UMaine men’s hockey lands Colgate’s leading scorer

Hockey winger Ross Mitton, who was an assistant captain and Colgate University’s leading scorer this past season, is transferring to the University of Maine.

Mitton said he is “super excited” to join the Black Bears.

“I really liked the coaching staff, and I loved the rink. We played there during Christmas break, and it was sold out even without students [on campus],” said Mitton, who will graduate with a degree in economics from Colgate this spring.

Mitton said he liked the fact the coaching staff got to know him as a person as well as a player.

He also said he met the players during a recent visit and that they were a “great group of guys.”

UMaine beat Colgate 3-1 on Jan. 5, and the teams skated to a 4-4 tie the next night. Mitton assisted on the goal in Colgate’s loss.

College Hockey News senior writer Mike McMahon wrote that Mitton will be “a really good addition for the Black Bears.”

“[Mitton] plays a heavy game and he can score,” wrote McMahon. “I had him rated the number three available forward [in the NCAA Division I hockey transfer portal].”

Mitton, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 190 pounds, improved every year at Colgate, culminating with his 30-point campaign this season. He had 11 goals and 19 assists in 34 games including five goals and four assists over his last 10 contests.

He had 9-18-27 as a junior in 40 games, 5-7-12 in 35 games his sophomore year and 1-2-3 in 21 games as a freshman.

Colgate went 16-16-4 this season and finished third in ECAC regular season play with a 13-7-2 record. The Raiders were upset by St. Lawrence in the league quarterfinal series.

Mitton also said he feels the Black Bears are going to be an NCAA championship contender, and he wants to be part of that run.

UMaine reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2011-12 season this past campaign and returns the vast majority of the team.

UMaine wound up 23-12-2 and finished 10th in one season-ending national poll and 11th in the other.

Mitton, who will be 24 on July 5 and was born in Manhasset, New York, will be the fourth forward to land at UMaine from the portal to go with UMass’ Taylor Makar, UMass Lowell’s Owen Fowler and Clarkson’s Charlie Russell.

UMaine has lost six forwards with freshman All-Hockey East second team selection Bradly Nadeau signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, who drafted him in the first round (30th overall) last summer; Donavan Houle passing up his fifth year to sign with the American Hockey League’s San Jose Barracuda; and four others entering the transfer portal in Parker Lindauer, Cole Hanson, Felix Trudeau and Reid Pabich.