Fore!!!! BGSU's Annual Golf Outing Held on Sunday

Team at the Hot Dog shed
Maggie, Jess, Coach Miller, Kate, and Maribeth...Beat the Pro Hole

Kate Achter and her homemade cornhole boards

Young Alumnae Team: Coach Miller, Ali Mann, Kate Achter, Casey McDowell, Liz Honegger, Pete Winovich

Everyone Loves the Golf Outing!!

The BGSU Women's Basketball Team held their annual golf outing on Sunday, September 20th. We had over 110 golfers participate and the weather was fantastic! The players worked the course all day, collecting money on the contest holes, cooking hot dogs, running drinks, and having a great time. Former All American Kate Achter not only raised money for the program on the Beat the Pro hole, but she also donated hand-made corn hole boards that were auctioned off at the evening social. Coach Miller and Coach Roos showed off their golfing skills in the afternoon at the Beat the Pro hole. We had the largest number of women's basketball alumnae that we have ever had come home to BG and participate in the outing.

This is a huge day for our program...it's the day that some of our biggest fans, friends, and boosters come together to raise money and celebrate the beginning of a new season. At the evening social, over 120 people gathered to eat and meet the new 2009-2010 team. Coach Miller announced the winning teams and all the raffle winners. Thank you to all the sponsors and donors that made this a great day for our program!! Go Falcons!!

The Dream Becomes Reality: BGSU Breaks Ground on New Arena

Team at the groundbreaking ceremony
Staff in front of the backhoe

Sarah leading the athletes in a rendition of Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba

Kerm Stroh entering the event through the student-athletes

On September 3rd before the football game, BG officially broke ground on their brand new arena. The Women's Basketball Team and Coaching Staff would like to say a huge thank you to Kerm Stroh and his family for the lead donation. It was a great day of celebration! The event started with Kerm Stroh entering the tent through a tunnel of student-athletes. Our very own senior, Sarah Clapper, helped to MC the event. The crowd of over 200 people heard from our AD Greg Christopher, the President Carol Cartwright, and Men's Basketball player Joe Jacubowski. Kerm then addressed and thanked the crowd before climbing up on the backhoe to begin the digging!! It will be exciting to watch the progress of the Stroh Center over the next year and a half!

Lauren Prochaska Named One of Country's Top Juniors

Congratulations to Lauren!! She was named one of the Top Returning Juniors in the country.

http://www.peachstatehoops.com/?p=joppremaccess&sp=featurestories&story=KAM090409

Go Falcons!!

66 days til the season tips off!!

BG v. Chicago State

1st Round Pre-Season WNIT

7:00 pm Anderson Arena

Costa Rica Recap:In the Words of the Team and Coaching Staff

BG vs. University of Costa Rica

Team before Zip Lining

Pura Vida!!!


Team on the lava flow of Arenal Volcano

FAMILY

Tara with her first child receiving Crocs

Staff after first practice in Costa Rica

Team after zip lining

Coach Miller and Tracy--bonding before zip lining!

Team at Crocs Cares event

CHELSEA ALBERT
I don't even know where to begin - the trip to Costa Rica was amazing and went way above and beyond any expectations I had prior to the trip. This team is so fortunate and blessed to have such an awesome coaching staff that spoiled us in every way possible over the last 10 days. It was definitely a special time for team bonding that I think the whole team really enjoyed!!

One of the best parts of the trip for me was the day that we got to pass out crocs to the children from Costa Rica. Getting the opportunity to sit there and pray with the children and give the them a smile was so rewarding! I loved that! It definitely made me take a step back and realize how privileged I am with even the simple things in life. It was such an awesome feeling to see the children's faces light up!

It’s hard to pick a favorite between the whitewater rafting, canopy excursions and the hot springs because I have never done any of them before and they each had their own different element of excitement.
1. whitewater rafting - came close to death on la cucaracha but breathtaking views and super fun instructors;
2. canopy - the thrill of stepping off the platforms was one of the coolest rushes, yet it was so peaceful flying through the trees and rivers;
3. hot springs - they literally were unreal and it had to be the most relaxing thing I have done in a long time!

Now that I'm still on cloud nine from the vacation it’s definitely going to be hard to adjust back to real life!

TARA BRESKE

Hola Ticos! Costa Rica is definitely a trip I will never forget, for numerous reasons. I enjoyed all the excursions and have special memories from each and every one of them. The last zip-line was absolutely amazing as was the entire experience. The first kid that came to my station to receive Crocs was one of the most touching experiences I've ever had up to this point. That was definitely a humbling experience.The whitewater rafting was such a thrill from the bus ride in the mountains, to walking/running down a rocky mountain in the pouring rain, to falling out in the rapids and being sucked under, to dominating a level 4 rapid. The hot springs were absolutely gorgeous, and pictures or words cannot do it justice. There were many more excursions and adventures along the way, such as tarantulas and bus rides, that I will never forget. Thanks to everyone who made this all possible and such a good experience for each and every one of us. And, according to Maggie ... we're cultured!

LAURA BUGHER
The trip was fantastic! Everything from the excursions to experiencing the culture was something I will never forget. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to spend so much time in such a beautiful place with this group! It exceeded my expectations!

SARAH CLAPPERIt's hard for me to narrow it down and name any one thing that I enjoyed most about our trip to Costa Rica. Everything from the zip-lining to the Crocs to watching Chels get pounded by rocks during the white rapids of "La Cucaracha" all register up there as my top moments. It was even kinda refreshing to turn the cell phones off for a whole week and not have to worry about what text I was getting and carrying my phone around. It was an amazing experience and one that I will cherish for a lifetime -- so many fun people and so many memories!

ASSISTANT COACH KEVIN ECKERT
No matter how beautiful the scenery, no matter how fun the activity, the trip wouldn’t have been half of what it was if it weren’t for the people – both those that I traveled with, and those that we met. Even though the coolest person of all was Fred.

MARIBETH GIESE
The foreign tour was the trip of a lifetime! Being in Costa Rica for eight days was such an amazing experience. The team was able to bond together through whitewater rafting, zip-lining through the rainforest, and hiking up a volcano. While the spiders and bugs won't be missed, we will all remember the foreign tour for the rest of our lives.

MAGGIE HENNEGAN
The memories our team made together in Costa Rica will last a lifetime. The crazy experience of whitewater rafting, watching Coach Kevin and Mr. Clapper do the traditional dance, giving Crocs to kids, and zip-lining are just a few adventures we will never forget. Pura Vida!

HEAD COACH CURT MILLER
We began fund raising many years ago to plan a trip of a lifetime for our players. Mission accomplished! The trip was truly amazing and we will all be left with lifelong memories of our diverse experiences. My hope for the team during the trip was to bond together and become even closer as a family than we were when we left. It is safe to say through our adventure-filled tour that our family bond is closer than ever.
The four side trips -- whitewater rafting, zip-lining through the rainforest, hiking a volcano and going to the beach -- were unbelievable adventures, but the best part of the trip was watching our players interact with the children of Costa Rica. The players were fantastic with the Costa Rican children during the kids clinic, and the Crocs Cares (shoe giveaway) program. The smiles on their faces will be etched in my mind forever.
Lastly, I just want to say once again that I have the greatest coaching staff in the country, and I am proud to call them all my best friends.
Pura Vida.

TAMIKA NURSE

Lauren and I would like to say that we really appreciated the quality time we spent together rocking in front of the fireplace in our luxurious hut!Costa Rica was absolutely amazing. It's rare that your first playing experience at a University takes place near a tropical rainforest. It's something I'll never forget.

TRACY PONTIUS
Hola! Costa Rica was unbelievable. It was definitely one of the best trips I have ever taken. Costa Rica was beautiful and all the activities we did were so much fun. My favorite part was the whitewater rafting, and zip-lining was also a good time! It was a wonderful trip and I would definitely go back!

ASSISTANT COACH BRANDI POOLE

I don't even know how to begin to describe our trip to Costa Rica. I knew when we scheduled the foreign tour that it would be fun and a great opportunity for our team. What I didn't realize was that the actual trip would be completely above and beyond my expectations.I was really proud of our team for coming together during these nine days. In different ways, each and every one of us stepped outside of our comfort zone ... whether that be the rafting, the zip-lining, the language barrier, the bugs or the food. We all experienced new things and a whole new culture that made us all have a new appreciation for our lives here in the U.S. We truly are a family, and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to travel with them. I try every day to find better ways to live my life, and it's easy when you work with such a fantastic group of fun people.

I think outside of fun activities, our team also got a chance to see what happens when you truly touch people's lives. The Crocs shoes event that we participated in with the IUPUI men's team and the Bethune-Cookman men's team was a day that I don't think any of us will soon forget.

As for the basketball, that was my first experience with any sort of international basketball, and I loved it! Even though the competition wasn't that strong, I loved watching our team compete and have fun playing with each other. We conducted a clinic for kids in the small town of San Ramon. I don't speak a bit of Spanish, but it's amazing what a few key phrases (muy bien = good job, dame cinco = give me five!) can do for a child. Their smiles were priceless.

I want to give a big thank you first to all the special supporters of our program that made this trip possible. Secondly, I want to give a big thanks to Coach Miller for making our dream of a foreign tour a reality. I don't think any of us will ever forget it! Pura Vida!!

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH JENNIFER ROOS
I have been out of the country before with other teams, but this trip was very special because of this particular group. Not only was it a cultural experience of a lifetime for our team, but it was also a great experience to see our team grow even closer together. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with lots of Costa Rican children in two communities, San Jose and San Ramon. Basketball allowed us to communicate with children who could not speak English. I don’t know if we will ever fully realize the impact that those kids had on us or how much we impacted them, but all of us will have forged lifelong memories.

JEN UHL
Our trip was definitely a trip of a lifetime. The country was beautiful, the people were very nice, I loved all of our activities, and I really loved spending so much quality time with my team.

KELLY ZUERCHER
This was an amazing trip for so many reasons! We were able to experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and we experienced them as a team … as a family. The whitewater rafting, ziplining, and trek through the jungle to the volcano all were just absolutely incredible! We watched teammates and coaches as they faced their fears and helped them through near-death – or so we thought – experiences (Chels, Tara, Tracy, haha).

Throughout the trip we all played different roles. We were Basketball Players when we were on the court. Teammates when we were cheering on the sideline. Encouragers when we were on zip-lining platforms. Rescuers in level 1 rapids (ha).

The roles were endless through out this trip and thats what makes it one of the most memorable trips I've ever been on. I am just so thankful that we were given this opportunity to experience another culture and the fact that we were able to do it as a team was the best part. We were already close as teammates when we went down to Costa Rica, but I feel like we definitely came back as a family, as sisters.

2009-2010 Schedule Announced

2009-2010 Tri-Captains: Maggie Hennegan, Sarah Clapper, and Tara Breske

The Bowling Green State University women's basketball team will play at least six games against teams that advanced to national postseason play last March. Falcon head coach Curt Miller recently announced the 2009-10 schedule for the five-time defending Mid-American Conference champions.

“I am excited about our 2009-10 schedule,” said Miller. “This is arguably the toughest non-conference schedule we have had during our coaching staff’s tenure at BGSU.

“Our scheduling philosophy is simple: play a challenging non-league schedule that will help prepare our team for the grind of Mid-American Conference play. With this year’s list of non-league opponents, we feel we have done just that.”

BGSU will play at least 10 games against teams that posted 18 or more wins a year ago, including at least six games vs. schools that won 20 or more games. Two of BG’s opponents advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2008-09, while four other Falcon foes – like BG – were invited to the WNIT in March.

After advancing to the third round of last season’s Postseason WNIT, Miller’s Falcons will begin the 2009-10 season in the Preseason WNIT. The Falcons are guaranteed at least three games in the 16-team tournament, beginning with a first-round game vs. Chicago State at venerable Anderson Arena.

The winner of the BGSU-CSU game will face the Eastern Illinois-Ohio State winner in the second round, at a site to be determined on the following Sunday or Monday (Nov. 15-16). The Buckeyes, like the Falcons, posted 29 wins a year ago, while EIU picked up a total of 24 victories last season.

Under the Preseason WNIT format, participating teams are guaranteed at least three games. The tourney involves 16 teams from 16 different conferences that were included by invitation only.

The BGSU-CSU loser will be regrouped into a ‘Consolation Bracket quad,’ which will be a four-team pool, and will play two games at a site to be determined.

“We are honored to be able to participate in the prestigious Preseason WNIT, joining some of the elite programs in the country,” said Miller. “We are truly excited to play at least 13 games in front of our outstanding fan base at Anderson Arena. And, our schedule also includes numerous road trips where we will play teams that have enjoyed great tradition and success.”

Following the Preseason WNIT, the Falcons will head north to face Oakland University on Tuesday, Nov. 24. The Golden Grizzlies won 26 games, a school record for the Division-I Era, and advanced to the WNIT. The BGSU-OU matchup features schools that went a combined 55-12 a year ago.

The Falcons then return home for a pair of games, facing UNC-Greensboro on the day after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) before opening December against Saint Francis (Pa.). Both games are return matches from a season ago, when the Brown and Orange faced both clubs during a week-long sojourn over Thanksgiving break. The Red Flash and Spartans were the second and fourth victims, respectively, in BGSU’s school-record 25-game winning streak.

Following the SFU game, the Falcons will head to Nashville for a tough test against Vanderbilt (Dec. 4). That game is a rematch of one of the biggest wins in BGSU history, a victory over the Commodores in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Championships in East Lansing, Mich. That win sent the Brown and Orange on to the ‘Sweet 16’ for the first time in program history.

The Vanderbilt game is the first of five-straight road contests, including trips to Detroit (Dec. 9), Saint Bonaventure (Dec. 12), Canisius (Dec. 19) and Youngstown State (Dec. 21). Both of the New York foes had stellar seasons a year ago, setting school records for wins. The Bonnies won 23 games and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the WNIT, while the Golden Griffins had 24 victories, a school record for their Division-I Era, and were one win away from playing at BGSU in March. Canisius lost to Syracuse in the first round of the WNIT, with the Orange advancing to face the Falcons.

The Canisius and YSU games are part of a stretch that sees the Falcons play three times in a five-day span. Last-minute Christmas shopping will have to be put on hold as BGSU hosts Appalachian State on Dec. 23, marking the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Mountaineers are one of two first-time opponents on the 2009-10 schedule (Canisius is the other).

Following the holidays, the Falcons head East for another tough test, taking on Hartford (Dec. 30) in a rematch of a narrow BGSU win at Anderson last season. The Hawks went on to win 20 games against a grueling schedule, advancing to the WNIT.

BGSU closes the non-conference slate and opens the 2010 calendar year with a Jan. 2 vs. SIU Edwardsville, another return date from a 2008-09 game.

In league action, the Falcons, winners of the last five MAC regular-season titles, will play two games against each of the five other East Division schools, while facing each of the six West Division teams once apiece.

The East Division consists of Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami and Ohio, in addition to the Brown and Orange. The Falcons will open the league slate with five games vs. East Division opponents, before playing six contests vs. West Division foes and concluding the regular-season schedule with five more games against the East.

Miller and the Falcons will begin their title defense with a home game vs. UA on Jan. 6, before heading to Athens to face Ohio three days later. The first swing through the East Division also sees the Falcons sandwich home dates vs. Buffalo (Jan. 13) and Miami (Jan. 19) around a trip to Kent State (Jan. 16).

The Miami matchup begins a three-game homestand for the Falcons, who will begin cross-divisional play by welcoming Eastern Michigan (Jan. 23) and Western Michigan (Jan. 27) to “The House That Roars.”

The annual battle of Northwest Ohio takes place in Savage Arena on Jan. 30, as the Falcons make the short trip north to take on Toledo.

February begins with a home date against Northern Illinois on Groundhog Day (Feb. 2), before the Falcons close the regular season with five of their last seven games on the road. BGSU will face Ball State in Muncie on Feb. 6, in a rematch of last year’s Kraft MAC Tournament championship game. The Cardinals pulled out a 55-51 victory at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland to capture the tourney title.

A trip to Central Michigan (Feb. 10) closes out the six-game stretch against the West Division, and the Falcons then return home to face Ohio (Feb. 13). The second round-robin swing through the East includes three road games, at Akron (Feb. 20), Buffalo (Feb. 24) and Miami (March 2). BGSU will host Kent State on Feb. 27, when the Falcons’ senior class – Tara Breske, Laura Bugher, Sarah Clapper and Tamika Nurse – will be honored in pregame ‘Senior Day’ ceremonies.

Following the close of the regular season, the top-eight teams in the final standings will convene in Cleveland for the 2010 MAC Tournament. This is a change from recent years, when all teams made the conference tourney.

The Falcons are coming off a 29-5 season, in which Miller and Company went 15-1 in the MAC en route to that fifth-straight regular-season crown. BGSU returns 10 letterwinners from that team, plus a pair of NCAA Division-I transfers (Nurse and Maggie Hennegan) who sat out last year. Miller and his staff – associate head coach Jennifer Roos, assistants Brandi Poole and Kevin Eckert and director of basketball operations Monique Rosati – also welcome four talented freshmen to the Falcon fold.

The fun begins with a home exhibition game vs. Findlay on Nov. 4 at "The House That Roars."

The complete 2009-10 schedule follows. For the most up-to-date schedule throughout the season, click the schedule link on the women's basketball page, or consult the Calendar of Events here at BGSUFalcons.com.

Move In Weekend!

Coach Miller on Move In Weekend

It's an annual tradition for the Women's Basketball Coaching Staff and other campus groups to help with Move In Weekend. We get the opportunity to move in not only our new women's basketball team members, but also other new students. Don't let the pictures deceive you. Coach Miller did carry a couple of items to the fourth floor of Kriescher, but he remains a very good delegator/director! It's a day that we look forward to every fall. There is great excitement on campus for the new school year and we love meeting all the new Falcons!!

The other great part of move in weekend is having our entire team together again. We had our annual opening team meeting on Sunday night so that we could begin our preseason workouts this week. They had their first track test...the dreaded mile run...early on Tuesday morning. Everyone worked hard over the summer and posted great times. We were very happy with the effort. We can't wait to get back on the court!

Roll Along!!

Pura Vida!!

Hola from beautiful Costa Rica! Sorry for the delay in posts, but it has been a busy few days for the Falcons!

Day 1: We arrived in Costa Rica after an early morning flight. Upon arrival, we were met our our Sports Tours guide Emily and our local guide Melody. They have been with us everyday and teaching us all about the culture of Costa Rica. After a quick lunch we had our first practice at Liceo, a boys high school in downtown San Jose. For dinner, we went to a local restaurant where we had dinner and watched the Costa Rica vs. Honduras soccer game. It's basically the equivalent to the Super Bowl in America...it's a big rivalry and the whole country shuts down for the game!



Day 2: The morning was relaxing with some pool time. The mornings are beautiful here. Mid morning, Melody picked us up for our tour of downtown San Jose. We learned alot about the cost of living here and the culture of the city. We saw the President's house (he is currently quarentined due to the swine flu!). It is a basic house that he has lived in his whole life. Security consisted of a camera, one man by the front gate, and two cops reading the paper in a car across the street! Not exactly the White House! We also saw a beautiful Catholic church in the city and their famous theater. We then had some time to shop in the market before heading to our pre game meal. We headed back to Liceo to play...it was an amazing experience. The gym is the oldest and first gym for basketball in the country. International rules are a little different but everyone adjusted and played well.

Day 3: Today was fantastic! We took the bus towards the Caribean side of the country for our white water rafting excursion on the Pacurae River. It started with a breakfast Costa Rican style (ie. rice and beans) at the base camp. Then we took a bus with our guide Danny till the bus could go no further. After a 15 min hike straight downhill...in the middle of nowhere...in the pouring rain...we made it to our rafts in the river. The scenery was amazing. There were waterfalls everywhere and neon blue butterflies and toucans in the trees. We all learned the commands for paddling, stopping, turning, and the most important command "Get Down" from our guides and then we were on our way. When Tara and Tracy fell out of the boat on the first set of Class 1 rapids, we knew we were in for a long day!! However, after their rescue they rallied and made it through the Class 4 and 5 rapids. It was a great day of team work and adventure. Only one coach fell into the river (Kevin), but I promised not to tell anyone. :)

We made it home then headed to a traditional Costa Rican dinner. The restaurant was on the side of a mountain overlooking the city. It was a beautiful view. After dinner, traditionaly Costa Rican dancers performed and even brought some members of the team onto the dance floor to show off their skills!

Day 4: Today we took a trip over to Jaco Beach. It was a day to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Pacific coast. The water was warm and we all enjoyed swimming and laying in the sun for awhile. We then had a great lunch on the beach, did some shopping, and more swimming. It's only been 4 days and we have already done and seen so much!! We have much more to experience! Everyone is having a great time! For more details and more pictures, the super amazing Mike Cihon is blogging daily on the main webpage at : www.bgsufalcons.com

Enjoy! Now off to bed...two games tomorrow!!

Go Falcons!!

Coach Poole :)