An empty third base in the third inning of Sunday’s game meant one thing for University of Maine junior Jess Brady: an opportunity to put herself in position to score a run.

So she stole it, just as she has done so many times over her career with the Black Bears.

Brady never had a chance to cross home plate in that inning, but swiping third did mean something after all – a UMaine career record for stolen bases.

Not that the Jackman native and Black Bear center fielder was aware of what she had done.

“I honestly don’t even keep track. I don’t know,” Brady said. “People try to tell me stats and stuff and I just stay away from it. I don’t know. People ask me if I’ve done it yet and I tell them I honestly don’t even know. I just go out and do what I have to do.”

Brady now has 45 stolen bases in her career. The old record was held by Sara Jewett, who stole 44 bases from 1997-00.

Brady also holds the single-season record with 23, which she set last year. She has 13 so far this spring with three games to go in the regular season.

It only took Brady three years.

“She’s pretty much setting a new precedent as far as the speed goes,” UMaine coach Deb Smith said. “That’s the type of kid that we’re gonna have to replace next year.”

Brady also leads the Bears with a .346 batting average. She has racked up 45 hits and 17 RBIs to go with 24 runs scored.

The 13 stolen bases put Brady at fourth in America East.

“She even had a stint in the middle of the season where she was struggling with her confidence and she stopped running,” Smith said. “And that, she realistically could be a little farther along than that. She’s just got great speed. So now she can just let fly next weekend, next year.”

Of course, the Bears are still focused on this season and a key matchup next weekend at Hartford. Maine (9-8 in America East) is aiming for a three-game sweep of the Hawks to sew up fourth place in the America East standings. The top four teams advance to the conference tournament, which will be held May 13-15 at the Bears’ own Kessock Field.

“We’re still in control of ourselves,” Smith said. “If we sweep we should be able to get in without any problem.”

Hartford (7-9) is sitting sixth in the eight-team conference.

If Maine can’t sweep the Hawks, its next best hope is the fact that the teams around the Bears are playing tough competition. Third-place BU has a three-game series against No. 1 Albany, while fifth-place Binghamton goes up against No. 2 Stony Brook.

“Right now we’re just focusing on winning our games and feeling comfortable that that will put us in good shape,” Smith said.

Taylor out with injury

University of Maine first baseman Nikki Taylor will miss at least the upcoming series against Hartford with a broken finger.

The Chelsea native, one of two seniors on the Maine team, injured her right hand during the first game of a doubleheader Saturday against Vermont when she collided with a Catamount baserunner. Taylor was replaced by sophomore Amy Kuhl, with whom Taylor had been sharing time at first.

Kuhl, who also served as a designated hitter in many of the games Taylor started at first, is batting .247 with 18 hits and 13 RBIs and a .977 fielding percentage.

“Amy’s hitting the ball pretty well right now and that’s a good thing,” Smith said. “She’s been able to step up over the last few weeks and really find her stroke.”

Taylor was batting .177 with 11 hits, two RBIs and a .976 fielding percentage.

Hockey East to keep alignment

The Hockey East teams are expected to keep their current alignment, but will play 27 league games when the University of Vermont joins Hockey East beginning in the 2005-2006 season.

Vermont will play its final season in the ECAC this coming season.

The league’s coaches and athletic directors met recently during the annual America Hockey Coaches Association meetings in Florida and Maine athletic director Patrick Nero said they were overwhelmingly in favor of the 27-game schedule rather than splitting the 10 teams into two divisions and playing fewer league games.

The athletic directors will meet in June to vote on that and other proposals.

“Vermont will be treated similar to us,” said Nero referring to the fact that when Vermont plays back-to-back league games on the weekends, both will be at home or on the road.

For example, the Catamounts wouldn’t host Northeastern on a Friday and travel to Northeastern on Saturday. They would either host Northeastern on Friday and Saturday or play at Northeastern on Friday and Saturday.

Nero also said the playoff format will remain the same in 2005-2006 with the top eight teams qualifying.

The league will add a third administrator to go with commissioner Joe Bertagna and media relations director Noah Smith, according to Nero.

“The new person will be an associate commissioner for marketing and sales,” Nero said. “The feeling was that it is important [to add someone] in order to take the league to the next level. We need to do a better job attracting fans to the quarterfinal series and we need to develop more corporate partnerships.”