HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 14, 2012) – When the 2012-13 Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball season tips off on Friday, the Ducks will launch a new era of hoops at Castle Point. Megan Haughey (Pittstown, N.J.) will make her debut as the fifth coach in program history and seven newcomers will highlight the roster as the team attempts to win its third Empire 8 Title in the past five years.

Four student-athletes return from last year's 14-win club: juniors Avis Benjamin (Queens, N.Y.), Molly Spadaro (Sewell, N.J.) and Jen Thompson (Linwood, N.J.) and sophomore Courtney Lee (Brookville, Md.). Assistant coaches Bridget Catanese, Jean Matusiak and Alysha Giarra will also return to the sideline for Stevens.

“The leadership we have on the team is good – the juniors are doing a good job bringing the freshmen under their wings,” said Haughey. “Obviously, with a new coach there are going to be some philosophical changes taking place but they all have adjusted well to whatever we have asked of them. The team is working hard and it's fun to come to practice when you can tell that everyone loves the game. They are a really good group.”

The three juniors will play a key role, as they account for 99 percent of the returning points from last year's squad. Benjamin, a 5-10 forward, currently leads the Ducks with 409 career points.

“Avis works hard in the paint and will definitely be our primary post player this season” said Haughey. “She played well in the scrimmages this year and we are definitely happy to have her back.”

Jen Thompson and Molly Spadaro will return to the backcourt for Stevens for the first time as upperclassmen.

“Molly is the quintessential coachable kid. She's a great motivator and she's the key to keeping our energy up, said Haughey. “Jen has been handling the ball more and adjusting to a new position. She's been very receptive to it and will definitely help us out a lot.”

The head coach also praised the lone representative from the class of 2015: “Courtney Lee continues to improve tremendously. She's a feisty defender and always gives 100 percent when she's on the floor.”

Perhaps the most interesting addition to this year's Ducks is that of 5-11 senior Maggie Kowalska (Edison, N.J.). Kowalska was an NCAA national championship qualifier in javelin and a four-time All-American for the women's volleyball team at Stevens. She will remain a tenant of Canavan Arena for a few more months of her senior year when she joins the basketball team for the first time.

“We are trying to build on Maggie's athleticism because she is obviously a really great athlete,” said Haughey. “She's a skillful distributer too – our players have to get used to passes coming at them seemingly out of nowhere. She's raw but it's really fun to watch her play. Her competitive streak is going to be a huge asset to the team too.”

Another multiple-sport athlete will join the Ducks in the second semester; Lindsay Crossan (Hunterdon, N.J.) will be added in January when she has completed her co-op program. A former track & field athlete at Stevens, Crossan is a natural guard and Haughey is looking forward to her arrival.

The Ducks have brought in a talented recruiting class that the team will lean on heavily right from the opening tip on Friday. Four of the five are listed at 5-11 or taller, and the freshmen class expects to start contributing right away all over the floor.

“Dylan Krause (Atlanta, Ga.) is playing the 3-wing for us this year,” said Haughey. “She's proven in scrimmages that she is ready for this level. She defends well, can bring the ball up and initiates contact.”

“Miranda Ripken (Falston, Md.) will be our point guard to start the year,” said Haughey. “We have given her a lot of responsibility but we think she is up to the task. She's also a great defender and will continue to improve.”

Haughey continued, “Megan Petuskey (Mays Landing, N.J.) and Cassie Nicholas (Sicklerville, N.J.) can both play multiple positions – they are both big (5-11) but they can swing to the guard position as well. They are going to see a lot of minutes and we hope that they will be spark plugs for us.”

Rounding out the new faces is Justine Webster (Colonia, N.J.), who Haughey describes as a “scrappy player and someone who give us hard minutes every game. She's a rebounder, versatile and totally gets the 'team' concept.”

For goals this season, the Ducks aim to go to the playoffs and win the Empire 8 crown. But more than that, “we want to do what we do well”, said Haughey. “We want to get better each game and if we do that, the wins will take care of themselves.”

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