Soccer is never far from Kim Stephenson’s mind, even in the middle of winter as her Hampden Academy basketball team is nearing the end of its regular season.

Stephenson, a Hampden junior, recently took a short break from playing basketball with the Broncos for a weekend trip to Cocoa Beach, Fla., as a member of a team of some of the top soccer players in the region.

It was what is considered an identification weekend, she said, where national youth coaches evaluate talent.

The weekend was run by the Super Y-League, which is the youth branch of the United Soccer League. Players were selected at the end of the season based on league play.

Stephenson was on the ages 16-and-under Northeast regional team with girls from several other New England states as well as New York. Each age group consisted of three teams, and each team played two 45-minute games Friday and Saturday.

The offensive-minded center midfielder said she scored one goal in the four games. Her team won three games and tied the other.

Stephenson must have stood out, as she was named to the 16-and-under select team based on her play in the four games.

“The game was a lot faster and more physical,” she said during a break from basketball practice Monday. “The biggest thing I noticed was that you have to move the ball a lot faster. You can’t hold on to it as long as you normally can. People are stronger and faster.”

The coaches also tried Stephenson at forward and defensive center mid.

Even though the purpose of the weekend was to evaluate individual talent, Stephenson said the coaches stressed team play, and her team’s coach commended the Northeast squad for its work together.

And it was a good way for her to see what she needs to work on in her development. National youth coaches were on hand to see the games.

“It definitely helped my game, playing faster and stronger [people],” she said. “I probably need to get stronger. The biggest thing is you get to see what’s expected of you at the next level, to see the best competition on the East Coast.”

As for high school honors, Stephenson is a three-time all-state selection and has twice earned all-New England honors. She helped lead Hampden to a 12-3 season last fall.

The Super Y-League’s player development system was created in 2003 to identify U.S. players for international competition. Now that the regional teams have been named based on the top players from the Cocoa Beach weekend, U.S. Soccer national staff coaches then identify players for the U.S. national teams.

The USL also runs the W-League for women, which has become one of the world’s top leagues for women now that the WUSA professional league has folded.

Two other Maine girls, Whitney Huse of Falmouth High and Portland High’s Britney Dupee, were designated alternates, although Dupee did have a chance to play.

Stephenson missed one Hampden basketball game, a 61-40 win over Edward Little of Auburn on Jan. 29, which was the day she flew to Florida. She prearranged her absence with Hampden basketball coach Ben Greenlaw months ago, so there wasn’t any question of whether she could go.

“He’s been really supportive,” she said. “I don’t think he had a problem with it.”

Tigers pick up huge win

The Rockland girls basketball team may have improved its playoff position dramatically with Tuesday’s 53-37 victory over Maranacook of Readfield.

Caitlyn Hynes, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, paced the Tigers with 22 points. Rockland was 10-6 going into the game, and was ninth in the Eastern Maine Class B Heal Point standings that were released Tuesday morning.

The Black Bears were 15-1 and were in second place in the standings.

The Tigers were looking at having to travel to a play-in game, possibly against rival Camden Hills in neighboring Rockport; now they could be in a position to host. And they’re 8-1 at home this year.

The big key for Rockland? A modified box-and-1 defense on Maranacook guard Toby Martin, who leads the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference with about 22 points per game.

Tigers coach Karen Bickmore had Caitlyn Grant and Lindsay Barnes guarding the quick Martin in different stretches of the game. Martin took six shots and made one 3-pointer for three points in the game.

“Everybody helped on her,” Bickmore said.

Shannon Bean scored 16 points for the Bears, who beat Rockland 45-37 in the teams’ first meeting this year.

Hynes had six rebounds and three blocks as Maranacook’s post players got into some foul trouble and suffered from some turnovers.

“She just took over the game with authority,” Bickmore said Wednesday. “She stepped up from the beginning of the game.”

Annie Pennell added eight rebounds and 10 points, while Grant had 10 points, four assists and four steals. The Tigers tallied 13 assists overall, which is one of the team’s highest of the season for a single game, Bickmore said.

Rockland had a two-point lead at halftime, but outscored Maranacook 12-7 in the third quarter and 23-14 in the fourth.