Hafers look to lead Mansfield

Last year it seemed like things were meant to be for the Hafer sisters.

After Mallory Hafer tore her ACL as a junior, she red-shirted the year and came back with two seasons of eligibility, just as her sisters Meredith and Morgan Hafer were beginning their Mansfield careers.

The three imagined two years of playing together at the college level, spending lots of time on the court together.

However, injuries derailed that dream. Last year Mallory Hafer was bothered by injuries throughout the season, and when she was on the court, she was still trying to work her way back from the ACL.

This year Mallory Hafer looked healthy and ready to go, but then Morgan Hafer tore her ACL and is out for the season.

"I feel so bad for them with the injuries," Mansfield coach Ruth Hermansen said. "We just got back from a Mansfield presidential luncheon. You have to have a 3.0 GPA to go to that and they got introduced back-to-back-to-back. They are good people, good student athletes. It's a shame this happened."

For Morgan Hafer, missing this season is going to be extremely hard.

"It's really tough, because just watching the scrimmage, everyone was playing and I just wanted to jump out there and start playing," she said. "It's really tough because this is Mallory's last year to play and I was really hoping the three of us could be on the court one last time."

While overcoming an injury is hard, having a sister who has been through the same thing helps.

"Mallory has definitely been a big help for me with the injury," Morgan Hafer said. "She has showed me the ropes. She has actually given me a journal. I write in the journal every week to see the progress I make."

For Mallory Hafer, the one positive from her injury is now she can help her younger sister go through her injury.

"From day one I've been by her side, holding her hand, being her shoulder to cry on," Mallory Hafer said. "Sometimes being the person to squeeze her hand. I've given her some pointers. I have her keeping a journal to see how she progresses."

While the injury has Morgan Hafer missing the year, it has Meredith missing her twin sister on the court.

"This is the first time we will not be playing together in a season," Meredith Hafer said. "It's going to be a really rough season for me, because I've never not played with Morgan before. It's really not playing with her. She is my twin, I'm used to being with her."

Morgan Hafer knows that it is going to be tough on her sister this year.

"That's probably one of the toughest parts. We have done everything together," she said. "We played basketball, soccer, softball and we are roommates. But now we are not going to be on the court together. I just want to let her know I'm still there for her, still rooting her on all the way."

While Meredith Hafer won't have her twin sister on the court, she is happy to have another year with her big sister.

"It's definitely going to be nice getting that extra year to play with Mallory," she said. "Especially after last year coming off the ACL injury. It's going to be exciting to have a year with both of us playing to our potential."

Mallory Hafer already has seen how well she is working with her sister on the court.

"Meredith and I have been working extremely well together, both offensively and defensively," Mallory Hafer said.

For Mallory Hafer, one of the keys this year is to be a leader as the lone senior on the team, and the team's captain.

"We have a very small team this year, a small roster with just 10 active kids and one redshirt," Mallory Hafer said. "They all joke and call me Mamma Hafe and Mamma Goose, but sometimes I think with my injuries that they have to take care of me."

As she gets further from that ACL injury, both Hermansen and Mallory Hafer see her gaining more confidence this year.

"She seems a lot more confident," Hermansen said. "She has gotten rid of the brace and seems a lot more confident. In the scrimmage she went down and I said 'Oh no, not again,' but she got right back up. She has showed a lot more versatility this year."

That versatility is something that Mallory Hafer is hoping for now that she isn't as worried about her injury.

"I'm definitely more mobile. I'm not held together by duct tape and Velcro now," she said. "Last year I was a little tentative, worried about getting in there and getting injured. Now, I'm playing without the knee brace. This year I'm a little less worried. Every time I shoot one three, I want to make myself drive to the hoop twice.

"It will help in every aspect; it will open things up for myself and for others."

Last year in 310 minutes on the court, Mallory Hafer was 1-for-1 at the line, and that's something Hermansen knows needs to change this year.

"Last year she went to the foul line for like one free throw, something crazy like that," Hermansen said. "She's a deadly free throw shooter, but one art is getting to the line and the other is making the free throw. That's something I'd like to see more out of her.

"Obviously she is not going to be open for her shot until she shows a little versatility."

Mallory Hafer knows she has part of that art of free throws down.

"Coach always said foul shooting is an art; the first art is getting to the line and the second is making it," Mallory Hafer said. "I have the second part down - I can make a foul shot with my eyes closed. Now, I just have to get to the line more."

While Mallory Hafer is looking to regain the form she showed as a sophomore, Meredith Hafer is hoping her sophomore year is a big one.

"I can definitely tell I have some experience under my belt, just the way I'm playing. I'm playing with more experience; I'm trying to lead by example," Meredith Hafer said. "This year my coach is looking to me to be a leader on, and off, the court. It's exciting to get a chance to start and contribute to the team."

Hermansen has seen the improvement in Meredith Hafer this year.

"She worked really hard over the summer," Hermansen said. "She came in again super fit and was an improved overall player. We are looking for her to be more of an offensive threat. For us to win we have to score more then 50-something points a game.

"Since she's been here we have asked her to play literally every position on the floor. She has very versatile size at the guard position. She does a lot of things that don't show up statistically. Now we need her to do things that do show up statistically."

Meredith knows she has to step up her offensive game this year.

"In high school there were a lot of us that, on any given night, could have a big scoring night," she said. "I know now I have to step up my game offensively. All summer long I worked on my shot and my offensive skills."

While Mallory and Meredith Hafer enjoy one last season together on the court, Morgan Hafer won't be far from the action.

"We joke around and call Morgan our little coach. She really tries to help out," Meredith Hafer said. "She can point out things we may not necessarily see. They gave Morgan a job and let her keep some stats on the bench."

Hermansen knows that as a smart point guard, Morgan Hafer will do well helping on the bench this year.

"We talked about her still leading," Hermansen said. "She's a very intelligent point guard. Her leadership on the sidelines is even more important then her play on the court."

For Morgan Hafer, helping her teammates is something she is ready to do, and she knows she may be hardest on her sisters.

"Even though I'm not on the court, I still want to be a part of the team," she said. "I want to help the team with all I can. I critique a little more with Meredith and Mallory, because they are my sisters and they understand."