When University of Maine freshman center Brock James scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in last Friday’s 2-0 victory over UMass Lowell, the Falmouth native became the first in-state player to score for the Black Bears since March 6, 2015.
That’s when senior defenseman Jake Rutt from Scarborough scored in a 4-2 loss to Vermont in Burlington.
“It’s kind of crazy when you put it into perspective,” James said.
He scored his first goal for the Black Bears in the first period against UMass Lowell in Friday’s game at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.
“We were obviously happy for him. We were so pumped to see him score,” said senior defenseman and co-captain Brandon Holt. “He is such a hard-working kid. It was great to see a Maine guy have some success.”
James, who had been a healthy scratch in the previous five games, followed that up with assists on third-period goals by fellow freshmen Will Gerrior and Loic Usereau that tied up Saturday’s second game of the series 5-5 before junior center Max Scott won it for UMaine in overtime.
“He took advantage of an opportunity and played great,” said UMaine head coach Ben Barr. “When someone who has been in and out of the lineup gets a chance, you want to see them go and take it and he did it the whole weekend. The whole line did.”
James centered a line between left wing Gerrior and freshmen right wing Nick Peluso. The trio combined for two goals and three assists in the sweep of the River Hawks.
James, who posted his first three points in his sixth and seventh games of the season, takes pride in being an in-state player wearing Black Bear colors.
“I work summer hockey camps in Falmouth, and kids would ask me what it was like to be committed to be coming here,” said James. “And now, next summer, they will be asking me what it is like to play here. And it will be really cool to answer them with, ‘Hey, like, I did it and I was in the same position you guys are in. So keep doing what you’re doing now and work hard, and you could have things fall into place and fulfill that dream of yours of putting on a Maine sweater.’”
The 6-foot-2, 201-pound James said he watched his first college hockey game at Alfond Arena.
“So to represent the state that I call home every day, and to be able to do something bigger than just myself and do it with this special group of guys, means a lot to my family and friends and the state as a whole,” James said.
UMaine head coach Ben Barr said James is a “big, strong kid” who can be a really effective power forward.
“Consistently doing that is another thing, and he has made huge strides on that,” Barr said. “Obviously he’s starting to see some gains from that which is great. Good for him.”
James said when you go from playing regularly in junior hockey to not being in the lineup at UMaine, it is a major adjustment.
“We have a really deep team with a lot of really good players, so it’s one of those things that you have to wait for your turn,” James said. “And when the opportunity comes, you have to try to make the most of it. You have to really grind to get into the lineup.”
That kind of mental change requires a player to stick to the process, trust the coaches and go from there, James said.
He has had meetings with Barr to discuss his game and what he needed to improve in order to crack the lineup.
And he agreed with Barr that he has made significant strides.
“I’ve watched clips from practices from the start of the year to now and there is definitely a big change,” James said. “There’s more maturity in my game as far as holding onto pucks, protecting it and not turning it over right away… keeping possession long enough to (make) a play and wear the other team down.”
His improvement has boosted his confidence.
He said it’s nice to “finally feel like you can create chances and make plays at the next level.”
Brown University transfer Scott said James plays a “heavy game and keeps it simple, and that’s exactly what we need right now.”
James enjoys being on a line with Peluso and Gerrior. Peluso set up James’ goal with a pass from the extended goal line to the low slot. Gerrior scored when James pounced on a loose puck along the boards and quickly wristed it to the net front, where it deflected over to Gerrior.
On the Usereau goal, James cleanly won a face-off back to the defenseman.
James and Peluso previously played together for a couple of months on the same junior hockey team, and James and Gerrior have spent time as roommates.
“That line was one of our best lines all weekend. They brought energy and did exactly what they needed to do,” Holt said about the trio.
“It’s really big for our team when you have young guys coming in and helping us,” said junior defenseman and assistant captain Frank Djurasevic. “Brock hadn’t been given the ice time others had but he worked really hard, got a great opportunity and made the most of it.”
James said in order to stay in the lineup, his work ethic has to be “top tier” and he has to get in better shape so he can keep his energy throughout the game.
“That’s a big part of it. Once my line gets a team in the defensive zone, we can start wearing them down to create space,” James said. “That’s a huge part of staying in the lineup. And not giving up scoring chances. Minimizing those and making sure we’re positive energy.”
The 17th-ranked Black Bears, 14-9-2 overall and 8-7 in Hockey East, will entertain the surging seventh-ranked Providence College Friars, 15-7-2 and 10-3-1, at 7p.m. Saturday
Providence has won six straight including 6-1 and 3-0 home wins over the Black Bears.
It will be UMaine’s first home game since Dec. 14, 2025.
