, Sam Strzepek '15 and Marki Michaels '13. Black started three games, while appearing in all 25. She averaged 10.5 minutes per contest, tallying 2.5 points and 3.3 boards per game. Loney appeared in 17 contests, averaging 6.8 minutes, 1.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Strzepek averaged 1.6 points per game, while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. She appeared in 10 contests, averaging 6.2 minutes per game. Michaels averaged 3.4 minutes per game appearing in 14 contests. She averaged nearly one point per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and three-point line.

The Soaring Eagles welcome six fresh new faces to the team in Meghan Loya '16, Karli Pochkar '16, Allie Olsen '16, Erin Renken '16, Jessica Brooks '16 and Carlene Fields '16. Loya is projected to start at the five spot and brings another scoring option in the paint. Her rebounding ability and defense will be one of the keys to the team's success. Pochkar's size and scoring ability will be an important tool to the Purple and Gold. Olsen's length and speed on both ends of the floor will prove to be an important asset.

Renken's size and work ethic on the boards and defensively will prove to be crucial components she can bring to the squad this season. Brooks' ability to play inside and out will allow her to be a versatile part of the team. Fields knack to change the pace of the game on the offensive and defensive ends will provide a spark the Soaring Eagles need.


With a core of strong upperclassmen and a mix of young, talented newcomers the EC Women's Basketball team looks primed to make a run to the Empire 8 playoffs in the 2012-13 campaign. 


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