With three starters and five other letter winners back in the fold, including All-America candidates Angela Zampella and Susan Moran, expectations remain high for the St. Joseph's University women's basketball team as the squad enters into the sesquicentennial year of the founding of the University. Steeped in tradition, the returnees received a taste of the legacy of SJU basketball last year during a historical season which witnessed the team serve as co-hosts of the Final Four, post the 500th victory in the program's history and notch its largest NCAA Tournament win. Additionally, head coach Stephanie V. Gaitley won her 300th career game and former great Dale Hodges became the first woman in school history to have her number retired. With these images fresh in their minds, the Hawk Women look to build upon their past success and pen their own chapter in SJU lore, as they continue their ascent into the realm of college basketball's elite.

"I think that we return a lot of quality players, including three starters," touts Hawk head coach Stephanie V. Gaitley. "We have a lot of experience and have a very strong backcourt with Angela Zampella."

Zampella, the Hawk captain, is arguably the nation's best point guard. "You just imagine having that point guard where you can say, 'Here are the reins,' and I've finally done that," raves Gaitley. "I finally feel confident and comfortable enough to say, 'Alright, Ang, it's your team. Take it. Here are the reins.' I don't want to hold her back. She has proven that she is in the position to make good decisions."

With Zampella orchestrating the offense, the SJU offense should look to have a more up-tempo attack. Nonetheless, a passionate commitment to defense remains the backbone of any Gaitley-coached team. SJU completed the 1999-00 season ranked second nationally in scoring defense, after allowing a meager 53.1 points per game. It was the sixth time in the last seven years that the Hawks placed in the top ten in the nation in that category.

"Offensively, I took the reins off more last year than I ever have before and I anticipate doing it even more so this year. So I am not concerned with opening up the offense, I think that the kids understand where we stand from a defensive standpoint, even if we get more offensive possessions. There is still going to be the mentality that our number one thing is to get a stop on defense."

A big reason for SJU's success, not only on defense, stems from a simple underlying team slogan: 'Passion with a Purpose.' This notion embodies Hawk Basketball and represents a unified commitment to the same cause, the same goal.

Gaitley described her team's maxim this way, "Passion with a Purpose means everyone is committed to the same goal. It's unselfishness. It's unconditional. We all have one goal and we are only as good as those we surround ourselves with and we want to be surrounded by others who believe in the same thing."

As with the beginning of every season, SJU's goals remain constant: Win the Big Five, Win the Atlantic 10, and Advance to the NCAA Tournament. The success of the past two seasons, however, have only served to stoke the fire of the returning players and SJU is driven to no longer merely advance to the Big Dance. The Hawks are hungry to break into the Top 25 for the first time in nearly a decade and to crash the postseason party by advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in SJU history.

"With three starters and most of our bench back on a team that went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and arguably our best recruiting class ever, I would think that voters would have to consider ranking us," contends Gaitley.

As for the schedule, the Hawks have once again compiled one of the nation's best, squaring off against at least eight teams that made post-season appearances last year. Included in that group are road games with Stanford, Southern California, and 2000 Final Four participant Rutgers, while Virginia, Villanova and Dayton will invade the Fieldhouse. Additionally, the Hawks will meet George Washington and Xavier in home-and-home tilts. Besides those games, SJU will be tested by the its annual wars with both Atlantic 10 and Philadelphia Big Five rivals.

"Our schedule will be second to none," states Gaitley. "I think with the Final Four attention and the media attention gained we need to continue to play this type of schedule to accentuate our program and continue to be the flagship program in the Philadelphia area."

With the loss of just three letterwinners, and the return of a talented tandem of potential All-America candidates in Zampella and Moran, SJU places a poised and experienced squad on the floor. With this returning leadership and bolstered by an influx of talented newcomers, look for these Hawks to continue to make history in 2001.

THE BACK COURT

SJU returns great depth in the backcourt and fifth-senior point-guard Angela Zampella is the Hawks' unquestioned floor general. The honorable mention AP All-American was one of 10 finalists for the inaugural Nancy Lieberman-Cline Point Guard of the Year Award. She finished second in the nation in assists, averaging 7.77 per game. Zampella can do it all at the point and possesses a flair for the spectacular. This summer, she was named an alternate for the prestigious USA Basketball R. William Jones Cup Team. Also a scorer, she has averaged double-figure points throughout her career and ranks among SJU's career leaders in both three-point baskets made and attempted. She is the most prolific free throw shooter in Hawk history knocking down better than 83.4% of her charity shots. Zampella earned her additional year of eligibility, when the NCAA passed legislation in May.

Pressing for more playing time will be junior Jane Meade. Meade earned expanded playing time last season and responded with increased numbers across the board. With great athleticism, she can play either the point or two-guard slots.

Junior Amy Snell will be asked to fill the role of departed team captain Kathy Costello. Like her predecessor, Snell will be called upon to provide hard-nosed defense and ball handling off the bench.

A pair of sophomores, Takeya Trayer and Natasha Pronga, will also vie for time in the Hawk rotation. Trayer, an explosive penetrator at the point, has a nose for the basket. She will continue to develop under the tutelage of Zampella. Pronga, who walked onto the team as a freshman, is a multi-sport athlete. A starter on the Hawk field hockey team, she is an athletic swing player.

THE FRONT COURT

The SJU frontcourt lost the services of Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Jana Lichnerova along with her Slovakian counterpart Barbora Kuklova to graduation, but the cupboard is far from bare for the Hawks, as junior All-America candidate Susan Moran returns for SJU. A two-time All-Atlantic 10, as well as All-Big Five selection, she led the A-10 Conference in scoring as a sophomore, averaging 16.4 points per game. Additionally, she became just the third player in school history to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding in consecutive season. Although undersized, she is a tenacious post player with exceptional quickness. Possessing a penchant for getting to the free throw line, she also has the ability to step back and hit the 15-18-foot jumper. This past summer, Moran, a native of Tullamore, Ireland, worked on perfecting her game while competing as a member of the Irish National Team. She begins the season just 37 points shy of the 1000 point plateau and is looking to become the third fastest player in Hawk history to achieve the milestone.

Also returning to the lineup is junior sharp-shooter Colleen McGahan. One of the Atlantic 10's most improved players, McGahan ranked as one of the top three-point marksman in the nation. Hitting better than 37.0% of her long range bombs, she stands fourth on SJU's career three-point shooting percentage list. The quick-trigger averaged 7.8 points, while starting all 31 games for SJU last season.

The final frontcourt returnee is junior Carrie Strahle. Still developing, the 6-2 forward's size and strength make her an asset in the post. Her continued improvement will be invaluable.

THE NEWCOMERS

Certain to immediately impact the Hawks' fortunes is arguably the tallest, deepest and most talented batch of newcomers to land on Hawk Hill in school history. With a first-year player at virtually every spot in the rotation, battles for playing time this season should be heated.

The frontcourt, which saw its too tallest players (Jana Lichnerova and Barbora Kuklova) depart due to graduation, will receive an immediate boost. Likely to fill the role vacated by Lichnerova, is another foreign import Irina Krasnoshiok. A native of Chisinau, Moldova, in the former Soviet Union, Krasnoshiok is a multidimensional offensive force. An athletic 6-5, she brings a versatile, well-rounded game to the States. Capable of playing virtually any position on the frontline, she will cause matchup problems with her ability to post-up, put the ball on the floor and shoot the three-pointer.

Stephanie Graff, the second addition to the frontcourt, starred at Archbishop Prendergast in nearby Drexel Hill, Pa. She becomes the first product of the famed Philadelphia Catholic League to don a Hawk uniform, since Kristen Sullivan (Cardinal Dougherty) from 1993-96. A 6-2 power-forward, Graff garnered first-team all-Catholic League honors after notching averages of 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds last season. An aggressive rebounder, she possess the ability to either post-up or step outside and drain the mid-range jumper.

The Hawk backcourt, will also gain a talented tandem. Red-shirt freshman Terraya Richardson, who missed all of last season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in December, should press for minutes at the two-guard slot. Although only 5-6, Richardson is an explosive combination guard who averaged 20.0 points and 15.0 rebounds as a high school senior at Poughkeepsie High School in upstate New York.

The final newcomer is to the SJU lineup is 5-11 swing-guard Elizabeth "Hootie" Mohan. With a strong perimeter game, Mohan tallied 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds as a senior en route to all-Conference honors at Nativity High School in Pottsville, Pa.

THE SCHEDULE

The defending Philadelphia Big Five and Atlantic 10 Eastern Division Champions, SJU annually faces-off against one of the nation's most demanding schedules. This season is no different as the Hawks meet some of the biggest names in women's college basketball.

Among the early season, non-league foes are road contests with Southern California and Stanford, as well as Final Four participant Rutgers, the team which ousted SJU from the 2000 NCAA Tournament. At home SJU will open the season with Virginia, as well as face St. John's and Big Five rivals Villanova and Pennsylvania.

Additionally, the Cityliners will compete in a pair of in-season tournaments. First, SJU will travel to Lawrence, Kansas to compete in the Jayhawk Classic. SJU will meet Minnesota in the opening round with either the host Jayhawks or Eastern Illinois waiting in the second round. Then, the Crimson and Gray will play host to the First Union Hawk Classic, now in its eleventh year. This year, Mount St. Mary's, Central Connecticut State and Seton Hall will contend for the Classic title. CCSU is coached by former Hawk standout Kim Foley.

Finally, the Hawks will be forced to contend with their traditional Atlantic 10 foes. The Conference has realigned into one division for the 2000-01 season. In the redesigned format, SJU will have home-and-home series contests with Duquesne, George Washington, St. Bonaventure, Temple, Rhode Island, and Xavier, as well as single road contests with La Salle and Massachusetts and single home games against Dayton and Fordham.