The 2006-07 edition of the Worcester State College women’s basketball team is once again going to be looking to challenge for the MASCAC championship.  A year ago, the Lancers surprised the conference by tying for the MASCAC regular season title with a 10-2 record.  Under the guide of 2005-06 MASCAC Coach of the Year Karen Tessmer, Worcester State will look to further that achievement by advancing further in the postseason tournament.

The Lancers return a veteran team having lost just one senior to graduation.  The Lancers feature five seniors on the team this year and they will be expected to carry the load this season.  Rachael Odugbela (Providence, RI), Jackie Jenkins (Ashland, MA), Brittany Rheault (Oxford, MA), Tracey Ducasse (Somerville, MA) and Cody Elicier (Wareham, MA) will be looked to for strong leadership as well as plenty of minutes on the floor.

Worcester State features a pair of All-MASCAC 1^st team performers from last season in Odugbela and junior sharpshooter Lindsay DelleChiaie (Leominster, MA).  Last season Odugbela led the Lancers with a 14.7 point per game average as well as being a presence on the boards hauling down 6.1 rebounds per game.  Odugbela’s scoring average was good for 4^th in the final conference rankings.  DelleChiaie was second on the team in scoring with an average of 11.9 points per game.

The backcourt is where Worcester State has the most depth with Jenkins, who was 6^th in the conference a year ago with 3.27 assists per game, Elicier, Jamara Exilus (Malden, MA) and transfer Erin McCullough (Harvard, MA) among the veterans on the roster.  Freshmen Abby Cosenza (Shrewsbury, MA) and Amanda Cosenza (Shrewsbury, MA)  along with Courtney Wallace (Auburn, MA) and Heather Meyer (N. Attleboro, MA) will also be looking to make their presence felt on the court this season.

Rheault and sophomore Larissa Miner (Greenfield, MA) will spend a lot of time at the swing position splitting time between off guard and in the paint. 

In the front court it will be a blend of the new and the old as Ducasse and junior Maureen Lemay (Nashua, NH) will be looked to crash the boards for the Lancers.   Newcomers Bri Flanders (Southampton, MA), Stasia Twomey (Groton, MA) and Tracy Miller-Sweet (Northfield, MA) are going to be counted on to provide depth down in the blocks this season.