By Nina Hutchins
As the clock wound down in an intense overtime, Angie Czeremcha exited the court for the final time with 49 seconds remaining. She had picked up her fifth, and final, foul as Springfield’s grueling battle against MIT in the NEWMAC quarterfinals ended in heartbreak – a 70-65 loss that also marked the conclusion of Czeremcha’s extraordinary career.
Cheers echoed through Blake Arena as the crowd rose to their feet, saluting Czeremcha’s years of dedication. In that moment, it wasn’t just about the game, it was about the passion and leadership she had poured into the program – an impact that would extend far beyond the final buzzer.
Over the past four years, Czeremcha’s journey at Springfield College has been synonymous with excellence. Combining skill, leadership, and unwavering commitment, Czeremcha’s legacy in the women’s basketball program transcends statistics and accolades.
Czeremcha arrived at Springfield with an outstanding high school résumé. Between her time at West Springfield High School and Deerfield Academy, she earned Western Mass Super 7 honors, surpassed the 1,000-point milestone and was a multi-year All-Western Mass. First Team selection. From the beginning, her impact on the team was immediate. As a first-year, she helped lead Springfield to a 16-0 start in the 2021-2022 season and an NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen appearance.
Her sophomore season presented new challenges. With a reshaped roster, she stepped into a more vocal, defensive and physically demanding role.
“Tranisitoning into whatever role the team needed me in… still having confidence, still being able to contribute even if I wasn’t scoring, it showed me that there’s so much more to the game,” Czeremcha said.
Through the highs and lows, Czeremcha’s dedication never faltered. Between multiple broken fingers, learning to overcome tough losses and everything in between, Czeremcha remained committed to hard work and persistence.
When she broke her nose in the opening minutes of a critical game against Smith in January 2025, she played through the pain, refusing to let it deter her.
“She didn’t complain about it once,” sophomore guard Claire Finney said. “She didn’t really let it affect her game or her mindset.”
Though the game ended in a loss, her resilience was an unmistakable reflection of her strength as an athlete and a person.
In spite of these challenges, Czeremcha’s energy radiated, lifting her peers up and challenging those around her.
“She just loved being a part of it, and knowing that she could contribute — that type of energy boosted me and so many other people,” said former Assistant Coach Colleen O’Connell.
Strength, determination and passion were defining traits throughout Czeremcha’s career. She earned prestigious honors – including being named NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year twice in a row. She is only the second person in NEWMAC history to achieve back-to-back wins. She also received consecutive regional honors from D3hoops.com, earning All-Region 2 Second Team recognition. She was also named to the All-Region Third Team in 2025 by the New England Women’s and Men’s Basketball Association (NEWBA). In addition, Czeremcha was also selected to play in the 2025 NEWBA Senior All Star Game, which will take place on Sunday, March 30 at 1 p.m. in the Ainsworth Gymnasium at Smith College.
With over 1,100 career points and more than 800 career rebounds, Czeremcha’s impact is evident in the box scores. However, her accolades as an athlete only tell part of her story.
“She’s always willing to show up, she’s always willing to go the extra mile…she’s got great opportunities ahead of her,” Finney said. “Everyone around her looks up to her and wants to be just like her.”
Graves describes the force Czeremcha was behind the scenes, uniting the team in challenging moments. She shared how off the court, Angie’s enthusiasm spread wherever she went.
“It’s not everyday that you see people lifting others up and saying ‘let’s go,’ and, ‘no, we got this,’ and all of her positive motivation.” Graves shared.
Czeremcha’s leadership and positivity defined her time at Springfield. Her influence extended not only to her teammates, but to the community as well. As a local player, she reflected on how grateful she was to leave her mark in the area she has called home for so many years, even before attending Springfield College.
“It means so much to me…there’s a really strong sense of community. It’s just really cool being from around here and being able to honor the game like I do,” Czeremcha said.
Despite a tough end to an incredible career, Czeremcha plans to continue her involvement in the sport she loves. Ultimately, she hopes to coach or become involved in an operational role at the professional level in the WNBA. She aims to be part of the growing recognition of female athletes and women’s sports and will continue advocating for women’s athletics.
“I’ve always wanted to stand up and be a representation for all of the women in the sport industry and continue to further all the legacy and leadership – all of the things that the coaching staff and everyone here has taught me,” said Czeremcha.
Her imprint on Springfield College leaves no doubt that she will find success in the future in any path she chooses.
“I hope she’ll take the confidence that she developed here to handle whatever comes across her plate in the professional world… I hope she takes with her that she’s capable of achieving anything she wants.” Graves said.
Czeremcha is especially grateful to her mentors who have guided her through her journey here. She describes the incredible support system that she has found in the Springfield College family.
“They’ve helped me through the ups and downs and everything in between,” she said.
When asked about her legacy, Czeremcha said that she hopes to be remembered as someone who lifted up others and supported her community.
“That’s all the people here have done for me,” she said. “They’ve built my confidence, they’ve made me the individual that I am.”
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics