Hynes Center Receives Renovations

Our home floor, the Hynes Center, has had major improvements over this year’s summer vacation. New wooden floors were added to our two practice courts that sit to the side of the Hynes Center’s game court. With these two wooden floors, which use to be rubber, all Gael indoor sports can use the gym more efficiently and safely.

Beginning a Season to the “Next Level”

The Iona Lady Gaels once again started their pre-season with a bang! On a sunny Saturday the Gaels went on their annual team retreat. This year the players took part in Mindset Combat Training which involved pushing themselves mentally, physically and emotionally to the next level. They were led by Eric Kapitulik, the founder and CEO of The Program, a fitness and leadership training business that works to instill commitment, courage, and integrity through two different training programs; Judgment Day (which Iona took part in last year), and Mindset Combat Training.

This year the players began with learning what a true competitor is and how she can overcome many daily obstacles through a 45 minute informational session given by Marine Joe Morgan. They then moved to the field to prove that they could live up to the next challenge. They went through a thirty minute Marine drill session followed by team Tug of War and Combat Pugil Sticks competition. The final challenge was a one mile uphill mountain run through the woods and rocks carrying sandbags. All the players did fantastic, with Anda Ivkovic winning the hardest worker award. It was a great day that most definitely helped take our team’s first steps to the “Next Level.”

Iona Adds Three More to the Team

We are very pleased to announce our 2010 recruiting class. Sabrina Jeridore, a 6'4" center from Francis Lewis High School in Queens, NY, guard Jackie Marshall from Hackensack, NJ and Shonice Hawkins, a 5'6" guard out of St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City, NJ are joining the squad for the 2010 season

"They are as talented a group of players as we've brought in and I am looking forward to their development as basketball players in our system," said Anthony Bozzella

Jeridore is coming off a senior season at Francis Lewis (20-5) in which she averaged 10.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks per game. She was voted First Team All-Queens by the New York Post and Honorable Mention by the Daily News. Jeridore was also ranked as one of the top 250 players in the nation by ESPN Hoopgurlz. "I feel Sabrina has all the tools to be one of the top centers in the MAAC for years to come."

Hawkins recently completed her senior season at St. Anthony's having averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. She was voted Second Team All-Non Public School by the New Jersey Star Ledger. "Shonice is a dynamic, athletic guard who will be able to play both guard positions for us and be very effective in our defensive pressure."

Marshall, a 5'8" guard just graduated from Hackensack High School, where she led them to a 14 and 8 record. While doing so she averaged 21.3 points per game and accumulated 1,245 total career points.

Bozzella concluded, "These young ladies are excellent students and outstanding people who I am proud to bring into our program."

MAAC Women's Basketball Championship to Air on ESPNU

We are happy to announce that the 2011 MAAC Women's Basketball Championship Game, scheduled for Monday, March 7 at 1:00 pm, will be broadcast nationally for the first time on ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network. The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, CT will host the 2011 MAAC Basketball Championships from March 3-7.

"It's a great opportunity for the MAAC to move its premier championship game from a regional network to a national platform like ESPNU," said MAAC Commissioner Richard J. Ensor. "We look forward to the network's 72.5 million viewers tuning in for MAAC Women's Basketball." We hope to be a part of the action!

Gaels Announce Non-Conference Schedule

Iona College head coach Anthony Bozzella has announced the non-conference portion of the team's schedule for the upcoming 2010-11 campaign. This year, Iona will play an eleven game non-conference schedule with three home contests, seven match-ups on the road, and one site yet to be determined. "As has become customary with Iona women's basketball, our program will be challenged with a tremendous non-league schedule," commented Bozzella. "Having the second most wins in our league (60) over the last five years, combined with three second place finishes and two other top-four finishes, is a direct correlation to the tough opponents we compete against in the non-league portion of our season."

Iona will commence its 2010-11 run with a match-up at Charlotte (Atlantic 10) in the first round of the Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament on Nov. 13, followed by a second WNIT game against a to-be-determined opponent between Nov. 15-20. "It is an honor once again to be one of only 16 teams nationally to be selected to participate in the preseason WNIT," Bozzella added. Iona's last participation in the tournament was in 2006 when the squad defeated BIG EAST opponent St. John's before losing to ACC opponent North Carolina State.

The team's home opener will take place during the Iona Thanksgiving Classic, hosted at the Hynes Center on Nov. 27 and 28. The Gaels face Brown (Ivy League) on the 27th and Toledo (Mid-American) on the 28th. The Gaels will then take the road against Marquette (BIG EAST), Stony Brook (America East), Michigan State (Big Ten) and then finishing its away game run at Bucknell. Last season, the Spartans reached the second round of the NCAA tournament as a fifth seed where they fell to fourth-seeded Kentucky.

The Gaels will return home to take on local foe Fordham (Atlantic 10) Dec. 22. After Christmas break, the team wraps up non-conference play and the month of December with a trip out west. Iona will get a second look at last year's season-opening opponent with a return trip to Arizona (Pac 10) on the 28th. The Gaels take on Northern Arizona (Big Sky) on the 30th in the final game of the non-conference schedule.

On the team's long-distance travel plans, Bozzella offered, "We are continuing our tradition of taking our student-athletes to outstanding educational and exceptional places around the world. Visiting one of the seven natural wonders of the world in the Grand Canyon will be truly awesome." In recent years, Iona has traveled to England, Italy, San Francisco, Cancun, Mexico and Disney World in Florida.

Gaels Add Two More to the Staff

The Iona Women's Basketball program is happy to announce the addition of Thazina Cook and Jen McNamee to round out the 2010-2011 coaching staff. Cook, as many of you know, had a great career at Iona and led us to a 18-14 record. She now looks to aid our continued efforts of winning a MAAC championship in the position as Director of Basketball Operations. Jen McNamee will be assuming the newly created position of Video Coordinator. McNamee is no stranger to the MAAC having played at league foe Niagara University for the past four years.

Cook is taking over the position from Jess Anger who is now an assistant at UMBC. Anger will be missed but we look forward to watching her succeed in her new program. Cook's responsibilities will include orchestrating team travel arrangements, coordinating community service and school outreach initiatives, and managing the team's academic meetings. While Cook takes over those duties, McNamee's priorities will be tape exchange and film breakdown as well as produce the Gael Gazzette and the team-run web blog. We're excited to welcome Coach Cook and Coach McNamee to our staff!