Chemistry set
Eastern Washington won 17 games for the first time since 1988 and a game in the Big Sky Conference tournament – but that was two years ago.
What was supposed to the start of big things wasn’t as last year the Eagles stumbled to a 13-16 record, 5-9 in the Big Sky.
“I was disappointed in what we achieved last year,” third-year head coach Wendy Schuller said. “I had higher expectations for us, but it didn’t happen. … I look at it as a learning experience. I think the team took it as a learning experience. We’ll try to apply what we learned this year and move on.”
That doesn’t mean Schuller is going to be happy if the Eagles get back to where they were. It’s more like assuming the next step was taken – after all, the Eagles won another tournament game despite finishing sixth in the league – and now it’s time to improve on that.
“I don’t know if it’s an expectation or aspiration but we want to win a conference championship, that’s our goal,” Schuller said. “I feel really good about the fact that we have a group of motivated ladies that don’t want to accept anything less than that. I think that’s half the battle.”
There is also a little more to the battle – like going in without Kathleen Nygaard, who led the Big Sky with 19.7 points and 8.6 rebounds a game, putting her all over the school and conference career-best lists. And though she was the only senior to leave, this year’s squad only has one senior in sharp-shooting wing Stephanie Ulmer.
“We haven’t even talked about her being the only senior,” Schuller said. “We’re a team. It’s not on anybody’s back. If it’s on anybody’s back, it’s mine.”
As for replacing Nygaard, Schuller is realistic.
“It’s obviously a huge void, not just in points and rebounds but the presence she made,” she said. “I think it’s going to make us a better team because a lot of people are going to have to step up, step out of their comfort zone and be players they haven’t been in the past or they haven’t been consistently.”
That said, she’s also leery.
“It’s one of the scary things as a coach … I don’t know if we have one person you can say is going to get 20 points a night,” she said. “I think we have a lot of players on our team that can get 20 points on a given night. I think that makes us that much more lethal.”
Besides Ulmer (11 ppg), junior Julie Page (10.6 ppg) is a likely candidate in her second year of serious basketball outside of her native England.
“Last year was really a learning experience for her … it was a huge step,” Schuller said. “Julie’s upside is tremendous, it’s a matter of getting it night in and night out.”
The other area of concern is point guard. The plan last year was to live with the lumps from playing two freshmen, Joanna Chadd and Emily Boscacci. However, Boscacci missed the season with a foot injury.
“We’re still figuring a lot of things out but obviously Joanna has the edge with 28 games under her belt,” Schuller said. “It hurt Emily not playing last year. She’s learning every day. It will be interesting to see how it shakes down.”
The coach is ready for the big jump.
“It’s the best team chemistry I’ve ever been part of in all my years of coaching,” she said. “I think that’s what’s got me and my staff excited.”