There won’t be any redshirting for Ryan Laubauskas.

Laubauskas, a Mexico native and part of two Class B championship football teams at Mountain Valley High School, caught the attention of the coaching staff at Division II Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, almost immediately.

The 6-foot, 284-pound freshman guard wore No. 63 and traveled with the team to its first road game last Saturday at Indiana State.

Nothing about that trip was automatic. Sixty players dress for away games.

“Not every freshman gets to travel,” said Laubauskas, who did not play in either of Saint Joseph’s losses to Truman State (23-13) or Indiana State (57-7). “Just to be chosen for that is an honor.”

Laubauskas’ suitcase will get a workout in September.

The Pumas are in the middle of a four-game road swing, one that included a stop Saturday at Shepherd University in West Virginia.

Encore presentation

Maine Maritime Academy football opponents will have to deal with another season of Jim Bower, after all.

Bower, a 225-pound fullback from South Paris, appeared to finish his career in style last fall as the nation’s leading rusher. The Oxford Hills grad capped the campaign with 1,605 yards, 22 touchdowns, an appearance in the NCAA Division III playoffs and All-America honors.

The Mariners hopes for a return trip to the postseason received a tremendous boost when Bower elected to used a hardship waiver and extend his career by one more semester.

His services weren’t needed all that much Saturday, when Maine Maritime opened the season with a 47-0 rout of Anna Maria. Bower rushed 12 times for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Joining Bower in the backfield is junior Nick Bourassa of Jay, who logged seven carries for 88 yards Saturday. That’s consistent with the explosive 10.8 yards per carry Bourassa averaged a year ago.

Bourassa also caught a 14-yard pass and finished with 167 all-purpose yards, including punt returns.

Mike Durrell of Livermore Falls and Andrew McCann of Rumford (Mountain Valley) anchored the left side of the offensive line.

Starting defensively for the Mariners were freshman Matt Pellerin, formerly of Class B champion Leavitt, and Franklin Sawyer of Lewiston. Sawyer shared the team lead with four solo tackles, while Pellerin had one tackle for a loss among his three stops.

Sophomore Evan Barker, also a Leavitt grad, made an appearance at quarterback for Maine Maritime.

Sophomore sensation(s)

Two local second-year players are making noise early in the season for the University of Southern Maine field hockey team.

Kailey Bubier of Auburn (Hebron Academy), an ice hockey standout in the winter, notched the game-winning goal in overtime for the Huskies in a 2-1 triumph over Gordon College.

Bubier shares the team lead of four goals with Livermore Falls product Whitney McDaniel.

McDaniel exploded for three goals in a 5-4 loss to the University of New England. She also has an assist for a team-leading nine points.

Julia Richardson of Turner (St. Dom’s) is in the starting lineup for the Huskies, as well.

Storm tracking

Both the women’s soccer and field hockey teams at UNE are basking in heavy contributions from local players.

Junior Bree Tupper of Winthrop leads the Nor’easters with four goals and an assist despite playing in only two of the field hockey team’s first three games.

UNE dropped to a 1-2 with a loss Saturday to New England College.

Michelle Oswald of Jay (Mt. Blue), also a junior, has a goal and two assists in three games.

Jay’s Kelsea Beisaw, a freshman, and senior Bri Youland of Turner (Leavitt) also are seeing significant time.

Junior Alice Read of Auburn (Edward Little) is in the Nor’easters soccer starting lineup.

Read, a midfielder, logged one assist in UNE’s 8-0 rout of Maine Maritime. She helped the defense produce a shutout in the team’s second game, a 2-0 triumph over USM.

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