Aubrey Schmeltz will look to play a big role for the Lady Warriors in 2016-17. (Photo by Nick Goralczyk)

SYRACUSE — It is the start of a new era in just about every way imaginable for the Wawasee girls basketball program. Matt Carpenter enters as the new head coach for the Lady Warrior program as he takes over for Kem Zolman, who had guided the successful program for the past 18 years.

Wawasee will also be searching for new leadership on the court with four-year starter Kylee Rostochak lost to graduation. Heck, even the jerseys are new for the ladies this year. The page has been turned, there is a new chapter being written and it’s starting off better than expected.

“We had a great summer,” said Carpenter. “My goal was to have a big summer for not just the varsity, but for the whole program. We wanted to continue to build the program throughout. We had our freshman, our JV and our varsity playing in events this summer. We really had a good summer. We wanted to develop relationships between the coaching staff and the girls because this is an entirely new staff. We wanted to bond as coaches as well.

“This was a great summer, we had some success and found some things we need to work on. Not every coach gets the summer to work with their new team, but I did and I’m very thankful for that.”

Carpenter takes over a team that went 8-15 last season and 2-5 in the Northern Lakes Conference. Though the team’s leading scorer is gone, there is still plenty of familiar faces returning for Wawasee. Those faces are familiar for even Carpenter as he spent the past 10 years as an assistant at Goshen getting to know Wawasee and the NLC very well.

“The first thing I noticed at open gyms this past spring was that these girls had much more skill than I realized from the outside,” said the coach. “I’ve scouted this team in the past, I’m familiar with them. But you never really know their ability or skills until you see them on a daily basis. We tried to open things up and work on a lot of that this summer.”

Carpenter has already been making plenty of notes on his new players.

“Kabrea Rostochak, that girl can shoot. She can flat-out shoot,” Carpenter said of his junior. “I didn’t know that. I didn’t see enough of that when scouting this team. So, right away, we’re looking at how can we get her shots? How can we keep her confidence up so she wants to take those shots? Aubrey Kuhn can handle the ball so well. After playing against her last year, my first thought was how much better she had become. I’m thrilled to have her at our point guard position.

“Casey Schroeder has made big strides as a sophomore and I think she’ll fill a big role for us. Hannah-Marie Lamle can jump out of a gym. She’s got long arms. She can attack the baseline and she has a true jump shot. Madison Beaman is a rock for us, incredibly strong and fiery. Seaquinn Bright has serious ups. She’s athletic and gets up and down the floor. Our goal is getting them all to score as a collective unit.”

Perhaps the biggest impact player for the Warriors this season will be Aubrey Schmeltz. Carpenter has already been working with her in hopes of changing her game.

“With Aubrey it’s about getting her to play with her basket a little more,” Carpenter explained. “We don’t want her on the perimeter as much. When she did that last year, and in previous years, she was good. We’re just trying to get reps for her.

“Aubrey will be a big key for us. There’s no doubt about that. She’s going to be somebody that other teams concentrate on. They’re going to try and beat her up around the post. She’s got a nice skill set. She’s got size. She’s got length. It’s all about making sure that she’s using those things and that we’re getting her the ball so she can score and keep her confident.”

Carpenter said the girls have not set goals so far in the terms of wins and losses. However, the team has talked about game-by-game goals and achievements.

“I’d like to think that we can compete in conference and in every game. That’s a goal for sure,” Carpenter said. “I like to win. I’m a competitor. But we’re also preaching to the girls about trusting the process. That’s a little Joe Maddon-ism there for you. Trusting the process. How are we developing day-to-day? The results will, hopefully, take care of themselves. But, everyday are we getting better and making strides so that we’re peaking at the end of the season? That’s what we’re focused on.”

Wawasee will start its season Thursday night at Mishawaka Marian.