SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team opens the 2017-18 season this weekend with the 41st Skidmore Invitational. The Thoroughbreds will take on Bowdoin at 6 p.m., with Connecticut College and St. Thomas (Minn.) battling in the nightcap at 8 p.m. On Saturday, Skidmore will host Connecticut College at 2 p.m., with St. Thomas (Minn.) and Bowdoin facing off in the finale at 4 p.m.
 
This season's invitational is certainly not short on talented teams.  Bowdoin and St. Thomas played in the NCAA tournament last season, with the Tommies reaching the NCAA Semifinals. Skidmore won the Liberty League regular season title, while Conn College had a very competitive season in the NESCAC.
 
"We are looking forward to a strong opening to our season," said Skidmore head coach Darren Bennett.  "Every year in our tip-off classic, we try to invite the best teams we can and then we play the best of the best if possible.  Last year we locked up against Tufts and lost a tough, five-point battle, this year we take flight against Bowdoin College, one of the top teams in the country, and follow that game up against a very talented and competitive Connecticut College team."
 
Bennett is very excited about this year's team, saying, "We are a veteran group that's talented and that's not easy to achieve year-in and year-out.  Having all senior captains and starting four seniors and a junior will make a lot of special things seem simple because they've done it before or they've seen it before.  Our upper class players are not only good players, they are tremendous leaders that care about their teammates and our program and that's something that is not easily achieved in a team sport.  It's going to make our journey that much special."
 
Skidmore is talented at every position, starting with two-time WBCA All-American Kelly Donnelly at the swing forward spot.  The two-time conference player of the year is going to be something special to watch this season.  She is joined in the frontcourt by starting forward and fellow senior Caite Opfer.  Opfer is a special athlete with size, power and speed.  She can defend all five positions and has the ability to score inside and out or off the dribble.  The rest of the forward group includes sophomore Lilly Berg and freshman Meera Ratte.  Lilly is a 6'2 forward who is coming into her own.  She has a silky smooth mid-range shot and incredible strength inside. Meera is a 5'11 first-year student with size and speed and great feet around the rim.  She is a natural shot blocker and does it great without fouling and is able to keep the ball in play.  Meera will be a player to watch throughout the season as she has the capability to score and has the ability to go off offensively for a special game or two this season.
 
Captains Ari Fustini and Veronica Moceri lead the guard rotation.  Fustini will play both the wing spot and some point guard.  Fustini is a two-time captain and has developed a very consistent outside shot as well as the ability to put the ball on the deck, expanding her scoring options all over the floor.  Moceri is a pure shooter with a very strong handle.  "Vee" will play primarily shooting guard, but will also put some time in at the point guard.  She has the ability to really shoot the ball from deep range and an uncanny ability to handle the ball making her extremely hard to defend one way every possession.  Junior Haley English will handle the point guard duties full-time for the Thoroughbreds.  Haley is a three-year starter that has grown tremendously as a player over the last two seasons.  Her comfort for the game continues to grow and her confidence is great as a point guard.  Her 3-point shot has improved and her ability to attack the rim will really make a difference for the team this year. 
 
Juniors Taylor Ong and Kayla Mitchell, sophomore Jessica Centore and first-year players Sydney Tsutsui and Caroline Mergurian make up the rest of the guard group for Skidmore.  Ong has moved from a power forward last season to a guard spot this year.  Her 3-point shot is strong and her ability to attack the basket with extreme power will make it very hard for opponents to guard her this season.  Centore brings extreme speed to the court for the team.  She is really coming into her own and only knows how to play at one speed and that's fast.  The fastest player on the team by far, Centore has a great mid-range shot and rebounds extremely well for her frame. Mitchell is a great athlete who provides strong play off the screen-and-roll game and in attacking the basket and is an excellent on ball defender.  Tsutsui is a marksman shooter from behind the arc.  Her understanding of the game on both ends of the floor is going to allow her to progress quickly in the Skidmore system and allow for her to make a mark early in her career.  Mergurian is the last of the first-year group and is a really great player.  Unassuming, but very skilled, Caroline can beat defenders off the dribble in a number of different ways. Caroline is a great fit for all the guard positions because she has the ability to shoot with range, handle the ball and is a strong passer.
 
"Overall, we are in a good place going into our first game," Bennett said.  "We are ready to take flight and are looking forward to the season's journeys and building a strong, tight knit, successful season again this year."