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Talk about a change of seasons. Just a year after finishing the 2105-16 season at 12-8, the team set a new program high-mark with a 26-5 record and earned its first solo America East league title in 32 years. Head coach Maureen Magarity says the secret鈥檚 in the team chemistry.

鈥淟ast year, we struggled a lot. We had a really long losing streak,鈥� says guard Kristen Anderson 鈥�17. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a lot different going out on the court this year. Even when we鈥檙e down 15 points or so, it never feels like we鈥檙e out of the game.鈥�

It鈥檚 been a historic season for the Wildcats. The team鈥檚 26-5 overall season record broke the previous record of 23 victories set in 1982-1983, and the America East championship was the Wildcats鈥� first since the 1984-85 squad shared the honor with Northeastern University. The regular season ended in early March, when the number one-seeded Wildcats lost to the University of Maine in the NCAA American East Conference tournament semifinals, but the team went on to a first-round game in the Women鈥檚 National Invitational Tournament against Harvard University. It was the Wildcats鈥� second appearance in the WNIT.

鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of the girls this year鈥攊t鈥檚 a huge accomplishment to win the regular season,鈥� says Magarity, now in her 7th year as the team鈥檚 head coach. Recently named a finalist for the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year award, Magarity says the secret to the team鈥檚 success this year is a careful mix of talent, perseverance and determination.

鈥淎fter last year, we really stuck together and got closer as a group. We鈥檝e handled adversity pretty well, and we continued to work hard,鈥� she says. Coaching is in Magarity鈥檚 blood; her father, Dave, is the coach at West Point and was a finalist for the Coach of the Year award in 2016.听

鈥淥ur team chemistry this year has been awesome. As a coach, you really can鈥檛 control that. It depends on the different personalities of the individual players, and so much credit goes to the girls. They鈥檙e such a wonderful group of young women,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun this year.鈥�

Anderson had a particularly strong season, according to Magarity. 鈥淪he had one of those senior years you always hope for; she鈥檚 handled a lot of different injuries throughout her career, and she鈥檚 always bounced back. She鈥檚 developed into such a great player.鈥�

The team also received an infusion of new talent with three transfer students who were eligible to play this season. Among them was guard Brittni Lai 鈥�18. 鈥淲hen I came in, the girls on the team and the coaches were all so welcoming. They all wanted to make sure everything was okay with me, on and off the court. It was just really easy.鈥�

For Lai, the season was all about working harder, even as the wins piled up. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 taken a step up on what they felt like they needed to improve. We take everything one game at a time鈥攚e鈥檙e focused and determined, and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 incredible about the team.鈥�

Meanwhile, Magarity is already looking ahead to next season.

鈥淚 think we鈥檙e headed in the right direction. Winning the regular season title was a huge goal of ours, and we did that. And then obviously, playing in a national tournament postseason is what it鈥檚 all about. We should be playing every year during spring break. I joked to the girls about that,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his is how it should be every year. We should be practicing and preparing during spring break.鈥澨�

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