UM soccer player arrested for OUI after leaving pub

ORONO – A University of Maine women’s soccer player was arrested over the weekend for operating under the influence.

Orono Police Officer Seth Burns was observing the parking lot outside the Bear Brew Pub early Saturday morning when he saw a woman, who appeared unsteady on her feet, walk to her car.

“She stated out loud, ‘I’m not driving. Don’t worry. I’m not driving,” Orono Police Sgt. Josh Ewing said Monday, reading from the police report.

About 30 minutes later, the same woman left the pub with another female, got into the same vehicle and drove away.

“As they leave, only the windshield is cleared off on the car,” Ewing said. “All the other windows are covered in snow.”

Officer Burns followed the car and pulled the driver over, identifying her as Brittany Saisselin, 21, of Orono.

“She admitted to having some alcohol,” Ewing said.

Saisselin, who originally is from Avon, Conn., failed field sobriety tests and her blood alcohol level was reported as .13. She was arrested and taken to Penobscot County Jail.

As a violation of UM’s student athlete code of conduct, Saisselin is expected to be suspended for 10 percent of the team’s games next season, Brent Williamson, UM assistant athletic director for public relations, said Tuesday.

A midfielder, Saisselin played in 18 games last season for the Black Bears, but had no goals and one assist. In 2005, she had one goal and 3 assists.