TRURO, N.S. – Four years ago, Murray Siding’s Julia Scammell visited the University of New Hampshire and immediately felt it was the place for her.
“I toured a few schools, and this one, I knew this was it when I came here; you kind of get this gut feeling and you just know it’s gonna be right,” said Scammell, 19, a sophomore defenceman for the UNH Wildcats women’s hockey team (NCAA, Division 1). “I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.”
Although homesick at times, she fit right in during her first year south of the border. Away from the rink, she made friends easily, while on the ice she made necessary adjustments to be successful at her position. This year has been even better, Scammell says, as she continues to adapt to the challenges of playing at the top college level.
“It’s a really awesome experience. I’ve learned a lot, so I’m kind of able to be a little bit more of a leader this year.”
Scammell, a stay-at-home blueliner, has played in all 19 games this season for the Wildcats. After a slow start, UNH has won five of its last six overall and sits tied for fifth in the 10-team Hockey East Conference with a record of 4-8-1.
Scammell’s coach, Hilary Witt, says she is a smart player who skates well and is calm under pressure.
“She’s just someone who’s very steady that we’re lucky to have on the ice, a lot,” said Witt.
She remembers Scammell being shy and quiet early in her freshman season. However, the more she got to know her, the more she saw her infectious personality shine through.
“She’s an outstanding person … she’s so even-keeled, she’s such a presence in our locker room because she has a good sense of humour, but she can be serious when she has to be. She doesn’t put a lot of pressure on herself and I think that goes a long way in our locker room; just a great kid.”
Scammell said she tries to lead by example.
“I feel like a lot of people will mimic what they see so I try to do the little things right.”
Scammell lives on campus at UNH in the town of Durham (pop. 16,523). During her freshman season, she lived on campus with fellow Maritimer and UNH goaltender Ava Boutilier of P.E.I. This year, she has a dorm room to herself, while she plans to live off-campus with teammates during her junior year.
“So that’s going to be pretty cool,” she said. “I get to cook for myself. It will be a big adjustment, obviously, not eating in the dining hall anymore, not having that convenience, but I think I’m gonna like it a lot better.”
Scammell, who’s pursuing a degree in exercise science, will return to Colchester County for the holidays Dec. 14 for two weeks. She looks forward to seeing family and friends back home, taking part in the annual family sleigh ride and watching the world junior men's hockey championship.
Scammell grew up playing minor hockey in Truro on boys’ teams. She played girls’ hockey when she reached the bantam level and spent four seasons playing female midget AAA in East Hants and Pictou County. During her final midget-eligible season in 2016-17, she led the Northern Subway Selects to provincial gold and a berth in the Atlantic final. She has also been part of the national U-18 program and was one of eight Canadians invited to an IIHF High Performance Camp in Finland in 2016.
She said earning a full scholarship to play U.S. college hockey was always her dream.
“It’s kind of crazy that it came true, but I’m glad it did.”
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Did you know?
The UNH Wildcats roster features four Maritimers – Julia Scammell (Murray Siding, N.S.), Ava Boutilier (Charlottetown, P.E.I), Talli Warren (Mundleville, N.B.) and captain Marie-Jo Pelletier (Dalhousie, N.B.).
“I think it’s just been a good match for us,” said coach Hilary Witt. “I don’t have a formula why, but we put a lot of effort into seeing those kids and they’re all such good kids, they come from great families and we appreciate having them.”
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Two of a kind
Julia Scammell is the second Colchester County athlete to skate for the UNH Wildcats women’s hockey team.
Valley defenceman Nicole Goguen was a member of the Wildcats from 2005 to 2008 and helped UNH to a 115-19-13 record, three NCAA tournament appearances and four consecutive Hockey East championships.
Goguen, a former alternate captain, totalled four goals and 21 assists during her 145-game collegiate career and was selected to the Hockey East All-Academic Team three times.
