St. Michael’s basketball offers Kelsey Shaw a scholarship

Class of 2016 product’s versatility key in earning Northeast-10 recruitment

Kelsey Shaw, of Bar Harbor, is a talented player and a tireless worker.  Last year she primarily played on the Maine Firecrackers regional team coached by Mike Nelson and when she was moved to the National team in July she suffered an untimely injury that prevented her from playing at her full potential. This year Shaw has been healthy and playing at a high level, so she is drawing the interest of many division I, II, and III colleges in New England and beyond.  On Saturday, the 5’10” Shaw (called “Salt” by her teammates) was offered a full scholarship to Division II St. Michael’s by head coach Shannon Kynoch during her visit to Burlington, VT. The St. Mike’s coach loves her versatility
on both sides of the ball. Shaw can shoot the three, get to the rim, and also has a very nice mid-range pull up. When opponents have the ball, she is adept at defending on the perimeterand in the post.

Shaw and teammate Sierra Tapley led Mount Desert Island (MDI) HS to an undefeated regular season in Maine Class B East before being upset in the first round of the playoffs by Gardiner. The smooth leftie
averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists per game on her way to being named to the All -Big East First Team.  She was also named Big East Player of the Week three times this past season and was McDonald’s Player of the week once. A National Honor student as well, Shaw is currently ranked in the top 10 in her class academically.

Shaw’s Maine Firecracker coach, Brian Clement, believes she has all the tools to succeed at the division II level or above, “Kelsey is an excellent shooter and she can score in a variety of ways.  She is tough to defend because she can play outside or inside and she already passes the ball on a line like a college player. She is also a tremendous rebounder but best of all is a fierce competitor who regularly dives on the floor for loose balls in practice. Kelsey is very committed and determined.  She is a special one with a bright future.”

In her second year as head coach in 2014-2015, Shannon Kynoch led the Purple Knights to a 12-15 record.  Though she is a native of Vermont, Kynoch is familiar with the Maine basketball landscape after having a standout career at USM as a player. While in Gorham, her teams captured 4 Little East Conference Championships en route to a DIII National Runner Up in 2005-2006. A graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy in 2012, she has also attended the Nike Championship Basketball Clinic (2010) and Point Guard College (2011) while still finding time to volunteer in the Special Olympics Program.