St. Charles North turns to new faces, new looks

St. Charles North welcomes Megan Booe and Alex Silverman back to its lineup this winter, but those two players are the exception to the rule.

And that rule being, there's going to be a lot of new with the North Stars.

"I am really starting out fresh this year and everyone has started at the same level," North Stars coach Colleen Brennan said. "We are doing all new drills, a new offense, new pressure, and a new transition to truly develop a strong dynamic with everyone learning together. Both Megan Booe and Alex Silverman got playing time last year. But, again, we are starting out with a variety of combinations that are freshman to seniors."

Posts Jerica Balousek and Lauren Demoss were on last year's 15-15 team along with guard Alyssa Garcia, but most of the minutes went to graduated players like Sydney and Taylor Russell and Tess Fischer.

With those players gone, Brennan is looking to newcomers like freshman point guard Sam Novak, sophomore center Liz McNally and junior Natalie Winkates guard to step in and make an immediate impact.

Brennan certainly is excited by what she has seen in practice.

"I am looking forward to our team, and I believe the fans should as well," Brennan said. "I think we are a pesky bunch that have a nose for the ball which is something that is difficult to coach. We are focusing on communicating as a team on and off the court to increase our overall performance and vibe as a varsity team. I think we are going to surprise people."

Brennan has her team in a new Thanksgiving tournament at York where they will see quality teams like Neuqua Valley, York, Wheaton North, Conant and Prospect.

That should get them prepared to go against conference teams with more experience like Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles East.

"As far as how we will compete in the conference we are taking each game one at a time, and I am enjoying the current progress that I am seeing," Brennan said. "The Upstate Eight is full of talent and experience, so this will be a great opportunity for us to compete with a variety of teams."