IN DEPTH: Scherer Savors Second Act During Graduate Season

Will Scherer thought he was ready to be done with hockey - until he wasn't.

The Canisius hockey defenseman graduated from Brown in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in business economics. His path to Buffalo, and to the Griffs, is a unique one.

Scherer, 24, joined Brown in 2015 after a couple seasons in the NAHL. After his freshman season with the Bears, he appeared in two games during his sophomore season before he decided to shift paths.

Since his opportunities at Brown seemed limited at the time, he elected to join the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, where he played the rest of the 2016-17 season.

He would record four points, all assists, in 30 games with the Lancers.

"I wanted to see what other opportunities were out there," Scherer said. "It was a great experience."

As it turns out, Scherer's time in the USHL would introduce him to a future Griffs teammate: Derek Hamelin. The duo played together for the season in the USHL.

Things changed after that season for Scherer.

"After that year, I decided to go back to Brown to finish my education," he said. "My junior year, I actually wasn't on the hockey team. I was just academically-focused, going back and getting my degree."

Although he focused on school that year, as it turned out - he missed hockey, and he wasn't ready to be done just yet. Heading into his senior year, he still knew a handful of players on the team, and decided to try out again.

Once again, he made it.

"Going into my senior year, I decided, 'hey, you know what? I want to finish out my college career playing hockey.' I had a bunch of friends on the team still, so I decided to go talk to coach (Brendan Whittet) and try out for the team. I got on the team, and had a great year there."

Fast forward a few months, and Scherer's time at Brown was coming toward its end. Still, he wasn't ready to be done with the sport.

That's how he wound up at Canisius, pursuing his master's degree and playing a key role in the Griffs' defensive core.

"I thought about it, and I said, I don't really want it to be over yet," he said. "I knew I had that other year of eligibility to use still."

Scherer began looking at teams throughout the NCAA. About halfway through the summer, he got in touch with Griffs coaches Trevor Large and Taylor Nelson and wound up visiting the Canisius campus.

"It just seemed like a really good fit, both from a hockey standpoint and an academic standpoint," Scherer said.

Aside from the hockey program, Canisius' finance program was also a big draw for Scherer. He is currently pursuing his master's degree in finance after studying business economics at Brown.

"It's been great," he said. "It's been an unbelievable experience. The team, the coaching staff, everyone has been really welcoming. Typically, you don't have someone that comes in and plays as a grad student. That's just not the usual path. It's been amazing, getting to be with a whole new group of guys and make so many new friendships, and obviously, the hockey's been great, too."

On and off the ice, Canisius has brought a host of new opportunities for the St. Charles, Missouri native - including his first collegiate goal.

After going pointless in his rookie season at Brown, he notched one assist in two games during his sophomore season before leaving for the USHL. Although he played in 22 games during his final year at Brown, he recorded one assist and still couldn't find the back of the net.

Finally, that illustrious first goal came in a 5-3 victory over RIT at home earlier this month.

"It was good to get the monkey off my back," he said. "It's just been fun. I'm just glad to be out there, you know?"

Scherer's shift from Brown to Canisius has also meant a shift from ECAC Hockey to Atlantic Hockey. Overall, however, he says there isn't much of a difference.

"That's the thing about Division I hockey," he said. "There's so few schools, that anybody can beat another team on any given night. The talent level is really good throughout the NCAA."

"I feel like the ECAC was a little more hard-hitting, chippy style, but at the end of the day, every game in Atlantic Hockey is a tough game, too," he added.

Although that may not have been a big shift, he did have to shift into a different mindset to get accustomed to a new coaching staff, a new group of players and his role on the Griffs.

"Coming into this year, talking with Coach Large, the coaching staff had a specific role they wanted to me to play with the skill set that I bring to the table," he said. "I think that's on the defensive end of the things. I've been able to fill that role, and I think it's been a benefit for me as a player and for the team, too."

It's been a season of ups and downs for the Griffs, who are heading into this weekend's series against Army following a pair of losses against RIT. Scherer, however, still believes that Canisius can finish off the season on a high note.

"I think we just need to keep building off of the success we've had starting off the second half," he said. "I think we're heading in the right direction, and if we keep building, we're going to be unstoppable come playoff time. Like we showed against Sacred Heart, we beat the top team in the league…. we can beat anyone."

"I think as long as we keep building off the systems that Coach Large has been putting in place, and stick to the way we know how to play, I think we're going to have some good success," he added.

Although there are still several months left in the college hockey season, Scherer has given at least a little thought to his future. What's in store for him after his final year of eligibility is still to be determined.

"I've been batting some neck injuries this year, and it's kind of set me back," he said. "When you get to my position, you've got to start thinking in the long run and taking care of your body as well.

"If an opportunity presented itself to play for a year or two at the next level, that would be awesome. But at the same time, I've got to keep an eye out for my health as well. We'll see what happens and how I'm feeling at the end of the season. It'll probably be a game-time decision."

Off the ice, he hopes to dive into the investment banking industry. While pursuing his master's and playing hockey, he's also doing an internship with a local company doing business valuation.

"It's been really good all around," he said of his time at Canisius thus far. "There's a lot of opportunities here, and I think that's definitely going to help me build toward my ultimate goal of my career in finance. Hopefully, the goal is to end up in New York City, maybe on Wall Street. But you don't know what the future holds, so we'll see."

That future may still be a way off, so for now, Scherer will focus on the season at hand. The Griffs travel to face Army for a pair of games this weekend, then host Air Force next weekend at LECOM Harborcenter. They've also still got weekends against AIC, Robert Morris and Mercyhurst on the horizon before the Atlantic Hockey Championship begins in March.

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Players Mentioned

#58 Derek Hamelin: D; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#44 Will Scherer: D; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#58 Derek Hamelin
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: D

#44 Will Scherer
: 6' 0"; Senior
: D

Players Mentioned

#58 Derek Hamelin

#44 Will Scherer

Players Mentioned

#58 Derek Hamelin

#44 Will Scherer