Scooter Vaughan was a kid the first time the winged helmets caught his eye.

He was 9 when he wore a Michigan T-shirt to the Frozen Four at The Pond in Anaheim, Calif., unaware that more than a decade later he would be part of a Michigan hockey team trying to reach the same championship destination.

Vaughan's pilgrimage to Michigan from Southern California wasn't as direct as many of his West Coast classmates. But with stops in West Bloomfield and St. Louis, he went from Orange County to Ann Arbor.

Vaughan started skating on roller blades at age 5 before transitioning to the ice three years later. By learning on wheels, Vaughan developed skating and puck-handling skills in a non-contact setting.

But as much hockey as Vaughan played as a kid, it was always for fun. He never figured it would lead to much. Certainly never a college hockey scholarship at Michigan.

Vaughan's parents made one thing clear from the beginning: If he was going to play, he had to keep his grades up. Both Vaughan's mother, Orian, and his father, Skip, were raised by teachers.

Orian, an attorney, and Skip, a chemical engineer with the Pepsi Corporation, made sure their son was raised the same way, with education as a strong foundation.

"We believe our success in life stems from the fact that we have a good background and basis in education," Orian said. "I think (a focus on academics) makes you more disciplined at an early age and it teaches you good time management skills. So that meant you always had your homework done before practice and that you couldn't go out until your work was done.

"So from the start, the two things Scooter was balancing was homework and hockey."

But if the two were ever to meet at a serious level, Vaughan knew he had leave California. As a high school sophomore, he found a hockey hotbed in Michigan, moving east with Orian to West Bloomfield.

Vaughan joined the Honeybaked Hockey Club, putting him in front of college coaches and pro scouts on a regular basis. The club is a regular recruiting stomping ground for Michigan coaches.

For Vaughan, though, the main priority was not only finding a hockey home, but a place where he could get a degree.

"(With Michigan) being one of the best academic schools around and getting to play hockey, too, it was just a no-brainer," Vaughan said.

It made sense to his parents, too.

"We told him the worst-case scenario was that he was going to get great education," Orian said. "That was the worst possible thing that could happen. The best thing is you have a great four years and you go to The Show (the NHL), which we would be happy with.

"But the worst thing that could happen by him going to Michigan was getting a great education and a degree that we think would serve him well throughout his life."

Playing with Honeybaked, Vaughan developed, building off his already solid skating abilities. Michigan associate head coach Mel Pearson took notice, earmarking the 6-foot-1 defenseman as someone who could grow into a Division I player.

Michigan coaches kept their eye on Vaughan, who spent a year playing junior hockey with the St. Louis Bandits, scoring eight goals and adding 27 assists.

In Vaughan, Pearson also had discovered a level-headed kid that valued his academic future.

"I think that's what our program has been built on is the character kids who understand there is life after hockey," Pearson said. "We obviously still want to get the kids who want to get to the NHL. But, at the same time, you can do both."

For Vaughan, both aspects carry equal weight.

"It's truly a great school, and it's just unbelievable to be here," said Vaughan, who is finishing his under-graduate studies in psychology this year. "I love going home and people see my Michigan shirt and say, 'Oh, you go to Michigan,' and I'm really proud to say that I do.

"I'm proud to say that I go to the University of Michigan (and) that I play hockey for the Wolverines."

After graduation, Vaughan will pursue law school. He's considering several schools, including Michigan.

Heading into this weekend's home series with first-place Notre Dame (today and Saturday, 7:35 p.m. each night), Vaughan is tied with David Wohlberg with a team-high five goals. He has provided a scoring punch that has sometimes been lacking with Michigan (5-2-3, 4-1-1 CCHA) over the season's first 10 games.

After transitioning from defense last year, Vaughan has acclimated himself to being a forward. His teammates have seen his confidence grow, helping turn the Southern California transplant into a valuable cog in the Wolverines' offense.

"Last year, we would see him in practice and he would score so many goals in practice," senior forward Louie Caporusso said. "When it came to game time, he just wouldn't. But now, he it's starting to translate into (scoring) in games."

Vaughan takes the success in stride, laughing when his teammates jokingly call him "Hobey," referring to the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's version of the Heisman Trophy.

But like it was when he was a kid, hockey is mainly for fun, providing a break from his academic load.

"When you're a student-athlete, you're a student first. When you can be an athlete, and a good one at that, it helps out," he said. "I'm here for four years of college and so I'm going to do as well as I can do academically. But I'm going to do as well as I can playing hockey, as well.

"So to be able to do both is just awesome."

Jeff Arnold covers Michigan hockey for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.