Two days into tryouts, things changed for the Blue Devils.

During the second day of auditions, the Salem High School girls basketball team lost Amanda Saab, its potent scoring threat, to an ACL injury that will keep her sidelined until January at the earliest.

Saab is going to attempt to put a brace on her knee and return to the floor to play in her senior season, an effort head coach Liz Briggs admires.

“I don’t know if she’ll be back at 100 percent, but what she can give us is a bonus. I applaud her courage to try to play,” said Briggs. “I’ve never had anyone try to brace and play. She won’t be the Amanda Saab that she’s comfortable with or could be, but that’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there.”

Briggs said the team now looks to its guards to guide a fastpaced offense.

Caitie Peters runs the show from the point guard position, while Sarah Raye fills the other guard spot.

“(Peters) is a tough defender, looks to score when she has the chance, but really can create a lot out of the defense,” said Briggs. “(Raye) is a scrappy player, and is a little more aggressive offensively. If she doesn’t make that first shot, she’ll follow up for the rebound and make the second.”

Although the guards have different styles of play, Briggs said the two are similar in one way.

“I don’t know that they balance each other out,” said Briggs. “They’ve never been required to score points for us. If we can get offense out of them, then they’ll be doing a great job, but the majority of their offense comes from their defense.”

Olivia Connors and Kelsi Record are important low-post presences for the Blue Devils, while Briggs also said freshman Kerri White is expected to contribute in the post soon.

Gina Righini and Amanda Smigliani add depth to the guard position, while Jen Bujowski and Melissa Oullet look to add varsity experience at the forward position as the year progresses. Briggs also expects Amanda Vaudrieul to contribute as a shooter, bringing yet another option to the team.

That’s important while Saab is missing.

“I think a deep bench is certainly valuable in the long run. At some point coaches will face injuries,” said Briggs. “(Without Saab) we can’t create offense instantly. She could do that. We’ll have to work harder as a team to create offense by sharing the ball more.”