The 2007-2008 basketball season for the CMHS girls will be full of pleasant surprises from new faces. Coming off an impressive 18-2 season last year, including a #1 seed in the Division IV playoffs, the Lady Eagles will try to uphold the tradition of successful seasons with a different style from previous teams. After falling in the semi-finals to the Twinfield Trojans, Canaan hopes to return to Barre this year with a combination of timely offense and stingy defense. Coach Eric Hurlbert enters his second season as head coach with the tough task of replacing three seniors, all of whom were starters, from last year's squad.
The Lady Eagles will have some big holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball, as they lost their leading scorer from the 2006-2007 season. Senior guard Danielle Harris will shoulder the majority of the ball handling while simultaneously looking to set up her shot as well as her teammates'. Junior forward Paige Marchand and freshman Vicky Harris will look to find openings in the opposition's defense with quick cuts to the basket. The biggest question on the offensive side of the ball lies within the post. After relying heavily on perimeter scoring to carry the offense in past years, the Lady Eagles will need to establish an entity in the paint in order to be effective. Senior center Miranda Havalotti has the size to be a force inside, but must be more assertive and consistent. Beyond Havalotti, the Lady Eagles are inexperienced. Freshmen Raelene Begin and Annick Marquis are unproven, but will get ample opportunity to prove themselves early in their respective careers.
Coach Hurlbert, as always, is stressing the importance of tight defense to his young team. A trademark of girls teams in the past, defensive intensity is one area in which fans should not see a let down from previous seasons. The Lady Eagles have a nice blend of speed and agility, meaning they should be able to match up with the opposition on most every night. With the Harris sisters and Marchand hounding the opponent's guards, the perimeter will likely be locked down. Size on the blocks could be a potential pitfall when it comes to clearing the glass. The Lady Eagles struggled at times with larger teams last season, but hope that the youth inside will provide a boost of intensity and offset any size disadvantages.
Depth has always been somewhat of a concern for the Canaan girls in recent years. Without a clear view of who will start, the bench rotation is cloudy at best. Beyond the first team, the Lady Eagles are uncertain and inexperienced. Coach Hurlbert will have a challenge managing his bench while resting his starters. It is apparent that conditioning will play a huge role in the upcoming season, but that has never been a problem before.
The Lady Eagles are an extremely young team, sporting only two seniors and returning two starters. Hopefully, the upperclassmen will be able to coalesce with the new faces to form a strong, cohesive unit. This will be a season of question marks for the girls, but one thing is for sure, never underestimate the legacy of the Canaan girls basketball teams.