Women's Basketball: From the Nashua Telegraph: DWC women’s hoop enjoying unbeaten run

This article is reprinted with permission of the Nashua Telegraph. It ran on February 5, 2010. Learn more about the Telegraph and see the original article by clicking here.

By TOM KING Staff Writer

The reaction from Daniel Webster College junior guard Joyce Chagan when she realized the Eagles would only have a roster of nine players this season was pretty basic.

"We can't play 5-on-5," she said, matter-of-factly.

But no one told the Eagles that they couldn't win. After a 17-win season, the program's best, and a berth in the New England Collegiate Conference finals a year ago, the Daniel Webster women's basketball team has followed that up with what could be a benchmark season. The Eagles were unbeaten atop the New England Collegiate Conference at 10-0,15-4 overall (*DWC note - as of February 8th, the Eagles stood 16-4 overall, 11-0 NECC).

Who says roster size matters?

"Our coach (Heather Jacobs) definitely does some creative things to make everything work," said Chagan, a junior guard from Boothbay Harbor, Maine. "And I think it's only benefited us in the long run ... I think the biggest reason we've done so well is we have a smaller team, we can focus on each other's strengths, and we all have realized we each bring a little something different to the table. I've been here three years and this is the best we've played and the smallest roster I've been on."

Jacobs, now in her third year, has a level-headed approach that doesn't get too high or too low. The Eagles have only had three winning seasons in program history (including last year), and are first in the NECC in several categories including scoring offense, defense, offensive and defensive rebounding, and 3-point shooting.

Sophomore guard Vanessa Bosques (North Windham, Conn.) at last look was leading the league in scoring at around 17 points per game and fellow Windham (Conn.) High School alum Alycia Gervais was second in rebounding at 9.5 a game. Overall, the Eagles have been winning by an average 68-55 score. Not bad for a team picked fourth in the conference's pre-season poll.

"We're really happy with our group," Jacobs said. "Even though it's small, it's dedicated. The reason it got like that is a couple of the girls had opportunities to pursue different things academically, which I think speaks to the programs that we offer."

Women's athletics at DWC have always fought an uphill battle because of the low numbers of female students on campus.

"The whole change of personnel has made a difference," said Jacobs, who just graduated four years ago from Franklin Pierce and spent a season as an assistant before being elevated to the top job. "We have a different group of girls, the core is committed, they all want to be there and they all want to work hard and I think that's paid off."

Jacobs wasn't picky about talent. "I wanted good kids who would work hard," she said. "Someone once said ‘You never win with good kids' but I disagree."

One of those "good kids" is Bosques, whom Jacobs said "is a great player for us. She's a good defender, she can score, and she's really growing into her own as both a player and a leader on and off the court."

And leadership was a question mark since the Eagles have no seniors on their roster.

"We didn't name (captains) at the beginning of the year," Jacobs said. "Everyone kind of steps up at different moments, whether or not it's a different play, a practice, a game. It goes back to the old school, it's definitely a team."

But Bosques and Gervais are now captains, "and they're growing into the role," Jacobs said. "It's fun to watch."

There's no doubt playing in the second-year NECC has put the program on a more even playing field. The Eagles have held their own outside the conference, going 5-4, with a tough 14-point loss at home to city rival Rivier and a 20-point loss on the road to Endicott.

"The way we played against Endicott, that's not our best performance," Jacobs said. "Not exactly the time when you pick and choose when you want to play poorly ... The more we continue to win and play non-conference opponents and the league continues to grow we'll begin to get a little bit of respect."

And maybe some attention on campus.

"I definitely think we are (getting attention)" Chagan said. "I think it's the first time in a while the girls have done better than the (men) record-wise. It says something considering how large the boys roster is compared to the girls. It just shows the character you have on the team and that's what matters at the end of the day."

Last year the Eagles knocked off top seed Mitchell to reach the conference finals, ultimately losing to Lesley College , a loss they have since avenged twice. They did so without a single in-season weekly conference honor bestowed on any of its players. That's not the case this year - point guard Ariel Guzman was the latest Eagle to be recognized, the freshman from Yonkers earning recent NECC Rookie of the Week honors. She has shared point guard duties with Raymond's Kacie Lang. Not bad for a small roster team to have two capable floor generals.

But they were again picked fourth in the pre-season, and Chagan says "We thought we'd get a little more respect ... That gave us some fire going into this year's conference (schedule)."

Jacobs feels that roster will expand next year, thanks to recruiting. But how do the Eagles deal with the lack of depth now? It was obvious in the Riv loss, as the Raiders had twice the roster size. Men's assistant coach Chris Dorsey has worked with them on conditioning, which Chagan says has improved since that Riv game in early December. Players from the men's team and even the baseball team help out if 5-on- 5 drills are needed.

And Jacobs has done her best to make it a non-issue, focusing on other things.

"She's always worked on the little things, the fundamental things," Chagan said. "Seeing how those goals have progressed and the type of player she's brought in, you could definitely see what her vision is."

"We put a lot of emphasis on things that aren't on the stat sheet," Jacobs said. "From getting after loose balls, taking charges. We've put together a lot of the little things that get overlooked sometimes that have helped us in key moments."

When asked if this all means her formula is working, Jacobs laughs.

"I'm just really lucky," she says, "to have a group of really good kids. It doesn't matter how much a coach knows if you don't have the players that can perform."