Junior captain Kristen Moose came to Houghton from Swain, New York to play basketball. Although she has had to sit out the past couple games due to illness, Moose continues to lead the women’s team.
“Moose is a quiet leader, she is not vocal, but she leads in her actions and her work ethic. Her teammates catch on to that and it motivates them to work hard too,” said Coach Alicia Mucher, “She is definitely an asset to a team and in a lot of ways she is a coach’s dream to have. Very coachable, listens, right now we just wish she were healthy.”
“I think her sickness has affected our team, but I think it has caused Moose to reflect on her role on our team more,” said freshman teammate Maggie Reynolds.Moose has been playing basketball since she was a little girl. She began playing with her dad, starting organized competition in elementary school. She competed in soccer and softball as well, but basketball won out as the more favored sport.
“Sometimes it’s probably a bad habit, but I tend to put basketball ahead of school. It probably isn’t the right thing,” Moose said, “But generally it is pretty easy to balance school with basketball.”
Moose is studying both physical education and health at Houghton. She aspires to be either a teacher or coach post-graduation. Her teammates and coach foresee her excelling in this field.
“Moose is definitely one of the hardest workers I have ever coached, if not the hardest worker. She has worked so much and put so much time into her individual development that she is really starting to reap some of those benefits,” said Mucher, “There is no question she is an outstanding basketball player.”
Last year, Moose received player of the year in the American Mideast Conference. This year, she leads the Empire 8 in points per game, averaging at 17. She leads the team in turnovers, field goals, three-pointers, assists, and free throws. She has earned player of the week twice this season as well.
“Moose is a very hard worker and that’s her style of play,” said Reynolds, “She does a good job pushing our team to excellence.”
“I just always want to be the best that I can be. I don’t ever want to look back and regret it,” said Moose, “The better I do individually, the more I can help the team out.”