Terrier Sports
A Champion Returns, Women’s Basketball Star Joins Coaching Staff
She travelled across the ocean then came right back to Brooklyn Heights. Leah Fechko ’16 joins the St. Francis Brooklyn
women’s basketball coaching staff one year after graduating and playing professionally for the 2016–17 season in Dublin,
Ireland with Killester Basketball Club.
W
“
e are very pleased to welcome
Leah Fechko back,” said head coach
John Thurston. “Her knowledge
of St. Francis, our system, the Northeast
Conference and basketball in general made
her an ideal choice to work with our younger
players on a daily basis. She was an outstand-
ing student, a team captain and role model,
and she’ll be a great resource for all of our
student athletes.”
Fechko, who played from 2012–2016 is one
of the greatest players in school history, and
was one of the premier players across the NEC.
The Twinsburg, Ohio native served as a core
Leah Fechko ’16 in her playing days at SFC.
Basketball Teams Travel North of the Border
M
en’s and Women’s basketball had some extra pre-season workouts this summer thanks
to a trip north of the border for exhibition games in Canada. In addition to the team-building
experience coaches were also able to hold an additional 10 days of practice, allowing
the coaches to work their new players into the rotation. A total of 10 new players will join the
squads this fall.
The trips fall under an NCAA rule that allows Division I teams to travel internationally during
the summer once every four years.
The men’s squad opens the regular season at Duquesne on November 11 with their home
opener November 20 versus Brown. A date with Notre Dame on December 3 in South Bend,
Indiana and a three-game tournament at Florida Gulf Coast University during the Thanksgiving
holiday highlights the non-conference season. Sophomore guard Rasheem Dunn ’20 returns
to the team after averaging a team-high of 13.1 points per game and earning All-Northeast
Conference Rookie Team honors last season.
The women tip-off at local rival St. John’s on November 10 and play in front of the home fans
for the first time on November 16 against Army. The squad will also travel to South Florida for
the Florida Atlantic University Tournament November 24 and 25. Senior Alex Delaney ’18 who
averaged more than 10 points per game is the Terriers’ leading returning scorer. ●
Members of the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams at Mount Royal Lookout in Montreal.
16
player for the 2014–2015 NEC Champion
Terriers that reached the NCAA Tournament
for the first time in school history, for either
basketball program. She ranks eighth in points,
fifth in rebounds, is tied for ninth in assists,
and third in steals.
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to continue
growing as a coach under coach Thurston,”
said assistant coach Fechko. “He is the reason
I had a great career as a player and I know I
will now be able to help him have a positive
impact on the young players. I’m looking
forward to a successful 2017–18 season.” ●
Maria Palarino Interns
for Stanley Cup Champion
Pittsburgh Penguins
Y
ou’d be hard pressed to find someone
that had a better summer than Maria
Palarino ’19. The women’s basketball
player began her media relations internship
right in the middle of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Stanley Cup championship run in May. She
handled graphic design, compiled stats, and
assisted in other aspects in the department.
Palarino, a native of Irwin, Pennsylvania, grew
up rooting for the Penguins, so interning was
especially thrilling and unique.
“Getting to come home for the summer
and working for a team that I’ve grown up
watching and players that I’ve looked up to
is already cool enough,” she said, humbly.
“Watching them win the Stanley Cup, and
being a part of it, I didn’t think it could get
any better but it did.” ●
Maria Palarino ’19 during a game versus
Monmouth University and with the Stanley Cup.
ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER | FALL 2017 | VOLUME 81, NUMBER 1