ORONO – Heather Ernest is a household name in America East women’s basketball.

It appears as though the conference’s player of the year also is developing a reputation on a much wider scale.

Ernest, a junior forward from Temple, is one of 60 players who have been invited to try out for a spot on the U.S. national team for its appearance in the Pan American Games this summer.

Ernest will attend the USA Basketball National Team Trials May 22-25 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Pan Am Games are scheduled for Aug. 2-9 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

“I was quite shocked,” Ernest said of the invitation. “I really didn’t think that this was going to happen. I would never consider myself one of the [top] 60.”

The national team will be coached Virginia head coach Debbie Ryan and assisted by Trina Patterson of America East member Albany and Indiana’s Kathi Bennett.

For Ernest, who recently began working out again after taking a few weeks off to rest up from the long season, her approach to the trials is simple.

“I am just going to go out and have fun,” she said. “I’m going to work hard like I always do when I play basketball.

“I want to go out there and represent my team, my school, the state of Maine and my family the best I can,” Ernest said.

Ernest averaged 20 points and 10.2 rebounds last season, leading the Black Bears to the league regular-season title and a spot in the conference championship game. She is seventh on UMaine’s career scoring list with 1,306 points and seventh in rebounding with 775.

“I think Heather’s well deserving of a tryout,” said UMaine coach Sharon Versyp. “I think the fact that she’s included among the 60 players invited to this camp shows the respect she has earned across the country. I’m ecstatic for our program to receive that acknowledgement and I’m proud of the growth she’s made over the past three years.”

UMaine teammate Katherine Quackenbush also recently took part in a one-day regional tryout for the Canadian Women’s National Team Program Senior and Development Teams.

It was a chance for the freshman forward from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to be evaluated for possible inclusion on Canada’s national teams.

Corbitt to attend NCAA event

Kim Corbitt of the UMaine women’s basketball team has been chosen to take part in the 2003 NCAA Leadership Conference in Florida this month.

Corbitt, a sophomore guard from Albany, N.Y., is among an elite group of student-athletes who have been identified as leaders on their campuses and in their communities. The students will gather May 25-29 in Orlando to discuss student-athlete welfare issues and to enhance their leadership skills.

Last winter, Corbitt averaged 6.3 points, 4.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds at UMaine. She was named the inaugural America East Defensive Player of the Year and was a third-team, all-conference selection.

Participants, who will be asked to share their experiences and discussions with campus groups and leaders upon their return, were chosen based on their demonstrated ability and desire to be a leader and their potential to benefit significantly from such an experience.

Hartford keeps AE hoop tourney

The University of Hartford, which for the last two years has been the host for the America East Women’s Basketball Championship, has been selected to serve in that capacity for another two years.

The league’s directors of athletics determined the site during a vote Tuesday at West Hartford, Conn.

America East Commissioner Chris Monasch cited the quality of the tournament the past two years and Hartford’s central location among member institutions as keys in the school’s winning bid.

UM ice women land recruits

University of Maine women’s ice hockey coach Rick Filighera has received National Letters of Intent from four players.

Sonia Corriveau of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Brigitte Laflamme of St. Augustin, Quebec, Julie Poulin of Charlesbourg, Quebec and Karine Senecal of Montreal will join the Black Bears in the fall of 2003.

Corriveau, a 5-foot-4 forward, scored 49 goals and had 49 assists in 61 games for the Limoilou Titans, a Canadian AA collegial [prep] team.

She is joined by Poulin, a teammate on the Titans. Poulin is a 5-7 defenseman who scored 34 goals and had 53 assists in 63 games.

Laflamme, a 5-6 forward, played for Team Quebec. She also played for Team Canada’s under-22 national team in the Air Canada Cup in Germany. In 63 games, she scored 56 goals and 72 assists.

Senecal is a 5-4 defenseman. She 18 goals and had 62 assists in 159 games in four seasons at John de Brebeuf. She also played 30 games for the Montreal Wingstar of the National Women’s Hockey League.

All four players will have four years of eligibility.

UMF Beavers honored

The University of Maine-Farmington basketball teams received national honors this week.

The women received top honors in one category as they were recognized as the national statistical champion in team scoring defense among all NCAA Division III teams with 48.2 points allowed per game.

The UMF Beavers also finished second in field goal percentage defense (30.4) and fifth in scoring margin (20.2) among women’s teams. They were ranked in the top 30 nationally in rebounding margin, 3-point field goals per game and win-loss percentage. Individually, senior Jocelyn Sawyer of Porter is ranked 39th in blocked shots per game.

The UMF men’s basketball team is ranked among the top 50 Div. III teams in field goal percentage defense (40.9) while freshman guard Travis Magnusson of Thomaston is ranked sixth nationally with 6.5 assists per game.

Lue gets all-star invitation

Colby College men’s soccer player Jamie Lue will play in the 2003 New England Intercollegiate Soccer League Senior All-Star Game this weekend.

Lue, who was named Colby’s most valuable player in 2000 and 2002, will join seniors from all three collegiate divisions for the game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Saturday.

Lue will be playing for the the Division II-III squad against the Division I team. The game will start after the Major League Soccer game between the Los Angeles Galaxy and New England Revolution, which starts at 4 p.m.

Lue was selected to the All-New England squad in 2000, when he led the White Mules in scoring with nine goals and three assists. Last season, he tied for the team lead in scoring with four goals and three assists.

BU hosting title game again

Boston University will host the America East conference men’s basketball tournament for the second straight year.

The decision was reached by a vote of the conference schools’ athletic directors during a meeting in West Hartford, Conn., Wednesday.

Northeastern University and BU had served as championship co-hosts the past two seasons. The 10-team tournament starts with first round games on Friday, March 5. The title game will be played March 13 at the home court of the highest remaining seed.