Lady Kingsmen Eye League Title

The Kings Park girls varsity basketball team are headed into the playoffs after going 11-3 overall in the season and 7-1 in Suffolk County’s League V tournament.

“We just solidified our first playoff spot and that’s always our first goal,” said Kings Park head coach Tom Edmundson. “Winning the league title is another goal we set for ourselves and I think we have a chance to do that too.”

The Lady Kingsmen have faced key injuries this season, losing star player Kristen Picciano to a knee injury in the opening game of the season and, most recently, Daniele Buoncore to another knee ailment.

“We’re hoping Daniele can come back for the playoffs because she does a lot for us and is a big contributor as forward,” said Edmunson.

Buoncore had been the leading rebounder and Kings Park’s third leading scorer before the injury.

One of those players who has stepped to the forefront this season has been senior point guard Meghan Eckel, a five-nine speedster who is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14 points per game while also leading the Kingsmen in both assists (7) and steals (7) per contest. Eckel is also second on the team in rebounding, an unheard of accomplishment for a player who doesn’t play a forward position.

Senior Marion Kawecki, a six-foot shooting guard, has been another outstanding performer this season.

“Defensively, Marion just creates all kinds of problems for other teams and she’s been our leading scorer as well,” Edmundson said. “Her athleticism and size make it difficult to defend her and, the funny thing is, as well as she scores, she’s even a stronger defensive player. But she runs the floor so well and can score whenever we need her to.”

Marjorie Duffel, a junior guard, is a top-notch defender who is also contributing to the team's winning season.

“She boxes out her opponents and she gets up and down the floor as well as anybody on our team,” remarked Edmundson. “She’s a volleyball player so her athleticism has really made a mark on the league.”

Sophomore Brittany Mueller is starting at forward and her versatility (she’s played all five positions for Kings Park) came in handy after she came off the bench when Buoncore was injured.

Shannon Ahern, a freshman as well as Sydney Giacalone a junior, and Lauren Ranalli, another freshman, give the Lady Kingsmen depth off the bench.

“Our toughness is one of our biggest strengths and teams know that we battle, we fight and the girls give me everything they’ve got,” said Edmundson. “We are a fast paced team and we bring a lot of intensity and many of the teams we’ve faced don’t know how to handle that. We go after the ball and play in your face defense. We use our athleticism and we use it to our advantage.”