Former teammate Geraghty on Bears’ minds

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America East notebook

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -One of the first people the University of Maine women called after winning Saturday was Ellen Geraghty, the only senior on last year’s team.

Geraghty attended two UMaine games this year, but both were losses. The Bears jokingly told her not to drive to Hartford for the final, but Julie Veilleux said Geraghty plans to attend the NCAA tourney game. And the Bears better not stop her this time.

“No matter where we go she’s going to come,” Veilleux said.

Veilleux has kept in close contact with Geraghty, who is working as an intern for Athletes in Action, a sports ministry which has its headquarters in Xenia, Ohio.

“I’ll call her sometimes, she’ll be in the second row of a college game, I’ll be like, ‘Tough job,”‘ Veilleux said with a laugh.

Einhorn documents tourney

John Einhorn, the brother-in-law of Maine coach Sharon Versyp, was everywhere during the three-day America East tournament.

Einhorn served as a kind of documentarian for the team, filming the team as it completed its championship run.

He even managed to film the postgame press conference, borrowing an all-access badge from Terry Kix, the UMaine field hockey coach and senior women’s administrator, to gain entry into the press area.

Einhorn, who lives in Plymouth, Ind., watched the tournament with his 9-year-old son Mark. Daughter Cassie, 13, stayed home with Versyp’s sister, Roxanne.

The whole family was planning to come, but Cassie had basketball games and decided to stay home.

“Versyp told her she had made a commitment to the team, so she should play with them,” John Einhorn said after Saturday’s America East final.

The Einhorns drove 13 hours to get to Hartford for last year’s tournament. This year, they decided to fly.

Mark Einhorn certainly had a good time – he participated in a media timeout variation of musical chairs and won a T-shirt.

Maine high schoolers show skills

The University of Maine roster is packed with girls who played their high school basketball in state, but players like Heather Ernest of Temple, Julie Veilleux of Augusta, Ashley Underwood of Benton, Bracey Barker of Bar Harbor and Katie Whittier of New Gloucester weren’t the only Mainers playing in the America East tournament.

The Black Bears faced New Hampshire freshman Danielle Clark of Corinna (Nokomis of Newport) Thursday and Lyndsay Clark (Dirigo of Dixfield) Friday.

Vermont was upset in the quarterfinal, but Lani Boardman (York) started for the Wildcats, while Tricia Freeman (McAuley of Portland) is on the Catamount roster but didn’t play in the quarterfinal.

Bald-headed lie

Paul Graveline had a surprise for niece Missy Traversi before Thursday’s quarterfinal against No. 8 New Hampshire.

He walked into Chase Family Arena with a bald head.

“I told her I was going to shave my head for the tournament,” he said after Saturday’s final. “She begged me not to do it. Which is why I did it. She was shocked when I first came in.”

Graveline, a Boston resident, didn’t actually shave his head. He was actually wearing a hairpiece. But it sure looked genuine at first sight, enough so that Traversi and the rest of the Bears laughed when they saw him for the first time.

“I try to loosen them up and that’s what happened,” he said. “It worked and they did great.

Graveline was back to his normal hair (normal except for the blue dye) for Friday’s semifinal. He wore a huge rainbow wig for the championship game Saturday.

Graveline traveled to 22 games last year. He made it to about the same number this season but didn’t go on the Bears’ trip to Hawaii. He does plan to go to the NCAA tournament with the team later this week.

Graveline has shown up at some Maine games with a bear suit, but didn’t bring it with him to the tournament.

“It’s rented,” he said with a laugh. “And everyone got on me. The bear was too friendly.”