The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team received a verbal commitment from Scarborough native Jacob Rutt for the 2011 season.

The 6’2 defenseman is having an outstanding rookie season with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

“I really liked the idea of playing for my home state,” said Jacob Rutt. “I am very grateful of Tim Whitehead to give me this opportunity.”

The 18-year old made his decision after making a visit to the University of Maine on Monday. Bentley and Army, St. Lawrence, and RPI were other schools that showed strong interest in the blueliner.

“(Maine) has been looking at him this year with the way he’s been playing with us,” said New Hampshire Junior Monarchs head coach Sean Tremblay said. “In the last month, (Maine) has been out a couple times to see him play. There were a lot of schools started to ask about him and they wanted to get in before everyone else.”

In 29 games this season Rutt has nine goals and nine assists.

“He’s definitely an offensive defenseman,” Trembley said. “Sometimes he’s a high risk defenseman, but he’s learning to be offensive. At the beginning of the year he was leading our offensive attack.”

“Coach has me as a physical, heavy shot, and can move the puck really well type of defenseman,” Rutt added. “I need to work on the defensive end.”

Rutt played the previous two seasons with Scarborough High School and has made the transition to the junior level.

“The whole team wants to get to the next level,” Rutt said. “It’s a great environment to be in. Coach Tremblay and Coach Matt Donnehy know what they are doing. There’s a reason why they put so many kids in Hockey East and Division I schools.”

Since joining the Monarchs, he has been named to the EJHL All-Star game and was ranked the 207th North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau in their mid-term rankings.

“Those were goals of mine,” said Rutt of the mid term rankings and the All-Star selection.

“Being a kid no one knew coming out of Scarborough High School, he was a kid everyone was intrigued by,” Tremblay added. “The mid-term ranking caught everyone’s attention as well.”

Tremblay believes Rutt has handled the attention pretty well.

“He’s really a competitive kid by nature,” Tremblay stated. “On occasion he gets down on himself because he wants to do so well.”

Rutt is looking forward to June 26th-27th when the NHL Entry Draft takes place in Los Angeles, California.

“The main goal is to get drafted in June,” Rutt added.

Jacob brother Jon Rutt plays for the University of Southern Maine Huskies.