By GIUSEPPE UNGARO Managing Editor There were the fun-filled, sun-splashed days in the world’s most famous amusement park. There was the dance-off against opposing basketball teams at a tournament party, seeing who had the best moves on the dance floor. There was also a solid showing on the hardwood, as the Absegami High School girls basketball team finished third in a recent tournament at Walt Disney World. However, one more moment from the trip stood out to senior captain Eva Sodaitis. One moment she was walking and talking with fellow senior and teammate Brielle Clarke, and the next moment Clarke walked into a sign. The seemingly ordinary accident sent the self-professed clown of the team into a laughing fit for the next 20 minutes. Clarke took the accident and the ensuing laughter in stride. It’s the kind of treatment only acceptable from true friends, which best describes the Braves. The upperclassmen have been playing on the same team for years, and their bond is evident on and off the court. 
A strong bond among teammates has helped Absegami enjoy great success the last two years. The Braves won 15 games a year ago, and so far this season have won six of their first eight games. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) “I was talking to Eva and wasn’t paying attention,” Clarke explained. “I was looking at her and before I knew it I walked into the sign. It hit me in the stomach. She probably laughed for a good 20 minutes, for the entire bus ride back to the hotel. Every time she looked at me she started cracking up. Everyone was laughing. It was really funny.” Clarke obviously can laugh at herself, and also take the ribbing from her teammates, who are longtime friends. The Absegami seniors, including Mary Riggs, started playing together for the Galloway PAL traveling team when they were in junior high school. Current junior starters Arielle Schafer and Sara Pietropola also were part of the squad. The amount of minutes logged during those games and practices, and the time spent in the Braves program under coach Meghan Tracey, has paid off. The Braves, who won 15 games last season, continue to impress on the basketball court. Abesgami started this season by winning six of its first eight games, and rebounded from a tough loss to Mainland by beating Atlantic City 36-31 on Jan. 12 to improve to 5-2. They currently are 6-2 overall and 2-1 in the Cape-Atlantic League American Conference, just a game behind Mainland Regional and a half-game behind Holy Spirit. The familiarity and closeness of the players is one of the reasons for the Braves’ success. “We all know where we like the ball because we have been playing together for so long and we are so used to each other,” Sodaitis said. “We are close. I think we know we can trust each other on and off the court. It’s fun to play with best friends. When we have a bad game we can lift each other up.” “It’s definitely a lot of fun since we’ve been together so long,” Griggs said. “We are finally at the point we can actually do something this year.” “We have known each other so long, we are basically a family,” Clarke said. “We are like sisters. We are around each other all the time. On the court, everything connects. We know what each other is thinking.” 
Playing tough defense, like the kind shown here by Sara Pietropola against Egg Harbor Township, is what the Braves do best. In her seven years at the helm, Tracey has always preached a defense-first philosophy, and the Braves have done just that this season. The Braves didn’t give up more than 33 points in any of their first seven games, relying on strong defense to set the tone. The Braves have also jelled offensively, mostly using an inside-out game. Absegami likes to attack the rim — especially off turnovers — or feed the post. If the inside is closed off, the Braves can kick the ball back out to Clarke, one of the team’s best perimeter shooters. The Braves have also made good use of sophomore guard Julia Dolan, who provides a spark off the bench. “This group is better on defense, but they are working on offense,” Tracey said. “The last couple of years we have seen improvement on offense, but their strength is defense.” The Braves have confidence from winning, but also from knowing what they can accomplish as a group. They bided their time through some adversity as underclassmen. Through it all, they stayed positive, knowing they would get their chance to play and make their mark. “We knew what was coming, we knew the potential we had,” Riggs said. “We worked hard and we stayed together to get where we are or how we played last year. We knew we still had to work off (former players) until it was our time to shine. Last year, I think we definitely figured out how to step up and play up to our potential.” “I feel like this year and last year we got into a groove,” Clarke said. “We are really ready to show what we can do and that we are going to be a good team.” The Braves don’t have an easy journey. The Cape-Atlantic League is full of quality teams. However, the Braves believe they are in the mix, not just in the league, but also in the playoffs when they eventually arrive. The seniors want to do well not just for themselves, but also to leave the program in better shape than when they first started. “I know the three seniors are anxious to move on but we want to take in every moment and cherish it all,” Sodaitis said. “After this year we are done playing. We just want to enjoy it. We want to do better than last year and we want the team to get better and better. We came in during our freshmen year and we were not that good, but we want to leave something they can build on.” Contact Giuseppe Ungaro: gungaro@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDgisepu [adsense]
Bond developed through the years has helped Absegami’s girls basketball team flourish
