Women's Basketball Selected Third In NECC Preseason Poll

ATTLEBORO, MA - The Elms College women's basketball team was selected third in the 2009-10 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) preseason poll as announced by the league office on Thursday.

Elms received 65 total votes, including three first place votes.

The Blazers, under the guidance of eighth-year head coach Laura Habacker, will take the court with a wealth of experience, returning three seniors, and five sophomores from last year's squad that earned a spot in the inaugural New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship tournament semifinals. Senior Annie Dunnack (Mansfield Center, CT) returns to the lineup after a year off and newcomer Jen Normandie (Westford, MA) rounds out the 10-player squad.

Two seniors anchor the frontcourt unit: Amanda Brogna (Oxford, MA) and Erin Hutchinson (Groton, MA).

Five-foot-10 Brogna, Elms' leading scorer in each of the last two seasons, and 5-8 Hutchinson, who is the vocal leader of the Blazers, combined for 586 points last season.

Sophomore Carolyn Talmadge (Wilbraham, MA) is a key to the success of the team. She scored 251 points in 2008-09, averaging 9.3 per game and connected with teammates for 121 assists in her debut season. She returns as the starting point guard and can also run the wing if need be.

Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the NECC's head women's basketball coaches.

Lesley University received three first place votes and 72 total votes and was tabbed as the preseason favorite.

Here is how the rest of the poll was voted upon.

2009 NECC PRESEASON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POLL
TEAM, POINTS (1st Place votes)
1 Lesley, 72 (3)
2 Mitchell, 69 (3)
3 Elms, 65 (3)
4 Daniel Webster, 62
5 Becker, 43
6 Newbury, 34
7 Southern Vermont, 24
8 Wheelock, 19
9 Bay Path, 17