LEWISTON – There won’t be any easing into her new job as a varsity basketball coach.

When Kristi Ouellette makes her debut at the helm of the Falmouth girls’ Friday, the Lewiston native will do so at Greely against a tough WMC rival.

Ouellette knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she took the job this summer. After stellar careers at Lewiston and Bowdoin, Ouellette has proven she does pretty well in pressure situations. Friday may be a trial by fire, but it is one she’ll likely be ready to face.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity,” said Ouellette. “I’m looking forward to getting into the season and seeing what they can do.”

Having played in Class A at Lewiston, she admits to having some nerves about not knowing the rest of the conference foes too well. Still, this is a challenge Ouellette has been waiting for and welcomes. She likes what she’s seen from her players and feels ready to test herself as a varsity coach.

“I think a big part of it is letting the kids get to know you and get to know your style and buy into your program,” said Ouellette. “You want to set up the program the way you want it to be.”

As a fierce post player for Lewiston and Bowdoin, the former Kristi Royer dominated the paint and was a relentless rebounder. She led the Blue Devils to its finest season ever. Lewiston went 18-0 in 1999 and won the Western A title before losing to Mt. Blue. She was a 1,000 point-scorer and followed that up with a stellar career at Bowdoin. She earned numerous honors, including First Team ECAC, First Team All-NESCAC, First Team All-Maine, First Team All-New England, WBCA All-American and NCAA All-Regional Team. She was also an All-NESCAC pick in softball.

Since graduating from Bowdoin, she’s been active in coaching. She was a JV coach at Ipswich High School in Massachusetts and then coached the freshmen and JV teams at Cheverus. She also coached eighth grade basketball for two seasons and was the assistant softball coach at Bowdoin. Eventually, she knew she’d be interested in coaching at the varsity level. When the varsity job at Falmouth opened this summer, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“I’ve been coaching since college,” said Ouellette. “I’ve sort of been waiting for the right time in my life to go for a varsity job. It seemed like a good fit because I moved to Cumberland this summer, and I teach in Saco.”

The summer basketball season was already underway when she got the job to replace George Conant in Falmouth. JV coach Cooper Higgins ran the program during the summer, while Ouellette observed and acclimated herself with the team.

She has seven seniors on a club that lost to Lake Region in the regional final last year. Forwards Sara Bachman and Kelsey Graffam and guards Haley Jordan and Andrea Doyle are veterans on an experienced team with high expectations.

“So far, it’s been a wonderful transition,” said Ouellette, who has taught at Young Elementary in Saco for three years. “The girls have done everything that I’ve expected of them. I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Ouellette saw her team in action against Windham early in the preseason and against Edward Little and St. Dom’s while playing at the Lewiston Armory last weekend. She expects to be a defensive-minded coach and likes what she’s seen from her team’s defensive play, but it will take more time for her and her team’s style of play to evolve

“I think I have to wait a little while to figure out what I’ve got,” said Ouellette. “I have to make sure everybody’s healthy, and then we’ll see where we go from there.”

She says she can’t help but fall back on her past coaches, especially former Bowdoin coach Stefanie Pemper. Ouellette’s former Bowdoin teammate, Jessica Mayol, currently coaches at Windham. They often discuss the influence their college experiences have on their respective teams.

“We go back and forth: ‘This worked in college, will this work in high school? We found success out of this. Will it work for the girls,'” says Ouellette? “So we debate back and forth.”

Ouellette is fully aware she’s jumped right into a hoops hotbed in Western B and will have her coaching tested. She’s seen her kids react well already to her arrival and sees great potential for her future in Falmouth.

“They only had three losses last year against Lake Region,” said Ouellette. “There’s definitely some teams we’ll be battling. On any given night, I think we can give anyone a ballgame.”