Lady Bulldogs ready to resume winning ways
BY VIN RAPOLLA
Staff Writer

JEFFGRANIT staff All-State guard Caitlin Hyduke (r) may be off playing for Harvard University, but Kara Abbot (l) is back to help lead the Bulldogs as they look to establish themselves as one of the state’s top teams once again.

How do you replace a legendary player? That’s the question facing this year’s Rumson-Fair Haven girls basketball team once again.

After losing one of the best all-around players in Shore Conference history in Caitlin Hyduke, now at Harvard, the Bulldogs will have a new look this winter.

“After losing an 18-plus-point-per-game player, the whole team is going to have to step up,” said head coach George Sourlis, now in his 21st year at RFH. “No one person will be looked at as the sole scorer. We will have to do it collectively.”

But don’t feel too bad for the Bulldogs. After all, the cupboard is hardly bare.

Championship programs are not built around just one player, especially not Sourlis’ RFH program. They have survived the graduation of legendary players before (i.e. Chrissy Fisher), and will likely rebound this season following the loss of Hyduke.

This year’s Bulldog team will feature three returning starters from the squad that reached the Tournament of Champions last year as the overall Group II champion, as well as a host of reliable players who saw their fair share of varsity playing time last year.

Senior center Paige Armstrong will team with sophomore forward Kate Miller and junior forward Kara Abbot to form one of the Shore’s top frontcourts, while junior forward Rachel DeWyngaert will also be a force on the blocks.

Senior guard Marissa LeCardi will head the RFH backcourt, along with junior transfer Candice Green.

Off the bench, the team will also see play from junior guard Nikki Petrucelli and another transfer, Brittany Schmelz.

With yet another talented team, Sourlis is looking forward to another strong season from his Bulldogs.

“We have a hardworking group. They are going to continue to get better, as they work hard and listen well,” said Sourlis. “They’re going to be OK.”

And they will certainly be tested, with one of the most challenging schedules in the state lying ahead of them.

The Bulldogs open their season with one of the best teams in the Shore Conference in St. John Vianney, in a game that could launch them on their way to the early lead in the Shore’s Class A Central race.

“We have one of the toughest divisions in the state with RBC and St. John Vianney, not to mention our out-of-conference schedule and tournament schedule,” said Sourlis. “We have to keep playing defense and take care of the ball. If we can do these things, we can be a good team.”

Once again.