Graduate student left wing Owen Fowler, who was chosen Hockey East’s Best Defensive Forward this past season, will be the University of Maine’s men’s hockey captain this coming campaign with senior centers Sully Scholle and Max Scott serving as assistant captains.
The Black Bears are coming off a disappointing 18-14-3 season after registering back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2005-06 and ‘06-07 seasons.
UMass Lowell transfer Fowler was the team’s leader in plus-minus at plus-18 last season and was third on the team in goals with 12 and fifth in points with 22 in 34 games. He set career-highs in several categories including plus-minus, goals, points, shots on goal (89), power play goals (2), game-winning goals (3) and face-off wins (94).
He tied a career-high in assists (10) and shorthanded goals (2).
Players receive a plus-one if they are on the ice when their team scores a shorthanded or even-strength goal and a minus-one if the opponent scores one.
Fowler has 27 goals and 27 assists for 54 points in 105 career games between UMass Lowell and UMaine. The Tewksbury, Massachusetts, native was chosen to the All-Hockey East tournament team in 2024-25.
Scholle had a career-high of 18 points on seven goals and 11 assists in 35 games this past season. He had career-bests in plus-minus (plus-13), shots on goal (78) and blocked shots (20). The Chaska, Minnesota, native has 45 career points on 17 goals and 28 assists in 106 games.
Scott had 18 points on five goals and 13 assists in 29 games in his first season at UMaine after transferring from Brown University in Rhode Island, where he was a captain his sophomore year. He had a career-high 56.6 percent winning percentage in faceoffs.
The San Jose, California native has 62 career points in 83 games with 24 goals and 38 assists.
His older brother, Harrison, was a two-year standout for the Black Bears and is now playing in the Dallas Stars organization. He was an assistant captain at UMaine in 2024-25.
“Owen has embodied everything a Black Bear is,” said UMaine head coach Ben Barr. “His game took huge steps last year. He is a locker room favorite, a fan favorite. He never takes a day off.
“You could say the same for Max and Sully. Sully is a great story. He came here four years ago as a fill-in guy in the middle of the summer when one of our guys didn’t come in. He is kind of similar to a (Brandon) Holt and a (David) Breazeale and a Thomas Freel.
“Winning a letter here for him is a pretty cool story,” added Barr.
“Max has leadership experience. Obviously, he is a high-level kid as far as who he is as a person and how serious he takes the game,” said Barr.
“We feel fortunate to have those guys,” Barr added.