2007-08 Cobber Women's Basketball Season Preview

Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: November 13, 2007

2007-08 Season Preview

MOORHEAD, Minn. (11/13/07)-- Fans of the pop singer Madonna will undoubtedly enjoy the beginning of the 2007-08 Concordia women’s basketball season as the refrain “Who’s That Girl?” will be stated over and over for the first month of play.

The reason for the reference to the pop diva comes from the fact that, of the 14 players listed on the Cobbers’ roster, eight are freshmen. All eight could make an impact on the team during the year and several have a chance to climb up the charts and be hits in the MIAC for years to come.

Before the pack of freshmen can become stars on their own, they will have to sing backup to the team’s one legitimate superstar this season. Senior Melanie Hageman (Fargo, N.D./Fargo South HS) returns for her encore tour after being named to the D3hoops.com All-West Region Second Team for the past two seasons. The two-time All-MIAC performer has already scored 1,000 points in her career and is knocking down the door of becoming the 10th player in program history to score 1,000 points and collect 500 rebounds in a career. She enters the 2007-08 season with 1,185 points and 497 rebounds. She is 12th on the school’s all-time scoring list and 14th on the all-time rebounding chart. If Hageman continues on her 15.0 points per game career scoring average and 6.7 rebounds per game clip, she will finish in the top five on the school’s all-time scoring sheet and in the top 10 in rebounding.

Finding a person to act as Hageman’s partner on the stage for the 2007-08 season will be the top task for head coach Jessica Rahman. Last year Rahman relied on guard Annie Keeley to provide the show-stopping capabilities when teams focused on Hageman. Keeley responded by having her best year as she was named to the MIAC All-Conference Team, was in the top six in the conference in scoring and along the way reached the 1,000-point scoring milestone and set the school record for 3-point baskets in a career.

To find a replacement for Keeley in the backcourt, Rahman brought in four decorated freshman guards and has five other returning players just waiting to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

Leading the way for the returning crew are starters Jenna Freudenberg (Jr., Parkers Prairie, Minn.) and Sara Sorbo (So., Adams, N.D./Adams-Edmore HS). Freudenberg is a two-year starter at point guard and last year was third on the team in scoring with an 8.4 ppg average and led the team in assists. Sorbo was named to the MIAC All-First Year Team last season and finished fourth in the MIAC in steals and second on the team in assists. Her intensity on the defensive side of the court will help Concordia once again be among the league leaders in overall defense.

Hageman, Freudenberg and Sorbo are the team’s returning starters, but there is a trio of returning guards who saw plenty of action last year. Kaitlynn Gottenborg (So., Hawley, Minn.), Ashley King (Jr., Arthur, N.D./Northern Cass HS) and Anna Matetich (So., Hibbing, Minn.) will all be hoping to help the Cobber offense by adding consistent scoring minutes. King is the most experienced of the group, having played in 22 games last year and started eight. Matetich was the top scorer among the three. She averaged 4.4 points in 2006-07 and, like Sorbo, can be counted on as a high-pressure defender on the perimeter. Gottenborg came on at the end of last season and averaged 7.0 points in the team’s final four games, including a season high 13 against Augsburg on Feb. 14. Her ability to shoot from the outside will help relieve some of the pressure from Keeley’s absence.

Four freshman guards could all be in the mix by the time Christmas break rolls around. Maggie Bauernfiend (Rosemount, Minn.), Brittany Jossart (Bismarck, N.D./Century HS), Erica Nord (Barnesville, Minn.) and Lindsey Schultz (Hitterdahl, Minn./Ulen-Hitterdahl HS) all bring outstanding high school resumes to the team. Nord was a two-time Minnesota All-State player and Schultz scored over 2,000 points in her career. All four will help Concordia replace Keeley and all four will have the chance to become top players in the next few years.

The biggest question mark for the Cobbers in 2007-08 will be underneath the basket. Besides Hageman, Concordia has a group of inexperienced forwards and post players. The team lost starting center Leanne White to graduation. White was second on the team in rebounds last year and was a physical presence underneath on defense. The leading candidates to team with Hageman underneath are all freshmen. Emily Davis (Litchfield, Minn.), Ali Demmer (Albert Lea, Minn.), Ashley Grabowski (Farmington, Minn.) and Berit Johnson (Camp Lake Wis./Wilmoy Union HS) will hopefully not have stage fright as they step into the college basketball concert hall.

Only time will tell if the eight Cobber “breakout” performers will have what it takes to help the proven hit makers on the team as Concordia tries to make it back to the MIAC postseason for the sixth straight season.

2007-08 MIAC Coaches'

Preseason Poll

St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) released the 2007-08 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll today. Saint Benedict barely topped Carleton, Gustavus and Concordia for first in the poll. The Blazers won the 2006-07 MIAC regular season and playoff championships.

Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (1 for first, 2 for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of lowest point total to highest with first place votes shown in parentheses.

The 2007-08 regular season tips off on Friday, November 16 and MIAC contests will start on Tuesday, November 27.

1. Saint Benedict (7)
2. Carleton (3)
3. Gustavus
4. Concordia (2)
5. St. Thomas
6. Bethel
7. St. Catherine
8. Hamline
9. St. Olaf
10. Macalester
11. Saint Mary's
12. Augsburg