Falcons Hold First Official Practice of 2014-15

Haley Puk (33) is defended by Kennedy Kirkpatrick in Monday morning's practice

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

October 06, 2014 | Women's Basketball

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team held an early-morning practice, the first official practice of the 2014-15 season, on Monday (Oct. 6) inside the Stroh Center. Head coach Jennifer Roos welcomes back six letterwinners, including two starters, from last season's team.

PHOTO GALLERY
2014-15 SCHEDULE

The 2013-14 Falcons posted the second-highest win total in school and Mid-American Conference history, capturing a MAC title for the ninth time in the last 10 years and advancing to national postseason play for the 10th consecutive season. BGSU posted three wins in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals before losing to eventual WNIT champion Rutgers.

Roos and her staff -- assistant coaches Jesse Fleming, Jacey Brooks and Sahar Nusseibeh and director of operations Monique Rosati -- add four newcomers to the roster for '14-15. Freshmen Sarah Baer, Rachel Myers, Haley Puk and Lauren Webb have joined the Falcons, while Leah Bolton and Kennedy Kirkpatrick are redshirt freshmen this season, after combining to play a total of just 24 minutes last year.

For the first time, no player on the current BGSU women's basketball roster has played a home game in any arena other than the Stroh Center. The returning letterwinners include two seniors, two juniors and two sophomores.

The senior class is comprised of Deborah Hoekstra and Jasmine Matthews, and they are joined by redshirt junior Erica Donovan, true junior Miriam Justinger and sophomores Rachel Konieczki and Abby Siefker. Donovan and Justinger, the two returning starters, combined to make 61 starts last season.

The Falcons had stellar records of 30-5 overall and 17-1 in MAC play a year ago, and BG won the league's regular-season title. BGSU went 16-1 at home last winter, and the Falcons are now 44-8 at the Stroh Center in the building's first three years.

Falcon fans will get their first chance to see the 2014-15 team in action on Friday, Nov. 7, when BGSU hosts Davis & Elkins in an exhibition. The women's game, the second game of a BG basketball doubleheader at the Stroh that day, is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. That date marks the first of four Falcon hoops doubleheaders in the '14-15 season.

The regular season begins the following Friday, Nov. 14, when the Falcons face Bucknell at the Stroh Center. The non-conference schedule also includes home games vs. Iona (Nov. 18) and Cincinnati (Dec. 7) as well as tournaments in Los Angeles and Miami.

The MAC schedule begins on Jan 3, 2015, when the Brown and Orange will face Ball State at the Stroh. The complete and most up-to-date BGSU women's basketball 2014-15 schedule can always be found by clicking here. A photo gallery from Tuesday's practice, as well as a post-practice interview with Coach Roos, can be found by clicking the links near the top of this page.