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That St. Paul squad had by far the best year among all the area teams, going 13-7 in the regular season and making a run into the Class S quarterfinals. But even the Falcons, after a 9-1 start, suffered through a pair of three-game losing streaks during their season.
With the 2009-10 season set to start tonight, St. Paul and Terryville look to come back stronger than last year, while Bristol Central also has nowhere to go but up and Bristol Eastern will be looking to again improve over the first half and come back with a strong second half.
Coach: Joe Mone (15th year, 185-135)
Last year: 16-9 (Class S quarterfinalist)
Probable starters: Chelsea Mone (sr. capt., 6-0, two-time All-NWC G/F), Claire Consonni (sr. capt., All-NWC G), Adele Ruel (sr. capt., F), Amber Litwinko (jr., G), Courtney Lobo (jr., G/F).
Key reserves: Ashley Sulewski (sr., F), Becca Ferland (jr., F), Sylvia Cavero (sr., G), Missy Zommer (sr., G), Emily Camden (jr., G).
Falcons’ outlook: With four starters and nine of the top 10 players on last year’s successful team returning, “I think we’re going to have a pretty solid season,” coach Mone said. “We had a very good season [last year], so I’m hoping to build on that.”
All three seniors in St. Paul’s starting lineup — Chelsea Mone, Consonni and Ruel — have been starting together since their freshman year.
“We’ve gradually increased our win total and production all three years,” coach Mone said. In trying to continue that trend this season, “I think we want to try to be a little more consistent,” coach Mone said. “Last year was the first for that group to really be a winning team.”
The team’s goal is always to try to get a little better each day at some aspect of the game, he said, and in the preseason the Falcons seemed focused on turning their weaknesses into strengths.
“I’m looking forward to the year,” coach Mone said.
NVL outlook: Coach Mone said that entering the team’s first season in the Naugatuck Valley League’s Brass Division, he’s not too sure what to expect from opponents such as Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, Watertown, Wolcott and Woodland.
“We’re all in the same boat,” he added. “They don’t know much about us, either.”
With a good season, the Falcons could get a chance to claim a divisional title in the regular season and/or win the overall league title in the postseason tournament.
“We’re just going to play hard every day,” coach Mone said. “We’re just going to go about our business ... and hopefully that’ll be good enough.”
The new league offers new challenges, he added.
“We’re very anxious to take on those challenges,” he said.
Bristol Press
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Athletics 
