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Schedule
Hillsdale (12-8, 8-6 G-MAC) at Lake Erie (4-16, 3-11 G-MAC) | 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Feb. 12 | Jerome T. Osborne Center | Painesville, OH
Hillsdale (12-8, 8-6 G-MAC) at Ashland (12-9, 8-7 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 14 | Kates Gymnasium | Ashland, OH
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Hillsdale Roster | Lake Erie Roster | Ashland Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Lake Erie Stats | Ashland Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #5 Sarah Aleknavicius, So., G/F, Grafton, WI/Grafton (7.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.1 spg); #15 Maddie Smith, Fr., G, Montgomery, AL/Trinity Presbyterian (1.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (14.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.1 spg); #21 Savannah Smith, Jr., F, Liberty Twp., OH/Lakota East (12.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (7.9 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1 spg)
Lake Erie: #12 Kylee Maxwell, Jr., F, Mentor, OH/Mentor (6.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.5 spg, 1.2 bpg); #14 Sydney Shocklee, Fr, F, Green, OH/Green (2.6 ppg); #23 Noel Weathers, Jr., F, Cincinnati, OH/Mount Healthy/Notre Dame College (8.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg); #32 Sophie Chipps, G, So., Napoleon, OH/Napoleon (4.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg); #33 Gracie Lyon, Sr., F, Navarre, OH/Fairless/West Liberty (10.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.1 spg)
Ashland: #1 Ashley Mullet, So., G, Berlin, OH/Hiland (12.4 ppg, 3.2 apg); #7 Katelyn Harabedian, Sr., G, San Jose, CA/Sonoma St. U. (6.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg); #11 Gia Casalinova, Sr., G, Oak Lawn, IL/Lewis U. (4.3 ppg); #14 Kyra Hill, rFr, F, Goshen, IN/Goshen (6.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.1 Bpg); #24 Jenna Slates, Fr., F, Hartville, OH/Green (15.7 ppg, 11.9 rpg)
Scouting the Opposition
Lake Erie: The Storm won’t make the G-MAC Tournament this year, but despite a 4-16 record, Lake Erie is still a dangerous opponent, as Cedarville and Tiffin found out in losses earlier this season, and as Hillsdale knows after escaping with a narrow 54-50 win at home on Dec. 6.
Lake Erie badly misses star guard Nina Shaffer, who went out of the lineup in late December with an injury and hasn’t played since. The Storm are 2-8 in the absence of their point guard, and her loss has forced the team to rely even more heavily on the post, especially high-scoring forward Grace Lyon and 6-foot-2 center Kylie Maxwell.
While Shaffer’s absence hurts, Lake Erie did add an important piece in Notre Dame College transfer Noel Weathers, who’s averaging an important 8.3 points per game in seven appearances in January and February.
Lake Erie goes deep into its bench in most contests, with 12 healthy players averaging 12 or more minutes a game. Guards Emma Fouch, Jaicee Wallace, Riley Montagner and Sophie Chipps and forwards Megan Mares and Sydney Shocklee are among the key contributors.
In 25 meetings since their first encounter in 2010, Hillsdale has an 19-6 edge over the Storm. The Chargers have won six straight against Lake Erie, including a 75-46 win last year and a 54-50 win earlier this season. The Storm’s last victory in the series was on Jan. 28, 2021, in a 78-76 thriller in Hillsdale.
Ashland: It’s been an uncharacteristically tough season for Ashland, as the Eagles were hit hard by graduation from last year’s G-MAC Championship team and significant injuries that have sabotaged their attempt to reload.
While Ashland will see its streak of four straight G-MAC titles end, the Eagles still have plenty to play for entering the G-MAC Tournament, and are still extremely dangerous, as a win over G-MAC title contender Thomas More last Thursday shows.
With many of the team’s top scoring options graduated or sidelined, freshman Jenna Slates has emerged as a star forward, averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds a game and carrying a massive load for Ashland. Sophomore Ashley Mullet is an excellent secondary scoring piece and steady hand at point guard, while transfer guards Alysa Lopez and Jenna Badali also play important roles. In the paint, 6-3 redshirt freshman Kyra Hill and veteran junior Katelyn Harabedian are taking advantage of increased playing time, and guard Gia Casalinova has moved into the starting lineup and is playing well.
Ashland misses starting guards Corri Vermilya and Lexi Howe, both of whom were double digit scorers when healthy and who both have been out since early December. A healthy return by either could make a big impact.
The Eagles lead the series with Hillsdale 36-23, but the Chargers snapped a 14-game losing streak that dated back to 2014 with a 53-52 home win over Ashland on Jan. 24. With that game in mind, the Eagles will certainly be looking for revenge at home.
Scouting Hillsdale:
A critical home sweep this past weekend all but locked up a fourth-straight G-MAC Tourney bid for the Chargers, and moved Hillsdale into sixth in the standings. The Chargers are now playing for seeding, and still have a realistic shot at a top four finish and a home quarterfinal game with a strong final three weeks of the season.
The Chargers are buoyed heavily offensively by a breakout campaign from junior guard Annalise Pietrzyk, who’s nearly doubled her scoring output from last season and is among the G-MAC leaders at 14.6 points per game, with three contests with 25 or more. Also playing a big role for Hillsdale offensively is the center rotation of Savannah Smith and Ellie Bruce, who each play roughly half the game and combine to average another 20 points between them. Smith, the leading returning scorer from the 2024-25 squad, has been an impact player in the post and ramped up her scoring contributions recently with two 25-plus point games in her last five. As her backup, the 6-foot-2 Bruce is among the G-MAC leaders in blocked shots and an imposing two-way force, making sure there’s little drop-off when Smith is on the bench.
Senior Emma Ruhlman is an excellent rebounder from the wing, a strong shooter and a critical leader as well for the Chargers, while sophomore Magdalena Sularski and freshman Maddie Smith share point guard duties for Hillsdale and are growing into the role. Emilia Sularski and Sydney Pnacek are both key bench players for the Chargers. Hillsdale is hoping for a strong month of February from Sarah Aleknavicius, who made key contributions in Hillsdale’s two wins last week after returning from an injury and who should be an important player for the Chargers down the stretch.
Hillsdale is coached by Brianna Brennan, who is in her third year at the helm and was named the BCAM College Coach of the Year for the state of Michigan after guiding the Chargers to the NCAA Tournament in the 2024-25 season. Abbey McNeil returns for her third season as associate head coach, and alumnus Sophia Pierce is back in Hillsdale for her first season as an assistant coach to round out the staff.
Other Notes
Junior Savannah Smith has been strong over the last three weeks, with five double figure scoring contests in six outings, including a 27 point, 12 rebound double-double in Hillsdale’s home win over Ashland on Jan. 17, and a 25 point effort in an overtime win over Tiffin on Feb. 5. Now in the starting lineup, Smith has seen her role grow, as she ranks second on the team with 12.5 points per game in just 20 minutes a contest. She makes a strong post tandem with starter Ellie Bruce, who’s averaging nine points, five rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in the minutes when Smith isn’t on the floor.
Senior captain Emma Ruhlman earned G-MAC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 5 after posting a 16-point, 14 rebound double-double to lead the Chargers to an upset victory over then 19th-ranked Malone on Jan. 3. A three-year contributor and two-year starter for Hillsdale, Ruhlman has provided invaluable leadership and great 3-point shooting. As a senior, she’s also become one of the top rebounders in the G-MAC, leading Hillsdale and ranking eighth in the conference with 7.2 per game. She had back-to-back games with 15 rebounds in Hillsdale’s two wins last week, including her second career double-double in a 63-52 win over Ohio Dominican on Feb. 7.
Annalise Pietrzyk set a new career high for the Chargers with 30 points in a big win over conference title contender Walsh on Jan. 5. She’s having a phenomenal season for the Chargers, already earning one G-MAC Player of the Week honor early in the campaign. Always a sharpshooter for Hillsdale, the junior has stayed hot from deep, ranking among the G-MAC leaders in 3-point shooting percentage (36.7%) with 47 makes, but she’s now showing the all-around development of her game, ranking eighth in the G-MAC in scoring (14.6) and ninth in assists (2.9), as a leader and tone-setter for the Chargers.
Hillsdale sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius is making an impact now that she’s returned from an injury that held her out for almost all of January, scoring eight of her 11 points against Tiffin in the final 20 seconds of regulation and overtime to lead the Chargers to victory. Her return is huge for Hillsdale, as before getting hurt, Aleknavicius was averaging 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, major improvements on her freshman numbers. She’s also among the team’s best defenders, critical for a team that wins with defense, first and foremost.
Hillsdale has been a prolific 3-point team in 2025-26, shooting 33.8% from 3-point range as a team to rank second in the G-MAC and in the top 30 nationally. Four Chargers players are shooting 35% or better from 3-point range with at least 10 makes – Pietrzyk, Ruhlman, Aleknavicius, and Emilia Sularski.
Part of the reason the Chargers are shooting so well is they’re doing a great job of sharing the basketball, leading the G-MAC with 14.75 assists per game. The Chargers are also second in the G-MAC and rank 31st in the nation with 4.1 blocks per game, and are among the G-MAC’s top defenses, ranking second in opponent field goal percentage (37.9%) and giving up just 64 points per game.
Hillsdale has been sensational at home, with a perfect 9-0 record in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena so far in 2025-26. The Chargers’ record at home could have a big impact down the stretch, as three of Hillsdale’s final five conference games in February are at home, including a showdown with rival and G-MAC leader Northwood on Feb. 28, the final day of the regular season. If the Chargers can keep up their sterling home record, they could make a big move up the final standings ahead of the G-MAC Tournament in March.