Last season was characterized by multiple firsts for the Gustavus women’s basketball team; first 25-win campaign, first 20-win MIAC season, first conference championship, and first victory in an NCAA Tournament game. With four starters and 11 letterwinners back, the Gusties are refocusing for what they hope is another run at the conference title and another shot at postseason play. While last year’s achievements will always remain a proud part of the program’s history, Head Coach Mickey Haller and her team know that the task that lays before them may be even more daunting than getting to the top of the conference standings. The challenge now is to stay there.
“Our team feels they can do it again,” commented Haller. “Winning the conference championship and getting to the NCAA tournament showed them they can compete with the top schools in the nation.”
Apparently many people around the country also feel that Gustavus can compete with anybody out there. The Gusties were voted 10th in one preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking in school history. Having all but one key player back from a team that went 25-4 a year ago appears to legitimize the attention.
Gustavus brings back eight of its top nine scorers and rebounders from last year’s team that led the conference in scoring defense while giving up over 62 points in a game only three times. Leading the way is two-time all-conference senior wing Angie Peterson. Last season Peterson scored a team-high 15.8 points per game and broke the single season school records for points (458) and three point field goals (62). The honorable mention All-America selection needs 391 points to become the second leading scorer in school history.
The emergence of senior point guard Kate Sandvig as one of the premier point guards in the league has allowed Peterson to make the shift from point guard to shooting guard. Sandvig, who was named to the MIAC All-Defensive team last season, dished out 84 assists while averaging 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Other veterans with extensive experience on the perimeter include senior Laura Haugen, junior Lacy Skoog (9.1 ppg), and sophomores Sara Boldt (4.5 ppg) and Marit Sviggum. Skoog started every game while Boldt clocked the fifth most playing time on the team. Sviggum provided valuable minutes off of the bench at the point. Haugen, who averaged 6.9 ppg in 2001-02, returns to the court after missing all of last season with an ACL injury.
One of the keys to the team’s season will be to find a way to compensate for the loss of three-time all-conference post Kelly Etzel. She finished her career as the third leading scorer and fourth leading rebounder in school history. Anxious to fill the void are seniors Jen Klohs (8.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Kelly Van Norman (4.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) as well as junior Kristin Kachelmyer (7.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg). All three players averaged over 18 minutes per game last season.
With so many experienced players returning for Gustavus, one of Haller’s primary objectives in the early part of the season is to determine the right mix of athletes to have on the floor at any given time. “Right now we have a lot of talent,” said last year’s co-conference coach of the year. “Our biggest challenge is to find the right chemistry and to find out who plays well together.”
Although she concedes it’s a nice challenge to have, Haller knows that in order for the team to maximize its potential this season, she will need to know what combination of players to have on the floor when the game is on the line. “We need to find out who plays well together. The expectations for our team are high since we lost one player from last year’s team,” admitted Haller, whose team starts play on November 25 at Wartburg. “It is going to be hard to match those expectations, but we are optimistic we can do it.”
General Information
Gym: Lund Forum / Gus Young Court
Capacity: 3,500
Athletic Phone: 507-933-7617
History
First year of basketball: 1968
All-time NCAA play-off record: 1-3
Years in NCAA post-season play: Three
Last NCAA post-season appearance:/ Result: 2003 / W Loras 67-59, L Pacific Lutheran 54-68
All-time record: 432-335
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Madeline ‘Mickey’ Haller
Alma Mater/Year: Phillips Univ. ’83
Record at school (years): 59-22 (3)
Career record: 102-55 (6)
Head Coach’s office phone: 507-933-6145
Best time/day to reach coach: 1pm-3pm
Assistant Coaches (Name/Alma Mater/Year):
Aaron Kahl/Gustavus/2000
Dan Wolfe/Winona State/1979
Molly Pedersen/Gustavus/2000
Jess Hanson/Student Assistant
Series Records vs MIAC Opponents
Augsburg 34-9
Bethel 14-21
Carleton 32-14
Concordia 10-37
Hamline 41-4
Macalester 40-7
St. Benedict 12-31
St. Catherine 26-3
St. Mary’s 34-12
St. Olaf 27-21
St. Thomas 11-35
Player & Team Information
Overall record last year: 24-4
Conference record (place): 20-2 (t 1st)
Letterwinners returning/lost: 11/5
Starters Returning/lost: 4/1
Returning Key Players
Angie Peterson, Wing, Sr., 5-6, 15.8 ppg, two-time all-conference, all-region, honorable mention Kodak All-America
Kate Sandvig, Guard, Sr., 5-2, 2.9 apg, MIAC all-defensive team
Lacy Skoog, Wing, Jr., 5-7, 9.1 ppg
Jen Klohs, Post, Sr., 5-11, 8.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Kristin Kachelmyer, Post, Jr., 5’11”, 7.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Kelly Van Norman, Post, Sr., 6’0″, 4.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Key Newcomers
Alyssa Brooks, Wing, FY, 5’10”, Waupaca, WI/Waupaca
Bri Monahan, Wing, FY, 6’0″, Hutchinson, MN/Hutchinson
Key Losses
Kelly Etzel, Post, 6’2″, Graduation, three-time all-conference, third leading scorer and fourth leading rebounder in school history
2002-03 Game-by Game Results
Nov. 26 Wartburg W, 77-63
Nov. 29 at UMET W, 86-30
Nov. 30 at UMET W, 97-31
Dec. 4 Augsburg W, 61-45
Dec. 7 Concordia W, 68-44
Dec. 9 at St. Olaf W, 73-56
Dec. 11 St. Catherine W, 71-57
Jan. 4 at Hamline W, 64-62
Jan. 6 at Macalester W, 63-55
Jan. 8 St. Thomas W, 63-51
Jan. 11 at St. Mary’s W, 74-50
Jan. 15 St. Benedict W, 43-42
Jan. 18 at Bethel W, 63-37
Jan. 20 Carleton L, 51-61
Jan. 22 at Augsburg W, 57-39
Jan. 25 at Concordia W, 71-59
Jan. 29 St. Olaf W, 62-59
Feb. 1 at St. Catherine W, 73-58
Feb. 3 Hamline W, 80-56
Feb. 5 Macalester W, 56-49
Feb. 8 at St. Thomas W, 81-53
Feb. 12 St. Mary’s W, 61-54
Feb. 15 at St. Benedict L, 54-69
Feb. 19 Bethel W, 84-60
Feb. 22 at Carleton W, 63-62
MIAC Playoffs
Feb. 26 St. Benedict W, 67-62
Mar. 1 at Carleton L, 54-65
NCAA Playoffs
Mar. 5 Loras W, 67-59
Mar. 8 at Pac. Lutheran L, 54-68
2003-04 Schedule
Nov. 25 Wartburg College 8:00 pm
Dec. 3 Augsburg College 7:30 pm
Dec. 6 Concordia College 1:00 pm
Dec. 8 St. Olaf College 7:30 pm
Dec. 10 College of St. Catherine 7:30 pm
Dec. 29 Whitman College 5:00 pm
Dec. 30 at Whitworth College 7:00 pm
Jan. 3 Hamline University 1:00 pm
Jan. 5 Macalester College 7:30 pm
Jan. 7 University of St. Thomas 7:30 pm
Jan. 10 St. Mary’s University 1:00 pm
Jan. 14 College of St. Benedict 7:30 pm
Jan. 17 Bethel College 1:00 pm
Jan. 19 Carleton College 7:30 pm
Jan. 21 Augsburg College 7:30 pm
Jan. 24 Concordia College 1:00 pm
Jan. 28 St. Olaf College 7:30 pm
Jan. 31 College of St. Catherine 1:00 pm
Feb. 2 Hamline University 7:30 pm
Feb. 4 Macalester College 7:30 pm
Feb. 7 University of St. Thomas 1:00 pm
Feb. 11 St. Mary’s University 7:30 pm
Feb. 14 College of St. Benedict 1:00 pm
Feb. 18 Bethel College 7:30 pm
Feb. 21 Carleton College 1:00 pm