Timmy Kent is returning to college hockey.

The Maine Nordiques forward, who joined the organization early last season after coming over from the University of New England, has committed to play this coming season at Curry College in Milton, Mass., a fellow Division III school and Commonwealth Coast Conference rival.

Curry is where Maine Nordiques associate head coach Matt Pinchevsky played his college hockey. Pinchevsky has known the Kent family since before Timmy was even born, as he used to play hockey with Kent’s father.

“Timmy Kent has always been a sought-after player, he’s always been a go-to, marquee guy, top line, playing in all situations,” Pinchevsky said. “He has always exuded confidence, he’s always been able to play with confidence. He believes in himself and he truly loves the game, and he’s very inspirational. Guys around him — I made the comment, ‘He’s very contagious in the best way.’ He gets them dialed in, he gets them ready to play and definitely lights the fire.”

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Kent joined the team in November after leaving UNE, where he joined the Nor’easters at the start of the second semester of the 2018-19 season. With UNE, he had a goal and an assist in 10 games. He will have three and a half years of eligibility remaining at Curry.

After leaving UNE, Kent just wanted an opportunity to play.

“He improved our team, our (locker room) and our inaugural group there from the second he picked up that phone,” Pinchevsky said. “It wasn’t calling a coach wondering if you have a spot for me. He was like, ‘Hey Pinch, do you think you can give me an opportunity to prove I can help your hockey club?’ Which he most certainly did. Nobody could every deny that.”

The 20-year-old from Parkland, Florida was third on the Nordiques in scoring last season, with 11 goals and 37 assists in 37 games. His point-per-game ratio (1.30) placed him second in the league among players who played a minimum of 35 games.

Prior to joining UNE, Kent spent a season and a half in the National Collegiate Development Conference with the Boston Jr. Bruins, where he had 11 goals and 13 assists in 49 games played during the 2017-18 campaign. In the first half of the 2018-19 season, he split time between the Jr. Bruins and the Syracuse Jr. Stars, where combined for three goals and 19 assists in 28 games before joining UNE.

Curry College went 17-6-3 last season, as they lost to Endicott College in the CCC quarterfinals.

Fellow age-out forward Kevin Pitts has also made a Division III commitment, as he’s joining Utica College in Utica, New York.

The 20-year-old from Pointe-Claire, Quebec was fourth on the team in scoring, with 14 goals and 25 assists in 51 games played.

“If we could rebuild our inaugural roster 100 times over, Pitts would be on that list 100 times for sure,” Pinchevsky said. “He was a cornerstone piece to the initial group, he provided leadership and he goes about his business the right way. He’s certainly a warrior, he loves to compete. I know (Nordiques play-by-play announcer) Nick Withee kind of wrote something about him being clutch statistically and that’s true. When things weren’t going well for us, all of a sudden Pitts would provide a spark or a glimmer of ‘come on guys, we need to keep going.’”

Pitts had two game-winning goals last season.

Prior to joining the Nordiques for his lone junior hockey season, Pitts played two years at the Holderness School in Holderness, N.H. with fellow Nordiques teammates Isaiah Fox and Connor Androlewicz. Pitts amassed 38 goals and 45 assists in 63 games over two seasons at Holderness.

The Utica Pioneers are a perennial power in Division III hockey, and this past season they won the United Collegiate Hockey Conference after going 25-2-2. The Pioneers were set to play in a NCAA Division III tournament quarterfinal game, but the tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Utica also led Division III in terms of attendance, with an average of 3,394 fans packing the 4,000-seat Utica Auditorium.

Pinchevsky believes Pitts may have a long career after college hockey.

“Utica at the D3 level is essentially not only a D1 program, but they seek out and commit guys who could very easy be playing at the Division I level,” Pinchevsky said. “I think that who Kevin Pitts is, there are a lot of Division I teams that know Pitts could play for them. For whatever reason, the timing or maybe already settled up that (recruiting) class, that it didn’t work out, but the bottom line is he’s going to be playing at a Division I place (with a) collection of players that will allow him to continue to grow and be pushed. Kevin Pitts will be able to play this game for a living after a successful career at Utica.”

Former St. Dom’s standout Dominic Chasse, who played for the Twin City Lighting 18U team this past season, is also committed to Utica.

Kent and Pitts join Noah Kane (Mercyhurst University, Division I), Trent Grimshaw (Oswego State, Division III) and Ethan Prout (Williams College, Division III) as 1999-born players on last year’s roster who have made a college commitment.

NORDIQUES SIGN NAPHL 18U TENDER

The Maine Nordiques also announced their North American Prospects Hockey League 18U tender last week with the signing of Salem, N.H. native Kevin McGuire.

The 18-year-old forward played with the Seacoast Spartans 18U team that’s based in Exeter, N.H. In 17 NAPHL games this past season, McGuire had six goals and eight assists, while in nine United Tier I Hockey League games he had five goals and eight assists. In six East Coast Elite League games he had eight goals.

Pinchevsky worked with McGuire when he was working with the Spartans program. Pinchevsky isn’t the only Nordiques coach who knows him, as Maine Nordiques Academy’s U16 head coach Cam Robichaud was a coach with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs when McGuire was a part of that organization in his early youth hockey days.

“I have known him a long time,” Pinchevsky said. “In fact, back in Cam Robichaud’s (Monarchs coaching) days, Kevin was probably a squirt or a pee-wee back then. Cam has known him a bit, so there’s a lot of alignment there. With everything through video breakdown and our discussions, (head coach) Nolan (Howe) felt very good to committing to the young man to tender. He’s a great kid, high character and would take off his shirt off his back for you and especially his teammates. He keeps things very simple and he has a great frame, he’s always been a long and tall player.”

McGuire’s biggest strength according to Pinchevsky is his speed.

Pinchevsky said McGuire, who’s a 6-foot-2, 178-pound forward, has also received some Division I hockey interest.

North American Hockey League teams are required to sign a tender in the development leagues under the NAHL umbrella: the North American 3 Hockey League, the NAPHL 18U and the NAPHL 16U. The Nordiques used their NA3HL tender on Lewiston native Sam Frechette and the NAPHL 16U tender on Jack Kurrle, who’s committed to the University of Vermont.

A tender is a contract that gives a team a player’s NAHL rights, and the player cannot be drafted or signed by another NAHL team. The player, however, can sign with another team in another junior league. McGuire has also signed a tender with the expansion Boston Advantage of the NCDC.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.

« Previous

Lobster Bowl: Fundraising a success, even without a game

Next »

Lewiston baseball league a diamond in the rough