As is the case in the waning moments of a game out of reach, head coach Joe Frager did his job as if it was any other afternoon. Frager turned to his bench and motioned for his rookies ‘- Joelle Nawrocki, Sarah Paulus, and Taryn Johnson ‘- and told the trio to check
As the three jogged onto the court, senior Baendu Lowenthal high-fived her way down the bench, glanced upwards at the scoreboard at the Times-Union Center, and then took a seat. Just like any other game.
Frager, however, knew otherwise.
‘We talked about, at a media timeout late in the second half, we talked about legacy and our kids playing hard until the very end,’ Frager said. ‘I’m so proud of our seniors and all of our kids for battling all the way to the end today. They didn’t quit.
‘They came to play this weekend,’ Frager added.
Regardless of their effort, the glaring reality is that the today’s 62-55 loss to Canisius was an abrupt ending to a season that began with promise; it marked Lowenthal’s final game of her collegiate career and the end of the team’s dream of toppling a dynasty and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.
Another year, another Fairfield’s season ended prematurely.
A season ago, senior guard Sabra Wrice was the team’s definitive scoring option and potential player of the year candidate. Despite Wrice’s scoring prowess, the Stags bowed out in the semifinals of the MAAC Championships.
One season later, despite losing the team’s top scorer, it was widely assumed that Fairfield would not miss a beat. Aside from forward Baendu Lowenthal, an All-MAAC selection, the Stags boasted a veteran-laden roster of talented players. Lauren Groom was a perimeter threat. Megan Caskin was the experienced, poised player at the point. Shireyll Moore was the perfect compliment off the bench.
Yet again, that established and veteran depth did not translate into tournament success.
The unfortunate end result in each of the past two seasons, though, does not do justice to their contributions. Lowenthal departs as one of the best program’s top scorers. Entering the season, Lowenthal had already reached the Fairfield record books for high marks in rebounding average and field goal percentage.
‘She’s a warrior,’ Frager said. ‘She poured her heart out for us today.’
Moreover, the senior quartet was a veteran presence off the court. Their impact, in many respects, came more from leadership and intangibles than from points and rebounds.
‘When you think about the number of games that these four women have played for this University, (and) not only the positive things that they have done for the school on the court, but also off the court,’ Frager said. ‘If you look at them academically, they’ve all excelled in the classroom. They’re role models. They’ve done tons of community service. They’ve represented the school every well.’
‘[Former head coach Dianne] Nolan really knew what she was doing when she recruited these four young ladies, and I was fortunate enough to coach them for a few years,’ Frager added.
Now, Frager turns to a new crop of talented players to carry the load and sustain the Fairfield’s recent regular-season successes. Aside from junior Stephanie Geehan, the starting lineup will likely boast multiple underclassmen. Of those freshmen, only guard Desiree Pina has experience as a starter.
Regardless of your opinion on the Stags’ lack of postseason success in the past two seasons, this much is certain: Fairfield will look like a very, very different team come November. In many respects, for the first time since his hire in 2007, Frager will turn to his own recruits to establish the program’s identity.
Growing pains are likely, and it is unreasonable to think that the Stags will enter the season with as much preseason publicity as they did this year.
Nevertheless, Fairfield can take solace in knowing that their newfound lineup has spent plenty of time learning. Watching the likes of Lownthal and Caskin will certainly help Pina and Geehan evolve from role players to impact players.
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