Katie Whittier always marveled at the play of University of Maine women’s basketball stars Cindy Blodgett and Jamie Cassidy. Now, she hopes to follow in their footsteps.

Whittier, a junior at Class B Gray-New Gloucester High School, has verbally committed to accept a basketball scholarship to attend UMaine beginning in 2002-03.

The 6-foot-2 center said she has always followed the Black Bears.

“I’ve grown up watching Cindy Blodgett and Jamie Cassidy. It was always in my mind. It’s a dream come true [to play at UMaine],” Whittier said Thursday as the Patriots gathered for a team meal in preparation for Friday night’s Western Maine Class B quarterfinal against Wells.

Whittier, who played last summer for the Maine Hurricanes AAU team that went to the nationals in Chattanooga, Tenn., was impressed by UMaine coach Sharon Versyp and her assistants.

“She was very welcoming. She’s a great person,” Whittier said of Versyp. “Their entire coaching staff has great personalities.”

Gray-New Gloucester coach Ken Butler said Whittier, who is averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds for the 14-4 Patriots, is a versatile post player.

“She’s about [UMaine freshman] Heather Ernest’s size, but I’d say she’s much more physical,” Butler said. “She can handle the ball against bigger kids. She’s not slow by any means. And she can shoot from the foul line all the way around the perimeter.”

Whittier described herself as a back-to-the-basket post player who enjoys a fast-paced game.

“I like to run the floor, use quick speed, and get down for the fast-break layup,” said Whittier, who is relieved to have committed early to avoid further recruiting pressures.

“Now I don’t have to worry about who’s in the stands and who’s watching,” she said. “I’m not stressed out as much as I used to be. It’s a lot off my chest.”

Butler said Whittier also had been recruited by the likes of Atlantic 10 team Rhode Island and Colonial Athletic Association member James Madison.

“I think just based on her commitment and her attitude, she’ll do well,” Butler said.

Women’s soccer signs 3

UMaine women’s soccer coach Scott Atherley and assistant Jackie Gebhart brought in 14 newcomers last fall and at least six were in the starting lineup for the improved Bears.

They have signed three players to National Letters of Intent and Atherley said, “These players are as good if not better than any player we brought in last year.

“These were our three top recruits and we landed all three of them.”

Rachel Kennedy is a 5-foot-9, All-New England midfielder-forward from Monroe, Conn. She is a three-tjme all-state selection and two-time all-conference Most Valuable Player. She is the state of Connecticut’s all-time career prep scorer with 102 goals and 86 assists.

Linda Consolante is a 6-0 sweeper-fullback from Beaconsfield, Quebec, who plays for the Quebec Provincial team and is a two-time provincial defender of the year.

Allison Kelly is a 5-8 fullback from Cambridge, Ontario, who is a member of the Canadian U-20 national team and plays on the Canadian National Training Center team.

All three were heavily recruited.

“Rachel plays for the best club team in the country [World Class] and gives us a schemer in the midfield who can also get forward and score some goals,” said Atherley. “Linda will give us an enforcer in the back. We needed to address our ability in the air out of the back and Linda is 6 feet tall, extremely mobile, and plays every bit as tough as she is big.

“Allison is unique in that she is a true left-footed player. She serves the ball extremely well and is a very intelligent player who can read the game.”

Trattnig makes Olympic roster

UMaine men’s hockey team right winger Matthias Trattnig had “a lot of fun” playing for Austria in a pre-Olympic Tournament in his native country last week.

His Austrian team went 1-1-1 and qualified for the preliminary round at the Olympics in Salt Lake City next February.

“I got there late, so I wound up on the third line and didn’t get to play on the special teams. But I made the Olympic roster,” said Trattnig, who also got to see his family. “The Olympic experience is going to be awesome.”

He didn’t register a point.