This time there will be no attempt by Minnesota State University Moorhead players or coaches to mask their championship dreams. No, all close to the Minnesota State University Moorhead program are confident the Dragons are on the verge of something special and expectations have been ramped up considerably.

The return of four starters will do that. Indeed, head coach Karla Nelson brings back four incumbents who collectively own nine years of starting experience. A quality supporting cast and a bumper recruiting crop adds even more to the mix.

In all, the Dragons return nine letterwinners, including starters Jessica Fesenmaier, a 6-3 senior post and three-year fixture in the Dragon lineup, 6-1 senior forward Allison Swenson, a three-year starter, 5-9 senior forward Shelly Soule and 5-9 junior guard Katie Walden, a two-year regular.

A first team All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference last winter, Fesenmaier averaged 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a junior and rates with the league’s elite post players. A third-team all-league pick as a junior, Swenson averaged 11.9 ppg and 6.5 rpg and is certain to once again bring her own brand of intensity to every challenge. Soule averaged 6.2 ppg and provided much of the defensive fiber for the Dragons last winter while the trusty Walden supplied 10.0 ppg and 3.1 apg.

The Dragons also retain 6-1 senior forward Cydney Froelich, 5-10 junior guard Chris Falzon, 6-3 junior center Meghan Rettke, 6-1 sophomore forward Alison Nash-Gerlach and 5-5 sophomore guard Krista Opheim. Falzon, 5.2 ppg, Rettke, 4.3 ppg, Nash-Gerlach, 2.8 ppg, and Opheim, 2.8 ppg, appeared in all 31 games and should fill larger roles this winter.

A classy recruiting class should pay instant dividends for the Dragons this fall, including 5-9 freshman guard Betsy Dickson, 6-1 freshman forward Jenny Oligmueller, 5-10 freshman guard Maggie Slawson, 5-11 and freshman guard Jenny Theisen. In addition, the Dragons added 6-5 junior post Tiffany Kline, a transfer from Northern Iowa.

MSU Moorhead reached the 20-win plateau for a fifth time last fall and made a serious rush for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title. The Dragons placed second to Concordia University in the NSIC sweepstakes and closed 21-10 after an opening round playoff loss at University of North Dakota.

Nelson begins her eighth season as basketball boss of the Dragons and fully understands a high risk, high reward opportunity awaits. “Our goal is to win the conference championship and be a player in the regionals as well,” Nelson said.

As always, the Dragons face a rugged schedule this winter, including an 18-game NSIC slate. A taxing non-conference slate includes Metropolitan State, Montana State-Billings, St. Cloud State, North Dakota, Jamestown College, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota, Morris, Michigan Tech and Valley City State.