November 12, 2009 - (Poultney, VT) - The Green Mountain College women's basketball was picked to finish 5^th in the North Atlantic Conference pre-season coaches poll today.  Husson University was the unanimous choice to finish first receiving all 8 first-place votes and 64 points overall.

Husson returns all five starters from the squad which finished 13-1 in conference play a season ago and will be led by 2009 NAC Player of the Year Shelby Bradford and 2009 NAC Rookie of the Year Bree Hanscom.

The University of Maine at Farmington was picked second with 54 points. The Beavers will be led by all-conference first team selection Caitlyn Laflin who led the league in scoring last season with 17.1 points per contest.

Maine Maritime placed third following by NAC defending tournament champion Castleton.  The Mariners complement three returning starters with 10 freshmen while the Spartans will look to replace 1,000 point scorer and NAC first-team all-conference player Jessica Banks who graduated along with six others from Castleton's 2009 title squad.

GMC return a pair of starters including NAC 2^nd team honoree Emma Brinley Buckley (Lakeville, CT) from last season's squad who made a semifinal run in the NAC tournament.  The Eagles, 5-9 NAC and 12-14 overall in 2008-2009 will turn to 5 incoming freshman to continue their recent success. 

The Eagles open their season on the road November 21^st at the U-Mass Dartmouth Tip-Off tournament before returning home on December 1^st at 6:00 pm against Fisher College in their home opener.

 

2009-10 NAC Women's Basketball Poll
1.	Husson	64 (8)
2.	Maine-Farmington	54
3.	Maine Maritime	46
4.	Castleton	44
T-5.	Green Mountain	23
T-5.	Johnson State	23
7.	Lyndon State	19
8.	Thomas	15