Allison Stoddard, an all-state point guard at East Lyme High School, will attend Division II Assumption College next year.

Stoddard, a 5-foot-7 senior, signed a National Letter of Intent last week with the Worcester, Mass. school, a member of the Northeast-10 Conference. The league includes Div. II national power Bentley College.

"I knew (Assumption) was following me all throughout the AAU season in the spring," said Stoddard, who plays in the offseason with the Connecticut Storm. "Then it just kind of happened. I went up for a visit, really liked the campus, and everything worked out."

Stoddard averaged 13.5 points and 5.6 assists as a junior for the Vikings, earning Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division all-star honors as well as making the Class L all-state team and The Day's all-area team.

"She's been a starter since she was a freshman," East Lyme coach Bill Reagan said. "She's a pure point guard. She's been the heart-and-soul of our team.

"... She's like having another coach on the floor. She's a winner. I'd hate to think of playing without her. We'd be a ship without a rudder without her."

Stoddard, who also plays soccer - she played goalie this season and helped lead East Lyme to an unbeaten regular season, and ECC tournament championship and a berth in the Class L state semifinals - also considered two other Div. II schools, Pace University of Pleasantville, N.Y., and Holy Family University of Philadelphia.

"Signing early definitely takes a lot of stress and pressure off so I can just play and have fun," Stoddard said.

That said, Stoddard also has some lofty goals for her final basketball season.

"We definitely want try to win the ECC tournament," said Stoddard. "I think we have the potential to do that this year ... And we definitely want to make it further in states.

"All three years we've been to the states, but either lost in first or second round. I don't want that to happen again."