North Dakota Team Preview: Fargo Shanley
***Photo credit: Inforum*** Fargo Shanley won 18 games last season, losing twice in the EDC tournament and missing out on a chance to play in the state tournament. The Deacons graduate a big senior class but there’s a lot of…
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Fargo Shanley won 18 games last season, losing twice in the EDC tournament and missing out on a chance to play in the state tournament. The Deacons graduate a big senior class but there’s a lot of young talent in the pipeline which means the team is heading into the winter with a lot of optimism.
Must Be Replaced: Julia Vetter, Caira Berg, Lily Rivard, Sarah Lefor, Taryn Hoffer, Katey Visser and Alexis Wanner.
The Deacons lose a big senior class with a lot of key contributors. While Shanley got a lot of scoring from some of its underclassmen, the Deacons will have to replace a lot of quality play from players like Hoffer, Berg, Vetter and Wanner.
Key Returners: Reile Payne, Hadley Huber
Payne is one of the top players in the state and will be leaned on to provide high-end production early in the year especially as less experienced players get acclimated to the varsity level. She’s a potential 20-10 type player who contributes as a facilitator and on the defensive end of hte floor. Huber was one of the team’s leading scorers a year ago, consistently providing 15-20 points per night. Expect more of the same from her as she figures to be one of the best players in Class A this year.
Players to Watch: Kate Busek, Olivia Manuel, Moriku Hakeem
The Deacons have a promising young crop led by Busek, Manuel and Hakeem. Busek and Hakeem are just sophomores but they’ll be relied upon to provide meaningful production early in the season. Assume some ups and downs but they’ll certainly be core players for the Deacons for a while.
Season Outlook
The Deacons finished second in the EDC last year in the regular season but suffered a pair of upset losses in the tournament to miss out on state. With the talented players back in the fold, Shanley certainly looks like a viable contender in the EDC again. A state tournament berth should be doable as well.