Patricia Canterino enters her 15th season as both the Director of Athletics and Recreation and head coach of the Immaculata University's women basketball team in 2014-15.
The two-time conference women's basketball coach of the year has led Immaculata to the conference postseason tournament seven times during her first 14 seasons. The 2005-06 Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) Women's Basketball Coach of the Year, led her squad to back-to-back postseason berths during 2005-06 and 2006-07, and returned to the postseason three-straight times during 2009-10, 2010-11, and 2011-12. It marked the sixth time in a nine-year span that the Mighty Macs had advanced to the postseason, making their first appearance in 2003-04. After a year absence, Immaculata made a triumphant return to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Tournament during the 2013-14 season, finishing as the CSAC runner-up, and Canterino garnered CSAC Coach of the Year honors.
Canterino broke the marked set by Naismith Hall of Fame coach Cathy Rush (149) in 2013-14 for most career wins at Immaculata with her 150th career win in the season opener against Penn State Abington.
The 2013-14 season also saw Canterino mentor another player, Sara Smith, to Second Team All-CSAC honors, marking the fourth-straight season an IU player has earned a spot on the all-conference second team.Â
Following the 2012-13 season, Chrissy Esbensen capped her career with her third-consecutive Second Team All-CSAC selection, and Smith received honorable mention honors from the conference. Esbensen also became the seventh Canterino-coached player to top the 1,000 point mark for her career just four games into the season.
During the 2011-12 campaign, Canterino guided two Immaculata players to reach the 1,000-point mark. Bridget Welz (1,068 points) and Kelly Brown (1,034) became the 19th and 20th players respectively, in IU women's basketball history to reach the plateau.
Welz’s achievements in 2011-12, earned her First Team All-CSAC honors in addition to being named to the D3Hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team. Brown was also honored by the CSAC as an honorable mention all-conference selection. Leah Kuczynski joined Brown on the honorable mention all-conference team while also being named to the 2012 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women's Basketball Team.
Canterino guided Immaculata to the CSAC championship game for the first time during the 2010-11 season, in which the Mighty Macs also finished the CSAC runner-up.
The 2009-10 season marked a milestone in Canterino's college coaching career as she reached her 100th victory on January 18, 2010 when the Mighty Macs defeated Keystone College, 68-29.
Immaculata went on to reach the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) semifinals as a sixth seed in 2010, advancing with its quarterfinal victory on the road at third-seed Marywood, 61-48.
The 2009-10 season also marked a first for the Immaculata women's basketball program as Chrissy Esbensen won the CSAC's Rookie of the Year award, marking the first time in the program that an IU player has received the conference's top freshman honor. Following her rookie season, Esbensen was a Second Team All-CSAC selection in 2011 and 2012.
Chelsea McTigue, who graduated in 2011, became the 18th player in women's basketball history to collect 1,000 career points. She finished her career with 1,050 points and 439 rebounds. McTigue was a First Team All-CSAC player in both 2010 and 2011. In addition, McTigue was a D3Hoops.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team selection this season after being chosen to the third team during the 2009-10 campaign. McTigue was also selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 Third Team.
Most notably, McTigue was named a finalist for The Jostens Trophy in 2011, which recognizes outstanding basketball players who exemplify the Division III philosophy of the well-rounded student-athlete - athletic ability but also their excellence in academics and campus and community service.
Canterino's dedication to balancing athletics and academics was most notable when the 2011-12 season marked the third-straight year that Immaculata’s women’s basketball team has been ranked among the WBCA's Top 25 Team Honor Roll. The Mighty Macs were 11th in 2010-11 with a squad GPA of 3.508 and 19th during 2009-10 with a 3.435 GPA.
During 2008-09, the third Immaculata player under Canterino reached the 1,000-point mark, as Dominique Murray became the 17th player overall IU women's basketball player to reach the plateau. Murray's achievements in 2008-09, earned her Second Team All-CSAC plaudits.
Canterino had previously guided Meg Legere (1,241) and Whitney Deeney (1,180) to the esteemed mark.
The 2007-08 campaign produced a new Immaculata career three point field goal record as Nina Cammarano surpassed Lindsey Williams' old mark. Cammarano concluded her Mighty Mac career with 177 career threes for the all-time record.
During 2006-07, the Mighty Macs recorded an overall mark of 15-11 and placed third in the PAC South Division with a record of 10-6. It was the second consecutive winning season for Immaculata.
Individually, several of Canterino's players earned distinction in 2006-07. Dominique Murray, who led the team in scoring (16.5), rebounding (10.7) and blocks (24), was a First Team All-PAC selection and a D3Hoops.com All-Mid Atlantic Region Third Team honoree. She also led the PAC in rebounding.
Legere, who was second on the Mighty Macs in scoring (15.9) and rebounding (8.6) in 2006-07, became the 16th player in women's basketball history to amass 1,000 career points. She finished her four-year career with 1,241 points, which placed her seventh all-time. For her efforts, Legere was named Second Team All-PAC. She was also the sixth player in Mighty Mac history to collected 1,000 or more points and 700 or more rebounds.
Kasey Hicks set a school and career high with 16 assists vs. Eastern University on January 18, 2007. It was the third highest single-game assist total in the NCAA (all three divisions) in 2006-07.
A 1992 graduate of Immaculata, Canterino's coaching background includes stints as an assistant coach at Maria Goretti High School (1994-95) and at Immaculata (1997-98), as well as head coaching positions at Goretti (1995-97) and Archmere Academy (1999-2000). Canterino went on to earn her master's degree from Immaculata in Organization Leadership.
Canterino was a member of Immaculata's basketball team from 1989-92.
