2008 Woodie Awards
#1 SHU to face #2 Quinnipiac
Kristyn Nicastro and Travis Flynn
Issue date: 2/2/06 Section: Sports
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With eight games remaining, every contest is important, and this upcoming weekend's is certainly no exception. This Saturday Sacred Heart will travel up I-95 for a 1 p.m. match-up against its southern Connecticut rival Quinnipiac Bobcats, who are 8-1 in the NEC.
"I think every game is special going into it, because it brings us a step closer to reaching our goal, which is to win the [NEC] title this year," forward Mary Rush, a junior from Waterbury, said.
Defeating Quinnipiac will not be easy. Winning seven of their last eight match-ups, four of which were consecutive victories, the Bobcats are currently in the midst of their longest winning streak ever. Last time out, QU defeated St. Francis N.Y., 61-54.
The Pioneers lead the all-time series, 8-6, after winning both meetings last season. They hold a three-game winning streak, which consequently snapped a three-game losing streak to QU.
Sacred Heart is enjoying a successful mid-season run, led by recurring All-NEC guard Amanda Pape, a Stamford native who is averaging 17 points and seven rebounds per game.
The Pioneers grabbed sole possession of first place last week with a 78-59 win over Robert Morris, followed by a 76-55 win against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Sacred Heart players choose to view the added pressure of being number one optimistically.
"There is a little bit of pressure being the number one team, but we are a good team, and extra pressure will only help us in the long run," forward Nicolle Rubino, a senior from Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., said.
"The success we have had has been great, but we haven't reached our goal yet; it only helps us improve ourselves, day in and day out," guard Kerri Burke, a junior from Saugus, Mass., said.
Forward Jasmine Walker, a senior from Amityville, N.Y., believes that the team's success can be attributed to how well her teammates work together and their superior court chemistry.
"We play together, not against each other," said Walker, who achieved a career-high of 20 points in Monday's game against the Long Island University Blackbirds.
Rush and Burke agree that teamwork is a key to SHU's current success.
"I think what helped us the most in becoming undefeated and reaching number one is that we all complement each other," Rush said.
"Every day these girls work their butts off, and in every game they play like it is a championship," Burke said. "To find that attribute in a team is very hard."
With the Bobcats currently on a winning streak, and the Pioneers trying to embark on a new one, anything can happen Saturday afternoon.