Cabrini University Athletics

When Erin Crawford Peterson was looking for a college to continue her basketball career, she knew she wanted a small school close to home, but it was the opportunity to play in the Dixon Center that sold her.  

The facility was in its final stages when Crawford Peterson made her visit.  While her meeting with head coach Dan Welde went extremely well, Crawford Peterson saw a chance to make a mark in the new building.
Crawford Peterson’s mark in the building and on the program is indelible.  

Crawford Peterson remains second on Cabrini’s career scoring list with 1,544 points, while her 258 career assists are good for eighth.  Her 439 points in 2000-01 and 418 points in 1998-99 remain among the top 10 single season scoring marks in program history.

A four-time All-Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) performer, Crawford Peterson was named PAC Rookie of the Year and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rookie of the Year as she led the Blue and White to the 1998-99 PAC championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance.

The 1999 PAC championship game remains one of her most vivid memories.  Welde told her midway through the season that she needed to carry more responsibility for the team’s success.  The team needed someone other than All-American and Cabrini Hall of Famer Melissa Posse if it wanted to reach its goals.

Crawford Peterson was just what Coach Welde needed.  Crawford Peterson racked up 27 points in a semifinal win over Marywood, then added a game-high 20 points in the championship win over Gwynedd Mercy.

“I had always had a love for the game and was always ready to play,” Crawford Peterson said.  “That team and that season really solidified my passion.  I love playing with other players who had a similar love to play and to win.”

Crawford Peterson has carried the lessons she learned in the Blue and White into her life as a mother and businesswoman .

“I gained more from being a Cabrini student-athlete than I could ever put into words,” Crawford commented.  “It really shaped the person I am today.”

Now the mother of a 12-yeard old daughter, Crawford Peterson finds herself using basketball to teach her daughter those same lessons she learned on the Dixon Center parquet.

The games may change, but the lessons are always part of life.