If there was an award for comeback team of the year at the College of Staten Island a year ago, it may have belonged to the women's basketball program  Under rookie head coach Tim Shanahan the team flourished and nearly doubled their win total, finishing 16-12 and advancing to the CUNYAC Semifinals for the first time in three years.  Losing only a lone senior, the squad has bigger and brighter aspirations this time around, and while they can't possibly double their win total this year, the goal is for a continued upward climb.

"I couldn't have asked for a better group last year," commented Shanahan, who returns a total of 10 players to the fold in 2013-14.  "The maturity level and the focus never wavered.  They had a tough job and they passed every test with flying colors."

Playing with, at times, three and four first-year faces in the lineup, Shanahan used an aggressive, up-tempo, substitution-heavy attack to confuse and keep opponents chasing.  The completely new and demanding offensive and defensive strategies was a risk for the first year head coach, but Shanahan is now basking in the reward.  The team adopted the style, continues to perfect it, and feels its one step closer to where they want to be.

"Our younger players had to get used to the speed and quickness of this level of basketball and they played wise beyond their years," he said.  "Sometimes I had to remind myself of how young we were last year.  To have so many of them returning with a year under their belts, to see the level of training they've done coming in, there's no doubt we are going to be better for it."

Of course, the most notable CSI returner will be one that didn't see any action a year ago.  Senior Katelyn Hepworth missed the entire season due to an injury she sustained on the eve of the Dolphins' first contest last season.  The powerful and physical inside presence is 171 points away from 1,000 complete with 650 career rebounds, good for 8.9 per game.

"Not only is it going to be great to have her on the court, but to see the kind of shape she is in and how she is leading this team has been inspiring," Shanahan noted.  "Others emulate her and for good reason.  She is a true leader by example, and we need her toughness."

Hepworth will be flanked by a quality supporting cast.  Co-captain and former CUNYAC Rookie of the Year Nikki Fabozzi returns in her shooting guard role after playing the power forward position last year, as does senior Melanie Johnson, a transfer forward last season that averaged 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game a year ago.  Then comes a very young backcourt consisting of sophomores Lisa Galasso (8.8 ppg, 96 assists), Megan Myhre (9.4 ppg, 60 three-pointers), Victoria Gallinaro (5.9 ppg, 40 steals), Safiyah Goffney, and Jamie Pifalo, whose season was cut short due to injury a year ago.  Senior Jaclyn Tocco and junior Jennifer Coughlan provide seasoned and experience minutes on the floor, along with the impeccable leadership needed to give CSI a terrific mix of personnel according to Shanahan.

"I think our strength is that we have great character and great leaders on our team," he said.  "Our freshmen played like seniors, carried themselves that way too, and our upperclassmen, players like Jaclyn (Tocco) and Jennifer (Coughlan), you just can't ask for better attitudes and selfless players."

Shanahan feels he has the lineup to pick up where he left off in 2013-14, but naturally, he expects a lift from his recruiting class as well.  The most notable incoming player is 5-10 forward Alyssa Carlsen, a non-athletic transfer from Mount Saint Mary College who Shanahan recruited heavily two years ago.  Carlsen could break into the starting five as soon as opening day, Fellow first-timers Frances Gonzalez (5-6, G, Roosevelt, NY),  Brianna Salomon (5-7, F, Staten Island, NY), and Kiara Joseph (5-9, F, Staten Island, NY) will also battle for time and make the Dolphins bigger, stronger, and better by season's end.

"I have been pleasantly surprised by what I have seen so far in the preseason," tells Shanahan.  "We ask a lot of our young players.  They need to pick up the game very quickly and be prepared physically.  I feel like we have an outstanding group that are soaking things up quickly and receiving instruction well.  As a coach, it makes our jobs a lot easier."

The Dolphins will look to build on their strengths this year.  The team forced an overwhelming 756 turnovers last year (27 per game), among the nation's best, holding opponents to a paltry 56.9 points per game on 36.5% shooting from the floor.  The aggressive, on-the-ball, defense will be the team's calling card and again, Shanahan is hoping to keep teams chasing the Dolphins up and down the court.

"If we are walking up the court, then there is something wrong or we are in bad foul trouble," the coach laughed.  "That's our game.  Our effort will dictate how well we play.  We will go hard all the time and if teams want to beat us, they are going to have to leave everything out on the floor and be gasping for air by the end of the game."

Last year that mission was accomplished but CSI still fell short, meaning there are areas for improvement.  The Dolphins shot just 35.6% from the floor last season, including a 28% clip from three-point range and were out-rebounded by 9.2 rebounds per game a year ago, one of the nation's lowest ratios, and obviously, a reason for their shortcomings.

"Everyone is looking for that elusive six-foot-something center to walk into their program and change things, but that's not the key to us getting better," said Shanahan.  "The key for us this year is to be smarter and work on our simple fundamentals.  Boxing out, getting to the open spaces quicker, knowing our assignments, that is what will help us get better in those areas.  We showed signs of that last year, and that's the area that we need to improve on most for us to turn that corner."

As far as what the season holds in store for the Dolphins, it's no surprise that the coach will play things close to the vest.  "I am cautiously optimistic," he said.  "Everyone in the conference is going to be better and I think that goes for us too.  The way I see it, we want to be a championship contender every year, and we are a year closer.  We've raised the competitive level and our conference schedule will bet tougher so we're going to need to be better to have better results by the end of the year, but that is certainly the plan."

The Dolphins will open the season this Friday, when they travel to New York University and take on Springfield College in a neutral site contest.  The consolation and championship legs of that tourney will take place on Saturday.  The schedule also features a date with NCAA Division I Army on December 29 at 1pm.  Tickets to all CSI home games are free and will be played in CSI's renovated Sports & Recreation Center.