Maine football will open the season with a game in Orono against Division II St. Cloud State on Thursday Sept. 3.

Maine released its schedule today, with the added game. The program had been scrambling to find an 11th opponent after getting dropped by Florida State, and adding Syracuse earlier this winter.

• Nationally ranked USM will attempt to keep a 17-game win streak going with a 3 p.m. game today against Husson, a 3:30 p.m. game Friday against UMass Boston, and a doubleheader at noon Saturday vs. Rhode Island College.

The following players will be honored Saturday for senior day:

Chris Burleson of Portland (Deering)
Anthony D'Alfonso of Westbrook
Josh Stowell of Portland (Deering)
Tim Therrian of New Portland (Carrabec)
Andrew Stacy of Denmark (Fryeburg Academy)
Ryan Pike of Saco, (Thornton Academy)
Ryan Gaffney of Salem, NH, (Central Catholic)

USM baseball is ranked No. 3 in the nation according to the American Baseball Coaches Association Division III poll released today.

USM is ranked No. 1 according to the D3baseball.com Top-25 poll released today.

The Huskies (28-3) went 8-0 last week and have now won 16 straight games.

Senior outfielder Ryan Pike of Saco was named Little East Conference Player of the Week Monday night, after hitting .447 (15-for-38) with 13 runs scored, five doubles, three home runs and 28 RBI during the last eight wins.

Scarborough goalie Adam Blanchard is trying to find an alternate program to begin his college soccer career at afer Maine cut men's soccer earlier this week along with the volleyball program. The school cited unprecedented budget challenges.

Blanchard, 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, said he has been in contact with several schools in the last two days.

"Right now I'm just talking to some other coaches and seeing if I can get some other options," said Blanchard. "A lot of schools have already got a full roster, or just picked up a goalkeeper. Things like that are making it difficult, but there's obviously places out there."

The Huskies made it nine straight wins with a 19-4 wallop over Plymouth State on Tuesday night.

USM leads the Little East standings with a 21-3 overall record, 5-1 in league play.

During a 14-run second inning USM sent 19 batters to the plate highlighted by a
grand slam by senior Ryan Pike of Saco, Pike's fifth homer of the season.

The Maine women's basketball team is losing its leading scorer Brittany Boser, who will skip her fourth year of basketball eligibility to graduate in May.

This is according to a press release sent out by Maine today.

Boser scored a team high 9.9 points per game last season and was the team's leading scorer in nine games.

Courtney Gingrich blasted a fastball out of the park Wednesday afternoon for a grand slam that led Maine softball to a 6-0 win over Boston University in Game 2 of a doubleheader.

It was a career first for Gingrich, a senior infielder for the Black Bears.

• Teammate Alexis Souhlaris was 5-for-8 on the day, scoring three times. She leads the team with a .399 average and 11 home runs.

Spring football opens at the crack of 5:45 a.m. on Thursday morning up in Orono. All practices are open to the public.

2009 Maine Spring Football schedule

Thursday April 9 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Friday April 10 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Saturday April 11 - 8:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Tuesday April 14 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday April 15 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Friday April 17 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Saturday April 18 - 8:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Tuesday April 21 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday April 22 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Friday April 24 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Saturday April 25 - 8:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Tuesday April 28 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday April 29 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Friday May 1 - 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Saturday May 2 - 10 a.m. Jeff Cole Spring Scrimmage

Quarterback Michael Brusko sounds off in a piece in the student newspaper at the University of Maine today, taking a stand against Tiger Woods.

It's a classic we're-tougher-than-you-argument by Brusko who basically challenges Tiger Woods to try teeing off with some 10,000 screaming fans, instead of a quiet gallery. It's well written.

The Maine football team still needs one more opponent before its 2009 schedule is complete.

Maine added Albany to its schedule on Sept. 19.

According to the sports information department Maine is in talks with a few different schools about filling its final date but nothing is imminent.

The school is pursuing a team to play in Orono on Sept. 5 - the date left open when Florida State dropped Maine.