W. Hoops pair leave '98 squad

Chelsea Hathaway chose, and Shelly Fogarty was forced, to drop intercollegiate basketball this year. The Penn women's basketball program took a hit this offseason, as sophomores Chelsea Hathaway and Shelly Fogarty, two players key to the Quakers rebuilding efforts, will not be rejoining the team for the 1997-98 season for academic reasons. Fogarty was the first to depart, after she was advised by the College of Arts and Sciences to take a year off from the University for receiving poor grades her rookie year, according to Penn women's basketball coach Julie Soriero. "It's a tough lesson for anyone to learn," Soriero said. "But for the team and all athletes, it's a good lesson that you can't put athletics first before academics." Fogarty had started 19 of the squad's 26 games at the small forward position. Hathaway's departure was not provoked by the University, but was her own decision made this summer, during which she played locally in a summer league. "It was my decision all the way," Hathaway said. "I thought I'd focus on academics." Soriero said Hathaway left her a voicemail toward the end of summer, announcing that she would not be returning. The two still have not spoken since. "I left a message," said Hathaway, who claimed she was surprised the coaches haven't tried to contact her. "I called before I got back to school, and nobody has called me back." The void left by Hathaway's quitting will have to be filled by freshmen. Two years ago, then-junior point guard Erica McCauley quit the squad, and senior Colleen Kelly had to move over from the shooting guard position to lead the offense. The result was a huge loss of offensive production from one of the Quakers' best shooters. With Hathaway at the point, Kelly was able to move back to her two-spot, and she ended up leading all guards with 14.2 points per game. Last year, Soriero had eight reportedly strong recruits commit to Penn, and one of them will be expected to fill the role. "She was the best athlete at the time," said Soriero, explaining why Kelly was moved to the point two years ago. "But it would not be fair in her senior year to change her role and responsibilities on the team." Competing to fill the gap are freshmen Liz Alexander, Amy Nolan and Erin Ladley. "[Hathaway] was a very good basketball player and it's always a pleasure to coach talented players," Soriero said. "To compete at this level, you have to show willingness, because athletics is an all-year commitment. "It takes commitment to make training and conditioning part of your lifestyle? We were surprised [that Hathaway quit], but no one really missed a beat." Hathaway started every game for the Quakers and averaged 7.7 points and 34 minutes per game. The 5'10'', Forest Hills, N.Y., native stole 41 balls and recorded 125 assists on the season. Those numbers, however, were countered with 107 turnovers and a shooting percentage of just 33 percent. In addition, Hathaway was the most penalized player on the Red and Blue, committing 103 fouls and disqualifying eight times in 1996-97. Last year's backup to Hathaway was predominantly Amy Tarr, who graduated, with Kelly filling in. This year, a freshman will get the starting nod, but Soriero says she changed the offense a bit to allow for more shared responsibilities, claiming that Kelly may still take the ball upcourt on occasion.

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