Hockey on brain

-- Ryan Scott is working on earning degrees in wellness management and childhood education at the State University of New York-Oswego.

The 25-year-old goaltender - the oldest rookie on the roster of the local Southern Professional Hockey League team - also is using some of that intelligence to stop pucks for the Richmond Renegades.

"Growing up, especially lately in college, my coaches always told me, 'Think the game well,'" Scott said. "I'm not the quickest guy, but I try to think ahead about what they're going to do. Just the knowledge of the game is where I try to excel.

"Play my angles. Rebound control. And always being a step ahead. When I'm on the money, I know where they're going [with the puck]."

Since joining the Renegades on Dec. 12 in Huntsville for a 4-1 victory, Scott has been on the money more often than not, carving out a 6-4-1 record with a 3.41 goals-against average heading into tonight's (7:35) game against Fayetteville at the Coliseum.

"He met us in Huntsville and I threw him in there pretty much cold," Richmond coach Brian Goudie said. "He played well."

Scott did much the same for four years at SUNY-Oswego, leading the school to the Division III national championship his junior year (the 2006-07 season). The native of Williamsville, N.Y., was named an All-American after going 19-3-3 with a 1.99 GAA.

The 5-10 195-pounder has a couple of semesters left toward each degree - he's taking on-line classes and plans to enroll in summer school - but isn't sure which one he wants to pursue for a career.

"When I went to phys ed class with the kids [student teaching in college], I liked that," Scott said. "But I'm not sure I'm ready for my own classroom. If I go into education, I'd get my master's in phys ed.

"In wellness management, there's a lot of things you can do at major companies. If I wanted to really get into that, I'd go to chiropractic school, but that would take another three years."

For now, Scott wants to see how high he can go in professional hockey. He played three games for the Wheeling Nailers at the end of last season and began the season in the East Coast Hockey League team's training camp.

Scott wound up in Texas with the Amarillo Gorillas (Central Hockey League) for a while, going 2-5-0 with a 3.56 GAA in eight games, before asking for his release in early December in hopes of catching on with an ECHL club.

The Renegades needed a regular goalie after Ryan Senft went down for the season with a knee injury in late November. When Scott contacted Goudie about the opening, the Renegades coach told him, "Meet us in Huntsville," and Goudie hasn't been disappointed.

"He wanted an opportunity, so we gave it to him," Goudie said. "He knew he'd have to come here and earn his spot, which he did. More times than not, he'll make that first save, and he makes some big saves, too. He makes more than enough saves to win you the game. He's probably one of our best penalty-killers out there by making those saves. If he can see the puck, he's going to get a piece of it most of the time.

"He gives you a chance to win every time he goes out there."
Contact John Packett at (804) 649-6313 or .