STAFF WRITER
TYLER DUNNE

The 28-point drubbing of Elmira in the Empire 8 title game and 14-game winning streak into the NCAA tournament are now distant memories.  A completely new identity is sweeping through Pittsford, N.Y.  But don’t call it rebuilding.  Reloading would be much more appropriate.

Unfortunately, one familiar face is currently absent from Fisher’s freshmen renaissance.

For the team’s 33 years in existence as a women’s basketball program, one man has graced the bench: Phil Kahler.  The accolades speak for themselves.  Fisher is the all-time winningest team in NCAA Division III history.  Kahler has strung together 31 winning seasons in a row, cracking 20 wins on 27 occasions.  In the NCAA, Kahler is 731-145.  No coach, men’s or women’s, including Dean Smith, John Wooden, or Pat Summitt, has a better winning percentage over a longer time period. 

But a few weeks ago, a shockwave was sent through Fisher’s dominant women’s program that could be felt all the way to Murphy Hall.  Kahler suffered a heart attack while contracting a viral infection which forced him to be hospitalized for over a week.  After taking medication, Kahler is recovering and home to regain his stamina for the upcoming winter.  He plans to see a cardiologist to begin rehabilitation soon.

So with four new starting spots to fill (including Empire 8 Player of the Year Melissa Hartman) and an influx of 15 freshmen, wouldn’t the 2006-07 season have rebuilding written all over it?

Absolutely not.  Despite the early turmoil, the Cardinals don’t expect to miss a beat.  Interim head coach Marianne O’Connor Ermi has Fisher’s pistons rolling – very fresh pistons at that.

“We did a really good job of recruiting so we’re fortunate enough to have the amount of freshmen we have,” she said.  “A lot of the freshmen are very talented, and we’re really going to benefit from them being so far ahead at this point.”

Expect plenty of new faces on the Cardinals.  Hartman, the Cardinal Courier’s 2005-06 Female Athlete of the Year, led the E8 in points per game (19.9), offensive rebounds per game (4.5), and steals per game (3.6), teamed with Kathy Baum (16.7 ppg) to torch defenses along a 25-3 season.  In 27 of Fisher’s 28 games, one of these two was the team’s leading scorer.  The only way to replace such production is through waves of rookies  eager to continue Kahler’s tradition.

“Usually when freshmen come in, they have a hard time transferring their skills because they were either a star in high school or a role player trying to find their way.  But we were very, very lucky in this year’s recruiting class.  We probably have seven or eight of them that will get significant playing time,” O’Connor Ermi said.
“We’ve had superstars and All-Americans like Hartman and Boehm but we honestly try to strive for five or six girls to average 10-15 points a game.  It helps our balance because everyone is going to have a bad game once in awhile.”

It’s simply a new crop of Cardinals that are ready to take the next step in Division III basketball.  The maroon and gold hope that this early insertion of youth into the program will eventually lead to a national title over the next four years…the only feat left for Kahler and the Fisher program to accomplish.  After all, experience breeds success, so why wait?

“We got a lot of fresh legs, and they are eager to learn,” an optimistic O’Connor Ermi said.  “They’re very coachable and want to win.  They’re doing well in school so we’re going to keep going what [Kahler] started and keep it rolling when he gets back.”

Fisher’s recruiting trail took them through Rochester, Buffalo and even into the pastures of Ohio.  Their commitment to winning has never been clearer, as a wide range of newcomers bring different assets to a team that contains only one senior (co-captain Mary Francis).  If one common theme holds true through the freshman class, it’s versatility.

Take Jen Van Oss from Dayton, Ohio.  A 5-11 post player, Van Oss also brings an outside shooting touch to keep defenses honest.  Mary Kate Comfort from Orchard Park, N.Y., becomes the team’s tallest player at 6-1 and is a promising anchor in the paint for the next four winters. Kellie Leathem hails from Albany, N.Y., and will be used at guard and forward.  Her tenacious defense should key the Cardinals’ harassing woman-to-woman full court pressure.

“I hope I can bring intensity and a good work ethic,” Leathem said.  “It’s important that everyone keeps their heads up and works hard.”
As for Fisher’s infusion of youth, Leathem plans to continue what her predecessors started.

“I think it is going be hard to keep the image of the team from last year and previous years because they have always been so good,” she said.  “But we are young and I think we have started to mesh already.”

Another possible contributor from the freshman class is point guard Melissa Kanalley from Tonawanda, N.Y. 

“Melissa’s court sense is very good and you can’t beat her fundamentals,” O’Connor Ermi said.  “The level of her league wasn’t as difficult as some other girls on our team and that’s a big transition for most girls out of high school.”

Fisher’s lone returning starter, co-captain forward Allison Boehm, must assume a larger role after a solid sophomore campaign in which she was third on the team in scoring (8.1 ppg) and first in blocks (26). 

“Allison’s doing a nice job,” O’Connor Ermi said.  “She will have to be more assertive offensively this season.”

While Fisher’s continued success depends on how Boehm and Francis emerge as leaders , O’Connor Ermi is confident that the team’s balance and cohesiveness is what ultimately could have Fisher sneaking up on opponents.  What Ithaca, Elmira, and other E8 foes can’t prepare for is Fisher’s flawless periodic table. 

“I think we’re going to take people by surprise,” O’Connor Ermi said.  “It’s very uncommon this early for a group this big to have such chemistry.  Our upperclassmen are doing a good job of incorporating the freshmen into the program.  We call our team the ‘swarm’ because they all travel together.”

If getting through the first semester as a college student wasn’t hard enough for Fisher’s rookies, then the grind to mid-December will certainly test their will.  The Cardinals host two tournaments this year, which includes a visit from loaded SUNY Oneonta.  A trip to St. Lawrence awaits, as the Saints were regular season co-champions of the Liberty League in 2004-05 and return four seniors.  Furthermore, rescheduling has forced Fisher to travel during finals week.

“If we get through this semester with no losses or one loss we’ll be in good shape,” O’Connor Ermi said. 

As anticipation for Friday’s opener mounts, one thought remains in the entire team’s mind.  “We just want Coach Kahler back,” O’Connor Ermi said.  “We all have our fingers crossed for him to get back soon.”

What separates the perennial winners from the cellar-dwellers is exactly what Kahler and O’Connor Ermi did during the off-season.  Instead of sulking in the graduation of Hartman, Baum, Jen Lardo and Adria Matonak, Fisher’s staff scoped high schools and found a solid crop of freshmen to set a foundation for the future. 

It’s a foundation that composes 75 percent of the entire team.  Kahler may not have seen something quite like this in his 33 seasons.

Email address: thd02980@sjfc.edu