Achange in the season means the return of Gustavus Women’s Basketball.

Their last season ended abruptly in the quarterfinals of the MIAC Championship to Bethel. The women ended their season with a record of 16-10. In their final game against the Bethel Royals, both teams battled closely for a victory until the Royals began to outscore the Gusties in the final four minutes of play.

“Overall, last season was a success. However, it just wasn’t good enough to please us.  “We made it into the playoffs but lost a heartbreaker in the first round and our season ended too soon We knew we could have gone so much further than we did; it just didn’t work out that way,” Senior Captain Amber Steffenhagen said.

The women took the ending of the 2008-2009 season as a challenge. They did not focus on the past but looked forward to the future and have been working tirelessly to gain an edge right out of the gate this year.

“We have a tremendous core returning from last year. Each of us brings something unique and special to this team. Our goals, as always, are set high,” Senior Captain Bri Radtke said.

Practicing and playing with aggression for the last month, the Gustie women are ready to compete.  They begin the next season with three non-Conference games against Augustana. Two days later they play Wartburg and then UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 30. Because Augustana is a Division II team, it will be a challenge for the Gusties, but they are more than capable.

Not only do the women have high hopes, they have high goals and feel that they will definitely achieve them. “This desire to go further is what is motivating us this season. Having four senior captains allows us to have a lot of experience and leadership,” Senior Captain Katie Layman said, “which is extremely important in helping a team meet its full potential.” Their full potential means making it further than they did last year.

“We want a banner.  Our number one goal for the season is to hang a banner. We know that we are more than capable of achieving that goal. The talent, the chemistry and the potential is all there. There’s no question about that. Now we just have to put everything together, and we’ll have the successful season we know we can have,” Steffenhagen said.

The coveted banner the women speak of is one with “Champions” written on it. This goal gives the women even more determination, since they were so close last season.

They have put in a tremendous amount of work already this season, and all team members know it will pay off.

“We have been preparing since we got on campus with preseason lifting, conditioning and pick-up games, and now is our time to see it all pays off,” Layman said. “The first few games will allow everyone’s nerves to settle down and learn their roles on the team. They will also help us learn that players’ roles will change from game to game and that as long as we play as one, every game, we will go far.”

As far as this season’s opponents are concerned, the Gusties are ready to take them on. “There is no doubt we have the talent and depth,” Radtke said. “We just need to stay focused and remember to have fun.”