Schedule
Lake Erie (0-4, 0-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (3-2, 0-0 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 6 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster |  Lake Erie Roster  | Hillsdale Stats | Lake Erie Stats | G-MAC Standings
 
 
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #4 Magdalena Sularski, So., G, Lemont, IL/Benet Academy (4.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.6 apg); #5 Sarah Aleknavicius, So.,G/F, Grafton, WI/Grafton (8 ppg, 4 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (15.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.2 apg); #24 Ellie Bruce, So., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (14 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.8 bpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (6 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.6 apg)
 
Lake Erie: #3 Nina Shaffer, G, Jr., Green, OH/Green (13.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg);  #11 Emma Fouch, Sr., G, Leesburg, OH/Leesburg Fairfield (2.8 ppg); #12 Kylee Maxwell, Jr., F, Mentor, OH/Mentor (7.5 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg); #14 Sydney Shocklee, Fr, F, Green, OH/Green (3.5 ppg, 2 rpg, 1.3 spg); #24 Megan Mares, Sr., F, Atlanta, GA/Duluth/York (7.3 ppg, 3 rpg, 1 spg, 1 bpg)
 
 
Scouting the Opposition
Lake Erie: The Storm are hoping to take a step forward in year two of Lauren Macer's tenure after a 4-22 record in 2024-25. While Lake Erie is off to a winless start so far, they've played some tough competition and will look to right the ship entering G-MAC play.

Three players who started 10 or more games for the Storm last season return, led by junior guard Nina Shaffer, who's taken a big step forward to become the team's leading scorer so far. She's backed up by the center tandem of Grace Lyon and Kylie Maxwell, who roughly split minutes and combine for nearly 15 points and 12 rebounds a game.

Lake Erie also has benefited from improvements by returners Megan Mares and Riley Montagner, who are both playing bigger roles this season after playing bit parts last year, and also the return of guard Sophie Chipps, a starter in 2023-24 who redshirted last season.

Two newcomers, Madonna transfer Marcela Rodriguez and freshman Sydney Shocklee, are also playing early for the Storm.

In 24 meetings since their first encounter in 2010, Hillsdale has an 18-6 edge over the Storm. The Chargers have won five straight against Lake Erie, including a 75-46 win last year. The Storm's last victory in the series was on Jan. 28, 2021, in a 78-76 thriller in Hillsdale.
 
 
Scouting Hillsdale
The 2024-25 season was a dream one for the Chargers, who won over 20 games, placed higher in the conference than in any season since 2008-09, and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.

From the outside, there's reason to expect the 2025-26 campaign to be a step back for Hillsdale. The Chargers graduated three senior starters, two All-G-MAC players and three of their top four scorers from last season's breakthrough team, and real question marks exist about whether Hillsdale can replace all that production.
 
That said, there's plenty of reasons for optimism for the Chargers as well. In spite of all the graduation losses, Hillsdale still has plenty of exciting talent to build around, and it's not too hard to see a path for the Chargers to be a contender in the G-MAC again in 2025-26 if everything pans out.

While Hillsdale's veteran guards were the focal point for Hillsdale in 2024-25, the 2025-26 edition of the Chargers is definitely centered in the post. The top returning scorer for Hillsdale is junior Savannah Smith, a talented and athletic post who was coming into her own as a force down low before a February injury cut her season short. That injury hurt the Chargers last season, but could have a silver lining in 2025-26 as it gave then-freshman Ellie Bruce a significant amount of high-leverage action. The 6-foot-2 Bruce grew tremendously as a player in the final month of the season after being thrust into a central role, and between her and Smith, Hillsdale should have one of the best 1-2 punches in the paint in the G-MAC this season.

On the wing, Hillsdale has holes to fill but returns a stalwart presence in 2025-26 starter Emma Ruhlman, as well as two veteran players who came off the bench last season but should be ready for bigger roles in juniors Annalise Pietrzyk and Sydney Pnacek. All three are dangerous 3-point shooters.
 
One X-factor for the Chargers is Sarah Aleknavicius. The sophomore was solid defensively as a freshman, and if her offensive game takes off with a year under her belt, she could cause real problems for opponents.

Hillsdale will have to find a new lead guard to replace All-G-MAC players Lauren McDonald and Caitlin Splain. That means a bigger role for twins Emilia and Magdalena Sularski, who will be expected to step into more playing time and make an impact in year two, as well as potentially more time for senior Payton Adkins.
 
The unknown element that could make the difference for the Chargers in 2025-26 is a strong freshman class. Hillsdale brought in size to pair with Smith and Bruce in the paint in 6-foot-3 Addison Kincaid, 6-foot-2 Katie Graves and 6-foot-1 Grace McKinney, along with a prolific combo guard in Maddie Smith who will challenge Emilia and Magdalena Sularski for the lead guard role. If Hillsdale's freshmen prove themselves ready early on for big roles, that will greatly enhance the Chargers' depth and make it more likely Hillsdale goes on a run.
 
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 tournament. 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

• The Chargers were picked to finish fifth in the 2025-26 G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll after earning runner-up honors in the conference race in 2024-25 and reaching the G-MAC Tournament championship game. Defending champion Ashland was picked to repeat as conference title-winner, while Malone was selected to finish second and Northwood was picked to take third. Findlay was picked to finish fourth, beating out Hillsdale by five points in a tight race.
• Annalise Pietrzyk kicked off the 2025-26 season with a weekend to remember, shooting 69.2% from deep and leading the Chargers in scoring and assists in a pair of wins to earn G-MAC Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career. She's stayed hot from deep since then, hitting a G-MAC leading 17 3-point attempts on 58.6% shooting to lead Hillsdale in points per game (15.8) and rank seventh in the conference. Nationally, Pietrzyk ranks sixth in 3-pointers per game (3.4) and third in 3-point percentage. As a focal point for Hillsdale's offense and a leader, Pietrzyk should be a major factor in the Chargers' 2025-26 plans.
• Hillsdale has one of the top post tandems in the G-MAC in junior Savannah Smith and sophomore Ellie Bruce. The 6-foot-2 Bruce has been a super-efficient interior player for the Chargers, averaging 14 points per game on 56.9% shooting from the floor and a much-improved 80% from the free throw line, while also ranking second in the G-MAC with 1.8 blocks per game. When Bruce hits the bench, opponents have gotten no relief, as Smith has been extremely effective off the pine with 9.2 points per game in 16 minutes of action a contest. The pair look like a potential nightmare for opponents this season.
• One of the keys for Hillsdale to be successful in 2025-26 is a big step forward from sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius, and early returns are positive, as the second-year player is averaging 8  points, 4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, major improvements on her freshman numbers. One of Hillsdale's best defenders since arriving on campus as a freshman last season, Aleknavicius ranks second in the G-MAC in assists per game and her emergence as an offensive threat bodes well for the Chargers this season.
• The Chargers' efficient offense has been a standout facet of the 2025-26 campaign so far. Hillsdale is shooting 38.8% from 3-point range as a team, second-best in the G-MAC. Part of the reason the Chargers are shooting so well is they're doing a great job of sharing the basketball, with a G-MAC-leading 18.6 assists per game and a sterling 1.15 assist-to-turnover ratio, tops in the G-MAC and top 12 in the nation. The Chargers are also second in the G-MAC and rank 12^th in the nation with 5.4 blocks per game, and are among the G-MAC's top defenses, ranking third in opponent field goal percentage (37.3%).