Sully Scholle was going to play for Waterloo in the United States Hockey League this season before joining the University of Maine’s program for the 2024-25 season.
But when winger Mike Mancinelli decided in July not to return, a roster spot was open and UMaine head coach Ben Barr asked Scholle if he wanted to come to Orono a year early.
Scholle said he never had to give it a thought.
“It was a great opportunity to come to a great organization like this,” said Scholle, who has become a productive regular and will come into this weekend’s non-conference series with visiting Colgate University on a three-game points streak.
He scored two goals in the 5-1 win over Dartmouth in the Ledyard Bank Classic championship game on Saturday and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. He had an assist in Friday’s 5-2 win over Rochester Institute of Technology and also had an assist in the previous game, a 3-2 victory over Bentley in Portland.
The Chaska, Minnesota native now has three goals and three assists in 14 games and is a plus-four in plus-minus. A player receives a plus-one if he is on the ice when his team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal and a minus one if the opponent scores one.
The 20-year-old Scholle has played all three forward positions: left wing, right wing and center.
The 12-3-1 Black Bears are currently ranked seventh in the country in the U.S. College Online poll.
He joined the team a week after the team began its optional six-week training program on campus this summer and played in one of the team’s first three games before picking up his first point, an assist, in the fourth game, a 4-1 loss to nationally-ranked Quinnipiac.
He has been in the lineup ever since.
Barr said it isn’t easy, mentally, to uproot your future plans like Scholle did by coming to Maine after expecting to play in the USHL.
“But he came in here with a smile and spent the summer working out with the guys. And he has worked his way into a pretty solid role,” said Barr.
“He is a really smart player who is always around the puck,” added Barr. “He has a real good stick and he can really shoot the puck. He’s a versatile guy.”
Barr also said he is well-liked.
“He’s a great kid. He’s happy-go-lucky,” said Barr.
“He’s always making us laugh,” said sophomore defenseman Luke Antonacci. “It’s great to have him around. I’m glad he came in this year.”
Scholle played in the North American Hockey League last season where he had 26 goals and 28 assists in 59 games for the New Mexico Ice Wolves. He played for the Ice Wolves the previous year and was a teammate of UMaine sophomore defenseman Brandon Holt, who was a captain of that 2021-22 team.
“(Holt) told me how great it was at Maine,” said Scholle. “I knew this was the right spot for me. We have great coaches and great guys on the team.”
Scholle said he did have to adapt to the east coast “but the weather is pretty similar to Minnesota. It feels like home.
“I love it here,” he added.
He had to adjust to the quicker pace of play and he noted that there are a “lot more skilled guys” in college hockey.
“But you learn to adapt,” he said.
He feels his play has been “pretty solid” but quickly pointed out that “there is always room for improvement. I’m getting better every day.”
He said he is working on his “low play” in the corners and trying to consistently win puck battles and contribute to the team’s “grinding” offensive zone forecheck.
Senior center and co-captain Lynden Breen called him an “unbelievable kid and a great teammate” and said he has a lot of patience on the ice.
“He thinks the game really well and slows down the game. You don’t see a ton of players who can do that,” said Breen. “And he has a lot of skill.”
The Black Bears will host a 6-8-2 Colgate team that is the defending ECAC Tournament champion on Friday and Saturday nights at 7.
The Raiders won all five ECAC Tournament games before losing to Michigan 11-1 in their NCAA Regional game in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Raiders under first-year coach Mike Harder returned two of their top five scorers in defenseman Nick Anderson and forward Ross Mitton, who were the team’s No. 3 and No. 5 scorers a year ago.
Their leading scorers this year are Ryan McGuire (9 goals, 5 assists), Mitton (5 & 8), defenseman Tommy Bergsland (3 & 10) and forward Brett Chorske (3 & 8). Veteran goalie Carter Gylander has a 5-7-2 record with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. He was 19-15-5 last season with a 2.46 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
Colgate has been much better on the road, going 5-2 as compared to its 1-6-2 home record.
Colgate beat UMaine 5-2 and tied UMaine 1-1 last year in Hamilton, New York.
UMaine had three players earn Hockey East Player of the Month nods for December in freshman brothers Josh and Bradly Nadeau and sophomore defenseman Brandon Chabrier. Right wing Josh Nadeau, who had six goals and six assists in six games, all wins, was the Player of the Month; left wing Bradly (5 goals, 6 assists) was the Rookie of the Month and Chabrier (2 & 8) was the Defender of the Month.