C ameron Schilling grew up in central Indiana, but he was just as much of a rink rat as any budding young hockey player in Toronto or Quebec.

Even when he wasn’t practicing, he would head to skating facilities in Carmel and Fishers for stick and puck, the hockey version of a pickup game. He spent hours in the garage of his mother’s home, working on what would become a booming slap shot.

That work now has him playing at the highest level of college hockey at Miami of Ohio — and maybe someday in the NHL.

The 6-2, 182-pound Schilling became a regular defenseman for the RedHawks’ last season as a freshman, helping them to a berth in the Frozen Four and nearly the school’s first NCAA championship in any sport.

The Carmel High School graduate is expected to be a key contributor again this season for Miami, which is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Coaches Poll and opens its season with a two-game series against St. Cloud State this weekend.

“He’s a very driven kid,‘’ said Paul Skjodt , president and owner of the Indiana Ice, for whom Schilling played during the 2007-08 season. "He didn’t really believe that he had a realistic chance of doing much with hockey. Yet, he kept going out and doing all the (right) things.’’

Schilling acknowledges that as much as he loves the sport, he didn’t think he would play on the Division I level. His family is originally from Michigan and he thought he would eventually attend Michigan State and play club hockey.

“I wasn’t always the biggest kid,‘’ he said. "I didn’t hit my growth spurt until my junior year (at Carmel). I got cut from teams in Indianapolis.’’

He credits Skjodt and his brother Charlie , then the Ice’s coach, for giving him a chance with the team. Schilling said he thinks he got it in part because he was from the Indianapolis area.

Paul Skjodt says Schilling isn’t giving himself enough credit.

“He wasn’t the best player in our camp, but he was in our top eight (defensemen),‘’ Skjodt said. "He’s a lot harder on himself than he needs to be. I don’t think he quite understood the talent he had.’’

Still, scholarship offers didn’t flood in. Schilling had to walk-on at Miami, which he chose because of its close proximity to Indianapolis.

But he made the most of his chance. Schilling played in 25 games and had seven assists, impressing the Miami coaches with his defensive play.

“He’s very aggressive and he’s a good one-on-one defender,‘’ Miami coach Enrico Blasi said. "He’s got a great shot. The thing he needs to work on is his overall decision-making, the things you get from experience.’’

Schilling attended a Chicago Blackhawks camp this summer and said he considered signing with the team as a free agent and entering the Blackhawks’ minor league system.

But he decided to return to Miami in hopes of improving his stock for future NHL drafts and winning an NCAA title. The RedHawks came agonizingly close last year, losing a 3-1 lead in the final 54 seconds of regulation before falling 4-3 in overtime to Boston University in the national championship game.

“We’re taking last year as a learning lesson,‘’ Schilling said. "It wasn’t our year. We feel like this is our year. We’re doing everything we can to make sure we have no regrets.’’

Football

DePauw quarterback Spud Dick (Lawrence Central) and kicker Jordan Havercamp (Park Tudor) were named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference’s offensive and special teams players of the week. Dick completed 28-of-34 passes for 372 yards and four TDs in a 29-27 victory over Millsaps, setting a school career mark for TDs with 57. He also completed 19 passes in a row at one point, one short of the NCAA Division III record. Havercamp kicked field goals of 31, 36 and 42 yards.

St. Francis running back Daniel Carter (Decatur Central) was named the Mid-States Football Association’s Mideast League Player of the Week. Carter ran for 173 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-14 victory over Malone.

Cross Country

Franklin College’s Heather Waterman (Morristown) was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Runner of the Week for the third time this season. Waterman finished fourth out of 298 runners at the Greater Louisville 5K Classic with a career-best time of 18 minutes, 45.34 seconds.