skip navigation

Prepping for Preps '22-23: Haverford High (Girls)

11/26/2022, 11:30am EST
By Missy Dougherty

Missy Dougherty (@Missyingyou)
__

(Ed. Note: This story is part of CoBL’s “Prepping for Preps” series, which will take a look at many of the top high school programs in the region as part of our 2022-23 season preview coverage. The complete list of schools previewed thus far can be found here.)
~~~

The names and faces have come and gone in the Haverford High School girls’ basketball program over head coach Lauren Pellicane’s six years in charge, but the expectations remain the same.

“We want to compete for a Central League championship, make a deep run in the district tournament, and qualify for states,” Pellicane said.

The Fords will once again look to make some noise in the Central League and beyond this season – some “big” noise that is.

Pellicane will have an overabundance of size as this year’s squad will be led by two four-year post players in 6-foot-2 Caroline Dotsey and 6-foot-1 Mollie Carpenter.

Dotsey and Carpenter will look to feed off the momentum from last year’s successful campaign that saw the Fords finish 20-8 and qualify for the state playoffs for the first time in 10 years (2012) – when Dotsey and Carpenter would have been seven or eight years old.


Haverford senior forward Caroline Dotsey is headed to Maine next season. (Photo: Owen McCue/CoBL)

Gone from last year’s team are four seniors, but Dotsey and Carpenter, this year’s co-captains, are determined to make sure Haverford accomplishes its goals.
“We were grateful to play an extra month of basketball last season,” Pellicane said.

“Last year’s senior class brought tremendous leadership but Caroline and Mollie are ready to step into that role,” Pellicane said.

In this season of Thanksgiving, the Central League coaches must be grateful to know that Dotsey, a four-year starter, and University of Maine commit, is finally a senior.

“Caroline is a senior now, and this is her team,” Pellicane said. “She is a competitor and other players follow her lead, but she is ready to lead [the team] more vocally as well. I am excited to see her hard work pay off in her senior season.”

After averaging 15.2 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game, and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior, Dotsey is excited to see what she can help the Fords accomplish this season.

“As a team, we are always striving to improve from year-to-year,” Dotsey said. “I’m extremely proud of how we played as a team last year, and I think all of us share the goal of making it back to the state playoffs. Personally, my goal is to create a positive team dynamic where everyone is being pushed to perform their best.”

Carpenter serves as the perfect counterpart to Dotsey’s game.

“Mollie and Caroline complement each other well and have since day one of their freshman year,” Pellicane said. “Mollie brings the energy and intensity every time she steps on the floor.”
“She has an undeniable toughness and is our leader on the defensive end. Last year, she led us in [drawing] charges, deflections and steals.” 

Pellicane emphasized that Carpenter is continuing to work on her offensive game since last season. 

“Mollie has worked on her foul shooting and outside shooting,” Pellicane said. “We are going to need more offensive production from her in the upcoming season and she knows that.” 

Carpenter, who will continue her basketball career at Catholic University next year, realizes the importance of her leadership role. 

“I looked up to our seniors last year and hope to come close to impacting the underclassmen like that,” Carpenter said. 

Not surprisingly, the Fords’ strength will be the inside game where they will be able to run multiple high-low looks with Dotsey and Carpenter. 

“We need to utilize our height and play to our strengths,” Pellicane said. “It will be important for us to slow the game down and get to the foul line.” 

Senior Sky Newman and junior Khue Nguyen will add depth in the backcourt but the rest of Dotsey and Carpenter’s supporting cast will be mostly underclassmen. 

Two players that Pellicane is expecting big things from are junior Aniya Eberhart and sophomore Rian Dotsey (Caroline’s sister) as the Fords look to fill the void at the guard spot brought on by graduation. 

The 5-foot-9 Eberhart really came on at the end of last season. Scoring a team-high 11 points on three triples, Eberhart was the only Ford to hit double figures as ninth-seeded Haverford edged eighth-seeded Downingtown East, 31-29, to advance to the district quarterfinals. 

Rian Dotsey, a 6-foot-0 wing, made some clutch foul shots in the fourth quarter of that same contest to help Haverford punch its state ticket. 

Pellicane will look to both players on offense specifically as the Fords look to improve on their offensive production as a team. 

“Aniya and Rian played all summer and their improvement is noticeable,” Pellicane said. “Both are poised for breakout years as each is capable of dropping double figures on any given night.”

Overall, Pellicane believes some of the best competition will be at practice this season as Haverford looks to fill the void at the guard spot brought on by graduation. 

“Practice is going to be highly competitive this year. Younger kids are eager to get into the lineup and are all competing for time.” 

One huge team goal this season for the Fords is to improve their foul shooting. 

“We haven’t shot it well from the line in the last couple of years,” Pellicane said. “We need to be able to put the game away.” 

Foul shooting will be important in the always competitive Central League where the Fords earned the top seed in the conference tournament last season. 

Pellicane believes the Central League will have no shortage of contenders this year. “Defending champion Garnet Valley returns one of the league’s best players, Springfield will be led by an impressive senior starting lineup, Conestoga returns a lot of talent, and Radnor and Marple will be highly competitive,” she said.

“The league is wide open and you need to show up ready each night or someone will get you. Our goal remains to compete for a Central League title.” 

Outside of the Central League gauntlet, the Fords will open the season in usual fashion by hosting their Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament on Dec. 2-3. Other non-league contests include participating in the Rose Classic Holiday Showdown at the end of December in Brooklyn, N.Y., as well as the Hoops for Hope Classic at Ursinus College (Jan. 15) against Academy of Notre Dame, and the Maggie Lucas Classic at Jefferson University (Jan. 22) vs. Imhotep Charter. 

"Wins and losses aside, we get the opportunity to coach an awesome group of dedicated players that show up daily ready to work,” Pellicane said. “We couldn’t ask for anything more.” 

Two of those kids in particular, Caroline and Mollie, are relishing the chance for one final run in a Haverford uniform. 

“My personal goal is to help run this team effectively while creating bonds and memories that make the season memorable,” Carpenter said.

“There are rough times in every season but your team is always there supporting you. So, when you get to the good parts of a season with the family that helped you reach it, it's a feeling that is indescribable.” 

That family atmosphere has also made its mark on Dotsey. 

“I appreciate all of the relationships I have developed throughout my time at Haverford,” Dotsey said. “The coaches, my teammates, and all of our supporters have made my time at Haverford so memorable.” 

Here’s to more memories to come for the Fords in 2022-23.


D-I Coverage:

HS Coverage:

Small-College News:

Tag(s): Home  Contributors  2023-24 Preview  High School  Missy Dougherty  Girls HS  Central League (G)  Haverford High