By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

When Alyssa Burns decided to make a change, she knew who to call.

Craig Dagan, the women’s basketball coach at Maine Maritime Academy expressed interest in Burns in high school. He had even helped her make the connection that led to her attending American International College.

When Burns wanted a change of scenery, she called Dagan for guidance.

It turned out to be a call that worked significantly well for both parties.

“During my high school career, coach Dagan had recruited me,” said Burns, the former Dirigo High School standout. “He had been so nice to me. He had helped me get in touch with the AIC coaches. When I decided to make a change, I had first called him, not to consider Maine Maritime Academy, but to talk to him and get some advice. I decided to go for a visit, and I really liked the school and the small school setting.”

Burns ultimately chose to become a Mariner and has made an immediate impact on MMA.

The team has battled UMaine-Farmington atop the North Atlantic Conference’s East Division. Burns is among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and steals.

“We thought we were getting a steal,” said Dagan. “I think that Alyssa is probably one of the best players in the conference, if not the best. We feel very lucky.”

Burns feels quite fortunate as well. She’s found a college setting she enjoys. She likes her classes and has had the chance to play regularly.

“It was definitely a good decision,” she said. “Last year, I didn’t see a lot of time. So it’s nice to be able to be on the court everyday and contribute to a good team.”

Burns had been on back-to-back state championship teams at Dirigo. Her superb play in the tournament and clutch free throws in the final seconds against Dexter lifted the Cougars to the state crown her senior year.

With an impressive resume in tow, Burns wanted to test her skills at the collegiate level. One of Dagan’s good friends coaches at AIC in Springfield, Mass. He put her in touch with that program.

Burns didn’t see much playing time and didn’t like being far away from home. After one year, she wanted something different.

“Obviously part of it was because I wanted to play more,” said Burns. “I wanted to be closer to my family. Going to school four hours away was no fun for me.”

MMA helped alleviate those problems. Her sister, Dana, attends school in the Bangor area. She’s only a couple hours from home. She gets to play with and against players she competed with in high school and AAU.

“She contacted us, and she has friends on the team that she knew prior to going down there,” said Dagan. “It just worked out that she made the change, and we’re very glad. I think she’s in a much happier spot too.”

Her year at AIC wasn’t a waste. Dagan says a year’s worth of practice at the Div. II level is almost equal to playing at the Div. III level. When Burns arrived in Castine, he noticed the difference.

“She didn’t get an opportunity to play very much at AIC, but she got so much better as a basketball player against the higher echelon players,” he said. “When I saw her for the first time on the court at Maine Maritime, she was a completely different player than the one I saw in high school.”

Burns wasn’t sure how she’d do, especially adjusting to a new team and program. She’s second in the conference in scoring (16.2), ranked fourth in rebounding (9.3) and is second in steals (2.93). She’s been named the NAC Player of the Week twice.

“I worked hard in the offseason,” she said. “I really got myself in shape. I wasn’t really sure if I could contribute, but I knew I was going to work really hard.”

Burns and her versatility fit well with the Mariners, who like to play a fast style. Burns can run the floor and hit the outside shot. She’s playing in the post more than she did in high school, but her ability to do different things has been a great asset.

“Alyssa is a very explosive player,” said Dagan. “She can score inside and outside. Typically, when teams focus on her, she’s very good at making the correct choice as far as getting teammates open shots. She’s made, especially from an offensive standpoint, a lot of things a lot easier for everybody.”

Considering what she’s already accomplished, Dagan only expects greater things in the future.

“She’s a tremendous player, a tremendous athlete,” he said. “She brings a lot of things to the table. She’s a great kid. We’re obviously very excited. The one thing we were most excited about is getting more depth and more athleticism to our team.”