After losing the Atlantic 10 championship game last season, the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team, led by senior guard Alyssa Monaghan, is looking to start this season strongly.

Monaghan has been with the team throughout her four years on Hawk Hill and knows that her style of play can affect the game plan.

“Depending on what team we are playing, my style of play changes,” Monaghan said. “If we are playing a bigger team, I know that I have to step back or kick out any time I can, whereas when we are playing a smaller team I have more freedom to drive to the basket or get the ball down low.”

According to Monaghan, the focus of the team this year is to develop their chemistry.

“Our goal is definitely to win the Big 5 because it’s always great to beat your Philadelphia rivals,” Monaghan said. “Aside from that, we would love to do well in the A-10. We made it to the championship game last year, but we want to improve on that.”

Senior forward Sarah Veilleux, one of Monaghan’s teammates, believes that Monaghan is the key to the Hawks’ success this season.

“Alyssa is the leader on the court, and as a point guard she has control over almost everything that happens on the floor,” Veilleux said. “We have a lot of younger players on the team this year, which means Alyssa’s role is a lot bigger than last year because she is charged with having to get those players to where they need to be as a team.”

Veilleux said she has nothing but positive experiences with Monaghan as the pair have been teammates for the past three seasons.

“I have been fortunate enough to play alongside her and call her one of my friends and I attribute a lot of my success to her,” Veilleux said.

Despite her share of great memories on the court, Monaghan believes some of her greatest memories of St. Joe’s have come off the court.

“I’ve had such a great four years that I’ll never forget,” Monaghan said. “I’ve had the best teammates every year and have met so many good people and made so many good friends that I will always have.”