UM alumnae game set for Saturday

The players who helped bring University of Maine women’s basketball to regional and national attention will be in uniform once again, but fans who want to relive those days and watch them play will have to take a few extra steps to see them do just that.

Saturday at 1 p.m., Coach Trish Roberts’ Maine women host Northeastern University in a North Atlantic Conference game at Alfond Arena in Orono.

As a prelim to that game, the Black Bears will host an alumnae game. But, due to prior scheduling commitments for hockey, the alumnae game will be played at Memorial Gymnasium.

Game time in The Pit is 10:45 a.m. There is no admission charge for this contest.

Two expectant mothers will call the shots from the sidelines.

Former Maine captain, NCAA recordholder, Maine Hall of Famer, and professional basketball player Emily Ellis Throckmorton will coach one team with former four-year player Lynne McGouldrick Hassen coaching the other.

Throckmorton hopes the fact fans will have to walk between one court and the other won’t prevent them from attending both contests. “It’s a little sad that we’ll be at The Pit and the varsity game will be at the Alfond,” she said.

“I feel bad for all the people who supported Maine over the years and who’d like to see the women again, but who also want to watch the Maine game. I’m afraid we’ll just have people trickling in and then heading out for the other game.”

Maine assistant coach Sandy Thomas has a slightly different perspective, however, pointing out that no matter who comes to watch the alumnae game, it will be an opportunity for the players to be together again.

“They’ll have a good time, no matter what,” she said.

Prior hockey scheduling commitments, on a variety of levels beginning in the early morning hours, did not really allow enough time for the floor to be laid to accommodate the alumnae game, Thomas said, so the decision was made to play that game at The Pit.

Former Maine players Joanna Hamilton of Woodland and Sue Howard, a teacher at Bangor’s Fairmount School, have worked with Thomas to organize the event and will be suited up Saturday.

Hamilton said the group is comprised of women who played from 1979-89, the years during which women’s basketball at Maine really took off.

Fans will have an opportunity to meet and greet their former stars at a reception in the Dexter Lounge at Alfond Arena prior to the Maine-Northeastern contest.

The “oldest” player (by graduation date) in uniform will be Laurie Bjorn, a member of the Class of 1979. She will be joined by Sharon Baker (’80) and Tammy Gardiner (’84).

Also participating will be current Husson women’s coach Kissy Walker (’86) and former Husson head coach and current Northeastern assistant coach Lauree Gott (’87).

“We have players from Houlton to Stoughton,” Hamilton said, referring to Gardiner and Crystal Cummings (’88), who now resides in Massachusetts and is traveling the greatest distance to participate.

Also in uniform will be former Maine stars Sonya Wedge (’87), Debbie Duff (’88), Tammy Tozier, and Jill MacGregor. Back on the court, too, will be former Maine record holder and professional basketball player Liz Coffin.

Throckmorton said she doesn’t know how the teams will be divided up or who will be coaching whom. “I just hope one of us gets Liz and the other gets Lauree,” she said.

Friends of Maine Women’s Basketball will serve as host for the post-alumnae game reception, which is open to the public.