Philadelphia, Pa. - (11/9/2015) – Minus the scoring prowess of Olivia Gorczynski '15 and an all-conference player in the post, the Chestnut Hill College women's basketball team turns to first-year Head Coach Michael West, who aims to improve on their 8-11 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) standing from a year ago with a high-energy brand of basketball sure to excite the Sorgenti Arena faithful.
 
Chestnut Hill College writes a new chapter in 2015-2016 as they venture on their first season under Coach West. "I expect our team to play with lots of energy on both sides of the court," says West, a disciple of Philadelphia University Head Women's Basketball Coach Tom Shirley. "We will get after it on defense and look to play an up-tempo style of basketball that will keep us competitive in every game."
 
West will head into battle without the team's top-five scorers from the 2014-2015 season, leaving junior forward Lauren Milligan (South Hampton, England), junior guard Brittany McDonough (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and sophomore forward Nicole Parriski (Burlington, N.J.) to headline the Griffins' returning roster. Milligan and McDonough have taken on captain duties while Parriski finished her freshman season (2014-2015) with 5.7 points-per-game (PPG) and 5.5 rebounds-per-game (RPG) in 11 starts (25 games played). Milligan started eight of the 22 contests in which she appeared, offering 2.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 17 assists, 13 blocks, and 17 steals. McDonough, who missed all of the 2014-2015 campaign due to injury, is expected to make an impact after contributing 5.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 46 assists, two blocks, and 23 steals as a sophomore in 2013-2014. Helping them guide the Griffins will be a pair of freshman from Franklin Township in guard Mary Trossi (Somerset, N.J.) and forward Jaeda Wildgoose (Somerset, N.J.), and junior transfer guard Caity Kuhnen (Binghamton, N.Y.). All figure to see time in the starting lineup; Trossi will fuel the Griffins' high-energy style of play as an athletic point guard who can distribute and score, while Kuhnen is an experienced shooter that can spread the floor for the post play of Wildgoose, Milligan, Parriski, and others.
 
In reserve, the Griffins offer experienced leadership in junior guards Erica McIntosh (Waldorf, Md.) and captain, Michaiah Young (Philadelphia, Pa.) while also possessing a trio of passionate backcourt newcomers in freshman Ayanna Dickey (Baltimore, Md.), freshman Dayna Sclafani (East Brunswick, N.J.), and junior transfer Ayanna Holloway (Philadelphia, Pa.), who will join the Griffins officially in the spring semester.
 
Chestnut Hill College opens the 2015-2016 season with a trip to Dowling College on Saturday, November 21, for a 1:00 p.m. contest.