CALGARY – After three straight first-round playoff exits, the Dinos women's basketball team will rely on young talent in the new-look Canada West schedule this season.

No fewer than 10 of the 12 players on the roster are in their first or second year, making it the youngest team in Shawnee Harle's 16 seasons at the helm in Calgary. Adding to the challenge, two of last season's starters will sit out much of the season after Esther Graff tore her ACL in early September, forcing her to the sidelines for the entire year, while Ashley Ashman recently underwent knee surgery for the third time and will miss much of the early season, and Alex Cole is scheduled for meniscus surgery in December.

Despite the injury trouble, however, the Dinos posted a respectable 6-3 record in non-conference play, highlighted by an 80-78 overtime win over UQAM last weekend.

“I realize you don't win anything in October, but I haven't felt this way about a team in a long time,” said Harle. “We definitely have lots of youth that will give me grey hairs at times, but they also have a fighting spirit and a togetherness that you can't give a team as a coach.

“To go 6-3 in the pre-season was definitely unexpected, at in at least three of those wins we overachieved,” she went on. “We're ahead of schedule, especially considering our injury situation, but I know it's a long haul and you have to be good in February. We've exited the playoffs early too many years now, but if we can get healthy and stay healthy, I think we'll be right there.”

Just two players on the squad are in their third year or higher, with fourth-year forward Ashley Hill, a returning second-team conference all-star, and second year guard Megan Lang, who moves from the point to her more natural shooting guard position this season. As the only veterans on the team, Harle expects both to take on significant leadership roles.

“It's not realistic to expect a group of first- and second-year players to put a team on their shoulders, especially in Canada West,” she said. “Megan has really embraced this group and brings a defensive presence that changes games for us and doesn't always show up on the stats sheet.

“I also think Ashley Hill is going to have her best season yet. The rookies call her 'Grandma' and she loves it. She's finding there's something special going on with this team and that she only has two years left. Everybody knows she can score, but she's started to find other ways to contribute as well.”

Rookie Tamara Jarrett out of Diefenbaker High School is a force on both ends of the court and will compete for a starting spot, while sophomore Megan Schaufele showed dramatic improvement over the off-season. Add to that the arrival of Tilly Ettinger, who was named the Calgary Division I player of the year after leading her St. Mary's Saints to the city championship, and the youngsters seem set to provide a spark to this team.

“Tamara and Tilly are two kids that I've known and watched for a long time, and both are more ready to play than I thought they'd be,” said Harle. “We're going to rely on them, which is a surprise to me. I didn't expect them to be contributing as much this early, and there's still lots of room for growth and improvement.”

The Dinos open the season this weekend at home against the Winnipeg Wesmen, with tip-off at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights in the Jack Simpson Gym.

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