BOSTON, Mass. -- Simmons basketball will open their 2012-2013 season on Saturday, November 10th in a scrimmage versus the Newbury College Nighthawks at 1:00 p.m. at the newly constructed Hascom Fitness Center on Hascom Air Force Base. The Sharks, who went 4-20 and 1-12 in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, will look to their five returners to set the tone for their 2012-2013 campaign.

Simmons will be led by senior captain Liz O'Connor (Milton, Mass.), who averaged 28 minutes and 12.5 points per game and junior captain Hannah May (Hamden, Conn.), who was second on the team last season with 7.3 points per game. After losing three four-year seniors to graduation, the Sharks will also rely on returners Leah Davis (Cranston, R.I.), Olivia LaCroix (Manchester, N.H.) and Georgia Kostopoulos (Cambridge, Mass.) to step up and into a leadership role.

Joining the veteran roster are five newcomers, Chanel Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.), Jen Janiak (Chelmsford, Mass.), Gracie Rolfe (Newton, Mass.), Eliza Henley (Warner, N.H.) and Nicole Alberghini (Northborough, Mass.), who will each add depth to the Sharks bench. "We have a lot of players who can and will play different positions, which will cause a lot of match-up problems for other teams who guard us," said Head Coach Kristen Rasmussen Tarr.

The Sharks will face several tough opponents, including Wellesley College, Brandeis University and Eastern Connecticut, in addition to the GNAC conference schedule. "Our team goal is to make the GNAC playoffs this season. We realize we have some work to do but if we work hard and push ourselves every time we step on the court, we are confident we can make it to playoffs," said Rasmussen Tarr.

The Sharks open their regular season on November 17th at the Eastern Connecticut tournament and host their first home contest on November 20th at 7:00 p.m. against Clark Univeristy.