UMaine eager for swing through Texas, Louisiana

ORONO – Coach Sharon Versyp and the University of Maine women’s basketball team are spending some quality time together on the road.

For the next week, the Black Bears will be traveling around the country during a three-game swing Versyp hopes will help bring her young team closer together.

UMaine departed Orono at 5 a.m. Wednesday bound for Portland International Jetport on the first leg of their 3,622-mile journey (as the crow flies) to Natchitoches, La., Nacogdoches, Texas, and Boston. The Bears will combine five bus trips with four airplane flights.

The potential for fatigue aside, Versyp is excited about the chance to spend some quality time with the team and coaching staff.

“You’re actually able to spend pretty much every waking moment together, which does a lot for team chemistry and team bonding,” Versyp said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to spend some time together and get to know each other on a different level.”

UMaine players have mixed views on such extended travel, but the trip is particularly exciting for freshmen, such as Heather Ernest of Temple.

“I don’t really know what to expect,” said Ernest, who asked teammate Anna James for advice about what she should take on the trip. “I’m kind of excited to see other parts of the country. I’ve never been to Louisiana or Texas.”

Junior co-captain Tracy Guerrette of St. Agatha said the Bears must take advantage of this chance to build their camaraderie.

“We are going to be doing a lot of team-building tings for this trip, so that’s good,” Guerrette said. “I think it’s great because we’re away from everything. We don’t have outside influences, so we can just focus on basketball and focus on our studies.”

Guerrette said the first-year players’ reaction often is something like, “Cool, we get to miss school.”

However, academics is a critical part of the players’ responsibilities on the trip. That, in addition to working hard in practices and making good decisions off the court, are a large part of the experience.

“It’s not a vacation,” said junior Lacey Stone. “I love going on the road, but some people don’t know how to handle road trips. Hopefully, we’ll be focused on getting ready to beat these teams.”

Still, there’s ample time – on the bus, on the plane and in the hotel – for the players and coaches to develop their friendships.

“It’s a really good time to get to know your teammates and bond with each other and become closer as a team,” Stone said.

This team doesn’t have a large number of seasoned veterans, so the rigors of the trip are likely to be a challenge, especially with an America East game against Boston University coming at the end, on Dec. 5.

“I kind of look forward to road trips, but maybe not a weeklong one,” Versyp said. “The tough thing is traveling far, to Louisiana and Texas, and then we’ve got to finish up in Boston.”

The Bears will be playing in more hostile environments, likely in front of smaller crowds than they see at Alfond Arena. Guerrette had a couple of helpful hints for her teammates.

“Be mentally prepared, because this is the first time for these freshmen to be without the big crowd and without the parents [in the stands]. We’ve just got to be there for each other, encourage one another. That’s the biggest thing.”