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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ECHL JUNE/JULY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 33 that I was a good goalie and I wanted to be ready whenever I got my chance," he said. That chance almost didn't happen. After leaving Bowling Green, Sholl was at a cross- roads, wondering if he wanted to continue to play or use his dual degrees in finance and economics in the business world. Sholl sought the advice of his college coach Chris Bergeron. "You would think as a guy who didn't play a whole lot that I might have a challenging relationship with my coach, but we respected each other," Sholl said. "He told me that if there was a part of me that wanted to play, I should do it because if I didn't give myself a chance I would look back in five years and regret it. That was the big turning point that made me decide to pursue it." Sholl knew he would have to start at the bottom and landed a gig with two SPHL teams before eventually finding a home in the ECHL with the Steelheads. I n h i s f i r st y e a r, S h o l l a p p e a r e d i n 1 1 games, notching an impressive 1.24 goals- against averag e and 9-0-2 record on his w a y t o f i n i s h i n g s e c o n d i n t h e l e a g u e 's Goaltender of the Year voting. Along with a change of scenery came a new mindset that has contributed to his success between the pipes. "In school, I used to get stressed out and treated every game like it was a champion- ship game. If I made a mistake, it just felt terrible," he said. " When I decided to turn pro, I realized that wasn't going to do me any favors. So I approached the game with more of a sense of gratitude just to be able to play at all. That took the pressure off my mind. If I make a mistake, it's not the end of the world. "That's taken a lot of the pressure off of me and let me relax and play more fluidly and in the moment because I'm not worried about the consequences. It just helps to not have to worry about what if all these bad things happen and just kind of take it as it comes and enjoy the moment." There were plenty of enjoyable moments t h i s s e a s o n a s S h o l l w e n t 2 8 - 8 - 5 w i t h fi ve s h u t o u t s i n 4 1 a p p e a r a n c e s f o r t h e Steelheads, leading the league in wins and ranking second in shutouts on his way to being named the league's Goalie of the Year. It's been an exciting transformation for a goalie who is following a family tradition between the pipes. His father Brad played goalie for the Los Angeles Blades in the Roller Hockey International league in addition to playing on the pro beach roller hockey circuit. "Outside of the rink, they had this big giant cutout of my dad," Sholl recalled. "As a kid who loved hockey, you see that and think it's awesome. It was definitely a little more inspiration to get in the net." T h e g o a l i e b u g h a s a l s o b i tt e n S h o l l 's younger brother Mattias, who plays with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League. As the uncertainty of spring gives away to summer, Sholl continues to patiently wait to see what next season will bring. Buoyed by a new mental approach to the game and some success under his belt, he hopes to take the next step in his professional journey. While he is technically still under contract with the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League, Sholl anticipates that he will be a free agent this summer. Given how far he has come over the past two seasons in the ECHL, Sholl is hopeful that some team will give him a shot. "I feel like I've kind of reached maturity at this level where it's time to test myself to the next level," he said. "I'd love to give a chance to play, whether it's with Texas or another organization. I'm open to everything." P Sholl went 28-8-5 with five shutouts in 41 appearances for the Steelheads, leading the league in wins and ranking second in shutouts on his way to being named the league's Goalie of the Year.