Cheverus junior Maddie Fitzpatrick, who helped the Stags win the Class AA girls basketball state championship last winter against Gorham, has committed to the University of Maine women’s basketball team.
“It feels great,” Fitpatrick said of committing heading into her junior season. “I didn’t expect it to feel as good as it did.”
UMaine started to recruit her during the summer before her sophomore year, Fitzpatrick said.
“I met a lot of coaches and I was talking with my parents about it and I didn’t know what was going to be better than playing for coach Amy Vachon, the program there, and the idea of playing for my home state, it just felt right,” she said.
Fitzpatrick will join former Maine high school players Sarah Talon of Windham and Jaycie Christopher of Skowhegan with the Black Bears in two years, as well as Bangor’s Emmie Streams and Central’s Izzy Allen who also have committed to play at UMaine in the future.
The Cheverus star spoke with the current home state Black Bears on the team about the program and it helped Fitzpatrick make her decision.
“I didn’t talk to them about signing but I did talk to them about Maine in general,” said Fitzpatrick, who went to a class with Christopher and had been coached by Talon at UMaine’s elite camp.
Cheverus head coach Billy Goodman said that Fitzpatrick can do it all.
“On the floor Maddie can play every position and she plays every position very well,” Goodman said. “She’s a good all-around player, offense, defense, moving her feet, rebounds, great anticipation on defense.”
Fitzpatrick scored 19 points in Cheverus’ AA North final victory over Oxford Hills.
“Off the court Maddie is an amazing student, teammate, leader, is always cheering for her teammates and is really a great kid,” Goodman added.