Women’s Basketball’s 40th Season Starts Thursday Against Bridgewater State

SUFFOLK vs. BRIDGEWATER STATE
Date Time Venue Video Stats Program Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Thursday, Nov. 10 7:00 PM Smith Court Boston, Mass. Suffolk Stretch GoSuffolkRams.com GoSuffolkRams.com 2-5 Nov. 13, 2021, L, 88-72 Dec. 12, 2019, W, 62-47 L1

BOSTON – Suffolk women's basketball pulls the curtain back on its 2022-23 campaign Thursday, Nov. 10 with a Bay State battle against Bridgewater State. Tip-off of the Rams 40th season is set for 7 p.m. at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. 

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

RAMS RETURNERS
Amanda DeAngelis and sophomores Aisling Crowley and Maddie Stewart.

DeAngelis was a role player a year ago, sat second on the team with 10.7 points per game and paced the pack on the glass with 7.0 rpg. 

Crowley (3.0 ppg, 2.8 rug) came off the bench and contributed, while Stewart's first collegiate campaign was sidelined two games in due to injury.

RAMS ROOKIES
On the eve of the 2022-23 season, head coach Ed Leyden has unveiled that eight new faces will help make up the 11-player Suffolk women's basketball team for the its 40th campaign. 

The group is comprised of six true freshmen in Colby Casey, Mia Fantauzzi, Colby Guinta, Kendall Jacques, Ellie Moffat and Arlenis Veloz and a pair of transfers, graduate student Katie Kirsch, who began her collegiate career at Trinity, and senior Madi Mahoney, who brought her talents to Beantown from Southern New Hampshire.

MORE READING: Eight Newcomers Join Women's Basketball for 2022-23 

GEOGRAPHY 101
The bulk of Suffolk's 11-player roster hails from New England. More than half of the players (6) are from the Granite State, with a trio from Massachusetts and Connecticut and Vermont represented by one student-athlete apiece. 

CLASS CATEGORIES
Suffolk's 11 players are mostly newcomers with six true freshmen, two sophomores and one member from the junior, senior and graduate classes, respectively. 

POSITION PIECES
Position wise, the Rams have three forwards, six guards and two swing players. 

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Amanda DeAngelis and Katie Kirsch will share the leadership role as the junior and graduate student have been named co-captains of the 2022-23 Suffolk women's basketball team. 

MORE READING: DeAngelis, Kirsch to Co-Captain 2022-23 Women's Basketball

COACH'S COURT
Ed Leyden returns to lead Suffolk for his 29th season. During his time on the court, Leyden has led the Rams to 26 straight conference post-season tournaments and has coached 13 of the Rams' 16 1,000-point scorers including the program's all-time leading scorer, Jenni-Rose DiCecco. 

Assisting the legendary head coach are assistant coaches Kathryn Mathieu and first-year assistant Brenna Dennelly.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Suffolk women's basketball has been predicted to finish seventh in the 10-team Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), per the league's preseason coaches' poll. 

MORE READING: Women's Basketball Slotted Seventh in CCC Preseason Poll 

OPENING ACT

• Suffolk is 21-18 all-time in season openers and 17-11 under head coach Ed Leyden.
• Last season the Rams defeated Emerson, 72-42, in the 2021-22 debut.
• Suffolk will play on its home hardwood, Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court, for the fifth straight season debut and sixth time overall. The blue-and-gold is 3-2 when flipping the page on the calendar at the friendly confines of the Ridgeway Building.

BEARS BREAKDOWN
Bridgewater State (1-0) began its 2022-23 campaign with a 70-69 slim victory over Brandeis Tuesday.  

Kylie Grassi led on both sides of the hardwood as she stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, eight rebounds, five helpers, two blocks and one steal. Kylee Piche had 17 points, four caroms, two takeaways and one dime. Arielle Cleveland and Caroline Tripp each supplied 10 points. The former had six boards to her credit, while the latter set-up six shots. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk is 2-5 all-time against Bridgewater State. 
• The Rams fell in the last meeting to the Bears, 88-72, Nov. 13, 2021. 
• All games in the series have come under Ed Leyden's guidance. 
• In Boston, Suffolk sits 1-1 versus the Bears. 
• The blue-and-gold is 1-4 in the series when playing at BSU. 
• Suffolk and Bridgewater needed overtime just once to decide a victor. The bears won the lone extra session battle, 68-58, in two overtimes Nov. 29, 2018. 
• Both of Suffolk's wins in the series have come by a 15-point margin. 

EYES ON THE GAME
 

WHAT'S TO COME?
Suffolk remains at home next Tuesday, Nov. 15 when it welcomes Salem State to Boston for a 7 p.m. match.