Nashua Telegraph: Pintal Focuses On ‘D' By Gary Fitz, Staff Writer

Stonehill junior Stephanie Pintal.

There are five players averaging double figures on the Stonehill College women's basketball team this winter. That kind of scoring balance is a big reason why the Skyhawks (7-1) are ranked among the top Division II teams in the country.

But statistics don't tell the entire story of Stonehill's success. If they did, it would be easy to overlook junior Stephanie Pintal of Nashua, currently averaging 1.8 points, 2.0 assists and 1.1 rebounds a game.

Incredibly, Pintal does lead the team in one statistical category that tells you all you need to know about the 5-foot-7 guard. She's averaging a team best 33.1 minutes per game.

"She's the kind of player who helps you in so many ways that don't show up in the box score,'' said coach Trish Brown, whose team has reached the NCAA Northeast Regional semifinals three times in her first six years.

"We have a lot of kids who can score. We don't have a lot of players who can defend like Stephanie, which is why she plays so much.''

Pintal learned her lesson on how to contribute to a basketball team early.

"I remember my dad saying 'if you can play defense, there will always be a spot for you on the floor,' " Pintal said. "I've always had more of a defensive mentality, and I like being given the toughest defensive assignment.''

Which for Pintal often means guarding the opposition's point guard and disrupting the other team's offense before it gets started.

"Winning is our biggest priority,'' Pintal said. "But I look at the box score, like everyone else.

"I like scoring. Everyone likes scoring. But I feel like I can create shots for other people.''

Like former Nashua teammate Kristen McWhirter.

Both played on Nashua's last championship team in 2004, the year before the split. McWhirter left for New Hampton prep the next winter, but the former AAU teammates havebeen re-united at Stonehill.

After an outstanding freshman year coming off the bench, WcWhirter is a sophomore starter, averaging 10.5 points per game.

"Nothing she does surprises me,'' Pintal said.

And the same goes for Pintal, who made the team two years ago as a walk-on, although Brown had a pretty good idea what she was getting.

"She's in great shape, which is why she plays so much,'' Brown said. "And she works just as hard off the court, carrying a tough major (Biology) for a college athlete.''

And in the only statistic that really matters, Pintal is an integral part of a team that takes a 7-1 record into tonight's home game against Southern Connecticut.