A 19-year-old University of Maine student and promising soccer player died Friday night in Portland, university officials confirmed Sunday.

According to university spokesman Joe Carr, first-year student Adam Baxter was a native of Skegness, England. He lived in Knox Hall on the Orono campus and was studying kinesiology and physical therapy.

Details were unavailable over the weekend. University officials were notified of the student’s death Saturday morning, Carr said, but were not informed of the circumstances. Portland police said Sunday that no information was available because the case is under investigation.

On Nov. 8, Baxter was named to the 2007 America East All-Rookie Team. At the time, Pat Laughlin, head coach of the UM men’s soccer team, said Baxter was “a natural leader” with promise as a team member.

On Sunday, UMaine Athletic Director Blake James called Baxter’s death “a horrible tragedy.”

“Adam was a member of our athletic family and will be greatly missed. Our sympathy and prayers go out to Adam’s family,” he said.

UMaine President Robert Kennedy predicted the news would be “devastating to UMaine’s close-knit community,” and extended sympathy to Baxter’s family and friends.

Carr said students who knew Baxter would be notified individually and in small groups as they returned from the Thanksgiving recess, and would be offered counseling and support services.