SAUGUS– After a terrific season last winter that saw the Saugus girls basketball team emerge as a contender in the Northeastern Conference, Sachems coach Mark Schruender has a lot to look forward to this winter.
Saugus finished last season at 16-7 and brought home a banner after winning the NEC South crown. The Sachems earned the No. 3 seed in the Division 3 North state tournament but were ousted by No. 6 Bishop Fenwick in the first round.
All in all, Schruender’s pleased when he looks back at what his Sachems accomplished last winter.
“It was a big step forward for the whole program,” Schruender, in his fifth season at the helm of the Sachems, said. “We hadn’t won a division banner in a long time. We did that last year, winning the NEC South. But as they say, last year’s in the past and we’re ready to move into this season.”
Gone from last season’s team are five seniors who left due to graduation. That includes last season’s leading scorer Olivia Valente and Krissy Italiano, who ranked third on the team in scoring and second in rebounds. Valente’s currently playing basketball for the women’s team at Endicott.
The bright side is the Sachems return a core of experienced players this winter. That group is led by captains Rachel Nazzaro, Allie Kotkowski, and Alessia Salzillo. All guards, Nazzaro and Kotkowski enter their senior seasons while Salzillo’s a junior.
“They have a ton of experience,” Schruender said. “I think all three of them are leaders but they each do it in a different way. We have a lot of kids returning so that’ll be good. They know the drills and they know what we’re looking for. We’re looking to get better from last season.”
Schruender has full confidence in the leadership abilities that his three captains possess.
“Alessia was named a field hockey captain, Rachel and Allie were both soccer captains,” Schruender said. “They’re all well-rounded students and athletes. They’re recognized for being great leaders in other areas of their lives so that’s very encouraging.”
The Sachems will rely on their work ethic to lead them to wins this season. Saugus earned an MIAA award for team GPA last winter, meaning the players have the ability to excel both on the court and in the classroom. Schruender believes that success in academics tends to translate on the basketball court.
“The work ethic and the ability to focus will be our strengths this season,” Schruender said. “Last year we were recognized by the MIAA for our team GPA. I think if we can focus in the classroom and work hard in the classroom, that tends to translate onto the basketball court. I think those two things will work in our favor.”
On the other hand, the Sachems will need to improve in the rebounding department if they want to repeat the success they reached in 2016-2017. Losing a handful of the team’s top rebounders to graduation, like Italiano, leaves a key void in the paint.
“One thing I’m really focused on with the kids is rebounding,” Schruender said. “We lost a few players that were great rebounders from last year’s team. The players are ready to take on that challenge collectively. We’re also looking to improve on our shot selection. That’s something that’ll improve our offense.”
Another area Schruender plans to stress is attention to detail. In a competitive conference like the NEC, games are often decided by single digits. That makes attention to detail all the more important when close games are played.
“There’s so many great players on every team,” Schruender said. “Last year we had so many games that came down to one or two possessions. Attention to detail is going to be important because we played so many close games. I can see that being the case again this year because there are so many good teams in the NEC.”
The Sachems began their preseason practices on Monday and Schruender likes what he’s seen thus far.
“I love the energy that our team has,” Schruender said. “Everything they do, they do it with energy and enthusiasm. That’s contagious. The last thing anybody wants is a quiet basketball game. It seems like the team has a lot of fun and that’s great to see.”
Saugus tips off its new season on December 8 when the Sachems visit St. Mary’s.