A year ago, Eryn Doiron and Caitlin Kane were young role players, still developing their niche for the Mt. Blue girls’ basketball team. Now those two junior guards are team leaders playing with confidence and making things happen. It’s a sizable jump in their game from a year ago.

“Last year, we were a little bit young,” Doiron said. “We lost some great players, but it’s been nice because we’ve come together and know we have to step it up. All of us are doing our part, which is really nice to see.”

Kane is currently the team’s leading scorer, while Doiron is the Cougars’ point guard and floor general. Kane and Addie Brinkman are the only returning starters, while Doiron came off the bench. Both Doiron and Kane have expanded their roles and been a key part of Mt. Blue’s 5-3 record and sixth-place seeding in Eastern A.

“Their roles have increased tremendously,” said Mt. Blue coach Gavin Kane, Caitlin’s father. “They both have much more pivotal roles for the team. We’re growing with this group. We’re taking steps forward with each game. The kids have responded very well.”

What Doiron and Kane have done in their roles is similar to what most of the team has done. It has been a year of transition for the team. Mt. Blue graduated three seniors, including all-conference forward Miranda Nicely. The Cougars also have a new coach. After a brief summer season, Mt. Blue had to start from scratch with coach Kane during the preseason. It has been a year of adjustments, but much of the team has developed nicely and taken on the challenge of bigger expectations.

“Only Addie Brinkman and Caitlin saw any quality playing time for the varsity team a year ago,” Gavin Kane said. “Sarah Cummings saw a little bit of time but has a new role now. I think the increased roles of Eryn and Caitlin are indicative of our entire team. Emilee Eustis is a player who did not see varsity time a year ago and has played outstanding basketball for us. Rachelle Bator is another, as is Lauren Guppy, Mackenzie Harris, Moesha Harrington and Leah St. Laurent. All of these kids are finding themselves in a new position, and I feel are coming along very well.”

Brinkman’s role in the post is similar to last year. She’s still a key part of the Cougars’ inside game while battling some of the top post players in the state. As a fellow starter last year, Kane was a tenacious defender and contributed offensively on occasion. She was still tentative with the ball but has shown a much more confident and assured side to her game this year.

“That’s what I want to do — to help make things happen,” Kane said. “But it’s like a good pressure. I don’t feel nervous because I know if I’m not doing something, someone else will pick it up. I do feel more aggressive and not so nervous to do anything with the ball.”

Kane attributed her progression to the trust of her teammates.

“Definitely teammates have helped a lot,” Kane said. “If you get down, they pick you right back up.”

Kane also says the push from her father has helped. She noticed change in her game before the season started.

“Toward the end of the preseason I felt like I could do that” Kane said. “I felt like I could score.”

Kane leads the team with 14.5 points, ranking fifth in the KVAC. She’s averaging four rebounds and 3.6 assists and 3.5 steals. She’s 50 percent from beyond the arc, eighth in the KVAC with 10 3’s. She’s shown an ability to not only shoot from the outside but also drive to the hoop or post up.

“She was counted on last year primarily on the defensive end of the floor and to contribute on the boards,” Gavin Kane said. “With the graduation of three starters from last year’s team, it was going to be important for her to be much more of an offensive factor for us. She has accepted the increased role, but what I like most about her approach is that she really doesn’t care about her scoring. She’d just as well make a pass that leads to a score then score herself. She has always taken pride in playing good defense, and she will continue to guard one of the opponent’s top scoring threats, but at the same time, she does provide us some flexibility offensively.”

Doiron was a bench player last year. She’d come in for brief spurts and provide some energy. She made the key steal and pass in the Eastern A prelim game that helped the Cougars rally past Lewiston for the win. She brought great energy to the court in a limited role. Going from that to starting point guard was a significant leap.

“Coach has done a really good job for us in building our confidence and in team bonding,” said Doiron, who is also an all-state soccer player for Mt. Blue. “He’s really looked to me to have a leadership role. Sometimes I probably didn’t want it, but he pushed me that much more to be his voice.”

Doiron was accustomed to being a go-to player and leader on the soccer team, but basketball is different. It was challenge to step into her new role but she’s thrived at it.

“It’s a little bit nerve-wracking, but I like it,” Doiron said. “I like the leadership role. I like to be the second voice for the coach out there.”

Doiron is averaging nearly 10 points per game. That’s after scoring 23 against Lewiston Tuesday, including going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. She’s also contributing three assists and two steals per game while also being a tough defender in her own right. She also brings versatility to her role. She can shoot from the outside, make an effective pass or drive the lane to make things happen.

“Eryn has stepped into the point guard role for our team this season and has really done a tremendous job for us,” Gavin Kane said. “You would not realize by her solid and confident play at such an important position that she saw very few minutes at the varsity level a year ago. She’s a very intelligent player who has picked up quickly on an entirely new system and understands what our coaching staff is looking for. She communicates very well on the floor and she is extremely comfortable being the floor general of our team.”

With the improvement of their games, players like Eustis and Cummings, both first-year starters, and Bator and Guppy, who have chipped in well off the bench, the Cougars are a group that are building confidence and accepting the challenge of contributing in new ways.

“Its been really good for us” Doiron said. “We’re definitely getting more offensive. Coach is a brilliant guy, and he’s helped us out with where to go and what to do. It’s nice.”

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