Every year, several Maine schoolgirl basketball standouts go on to college but aren’t able to continue playing ball.

Harold Williams hopes to help some of those players from eastern and central Maine fill that void at Eastern Maine Technical College in Bangor.

Williams is the head coach of Falcons’ fledgling women’s basketball program, which is progressing through its inaugural season as a club team. The Falcons have played eight games this season, including two scrimmages. The goal is to field a varsity team next year.

“I think we’re off to a good start,” said Williams, a veteran high school and college assistant who is charged with building the Eastern Maine Tech program from the ground up.

“I think the biggest thing for us is to stick this year out and play all the games that are on our schedule,” he added.

Finishing the 15-game season shouldn’t be a problem for the Falcons, even with only nine players on the roster this season. The team wasn’t formed until the fall semester had begun, which meant other potential players had previous commitments with work and school work.

However, EM Tech has a solid nucleus that includes Jen Harriman of Bangor, Allison McLaughlin and Bridgit Fleming of Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln, Jessica Trundy of Mount View in Thorndike and Kristin Friend of Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield.

Williams has been lenient about attendance at practices, where the players have focused on offensive drills and shooting.

“We’re being real flexible as far as their schedules are concerned,” Williams said.

The Falcons, 2-4, have played the University of Maine-Augusta, UM-Fort Kent, Maine Maritime Academy of Castine, Unity College and Central Maine Tech of Auburn. However, the CM Tech team recently folded.

EM Tech has been competitive in its games to date.

“We’ve played real well in every game we’ve played,” Williams said. “We have some really good former high school players. They’ve got some experience and they’ve all been well-coached.”

Williams said EM Tech is expected next season to join the Northern New England Small College Conference. It includes UMA and CM Tech; Bunker Hill Community College, Massachusetts Bay CC and Northern Essex CC from Massachusetts; Hesser College and the New Hampshire Institute of Technology, and Vermont Tech.

Williams realizes he must remain patient as he attempts to lay the foundation for his program. When his team isn’t on the court this winter, he’ll be busy visiting schools to let people know Eastern Maine Tech has a women’s basketball team.

“I’ve already been out and seen several [high school] games,” Williams said. “My goal is to visit every high school within an hour drive of Bangor.”

Williams stresses to potential recruits that EM Tech is a less expensive option than conventional four-year schools. And student-athletes who attend the school for two years have the option of transferring their credits to a four-year school and playing two more years of basketball there.

He is confident about Eastern Maine Tech’s future.

“It has been fun so far,” Williams said. “I think we’ve already exceeded expectations, just by playing eight games. What we need to do is play the games and spread the word that we have a team.”