Medfield Girls' Basketball Not Ready to Give Up TVL Crown

The three-peat is on for the Medfield High girls' basketball team.

Playing in the Tri-Valley League, historically, has done the job in preparing the squad for the postseason. With a tough schedule ahead of them, the Warriors should be more than tournament-ready by the time late February swings around.

The Warriors have plenty of talent back from last year's 16-2 league championship team and the level of motivation could not be higher. The two consecutive league championships are the first in school history and Medfield would like nothing more than to make it three in a row before a strong run in the tournament.

This time around, Mark Nickerson's club is looking for a third TVL title, but more importantly, will be primed and ready to battle past the Div. 2 South semifinals after three consecutive visits deep in the postseason.

"I am look for big contributions from many players," said Nickerson. "We expect to compete for the league title again this year. Our goals are to win the league and compete for the Div. 2 South and state title."

Nickerson believes he has the horses to rival last year's 19-4 mark. Senior captains Hillary Collins and Maddie Bouchard, are both strong leaders and returning starters. They were members of the 2009 TVL championship team and know how to close out games down the stretch.

The Warriors did lose stellar guard Marissa Pelosi and her 14.9 points per game to graduation, but Nickerson is confident the squad still has plenty of depth to make up for Pelosi's absence.

Jen Narlee is coming off an all-star season where she averaged 8.5 points per game and was a presence underneath with 9.9 rebounds. Kate Wasley and Kristin Fechtelkotter have also been penciled in as starters this year.

The Warriors' overall team depth should make the difference in close TVL games and with the roster a year older, experience could be a huge factor heading toward March.

Medfield defeated Hopkinton, 35-24 in Tuesday's at Medfield High.