By Chris Stevens, Editor
Last season was a case of so close, yet so far away for the Goldey-Beacom College women’s basketball team.
The Lightning finished the 2022-23 season 10-17 overall and 7-10 in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference play, just one game short of the conference tournament.
With several key returning players and newcomers making for an encouraging mix of talent and personalities, head coach Bethann Burke is confident in her team’s chances to crash the CACC dance this time around.
“Our team is coming to practice ready, they’re working hard and competing every day,” Burke said during a spirited Wednesday morning session. “There have been teams I’ve coached in the past that are close, but this is a pretty tight team and that helps them communicate on the floor.”
“All it takes is just being the best team that we can be every day,” says graduate student center Janiya Stevens, a Sussex Tech graduate. “We’ve put a whole bunch of time and effort as a team towards building chemistry. We just have to keep working on that and we’ll go from there.”
Stevens leads a group of returners that include St. Elizabeth alumnae Rory Ciszkowski and Julie McCarron, senior guard Zhuri Cannon and junior forward Azuri Abraham. GBC will welcome six first-year players to the team including another St. E Viking, Farrah White.
Ciszkowski, who ranked 3rd in all of NCAA Division II in three-point percentage (47.4) a year ago, is grateful that she’s had the trust of her teammates and coaches each step of the way.
“Everyone believing me and telling me to shoot the ball is how it happens,” she explained. “That helps a lot with self-confidence and being able to do it.”
As they prepare for their season opener against the University of District of Columbia Friday Nov. 10, the Lightning are ready to see what the season has in store for them.
“I’m looking forward to us winning and making the playoffs,” Ciszkowski said. “We’re young, but we’re good so far.”
Stevens, who already has her bachelor’s degree and is interning and Delle Donne & Associates while pursuing her master’s in business administration, is just looking for the best effort possible.
“I just want us to play hard every game and if we do that, the rest will take of itself,” she says.
And they’ll be led by a coach who is the most successful in school history thanks to a fun approach.
“This isn’t a job to me; we get to do this every day and it should be fun,” Bethann Burke says. “Yes, we want to win and be competitive, but when you put too much pressure on yourself, it becomes a domino effect. We’re all willing to do what we want to win, but we’re going to be positive and optimistic while we’re doing it.”
