On Tuesday night, UMass Lowell picked up a commitment from a player who seemingly fits head coach Norm Bazin’s style to a T. Governor’s Academy sophomore left wing Owen Fowler announced his verbal commitment to play college hockey for the River Hawks, the Hockey East Tournament champions in 2013, '14 and '17. The Tewksbury, Mass.,...
On Tuesday night, UMass Lowell picked up a commitment from a player who seemingly fits head coach Norm Bazin’s style to a T.
Governor’s Academy sophomore left wing Owen Fowler announced his verbal commitment to play college hockey for the River Hawks, the Hockey East Tournament champions in 2013, '14 and '17.
The Tewksbury, Mass., native played the 2017-18 season at MIAA powerhouse Central Catholic. Fowler scored seven goals and 14 assists in 24 games with the Raiders.
“Besides having a good skill package, he is as competitive as they come and gets to the inside of the ice really well," said former Central Catholic coach and UMass Lowell hockey alum Kim Brandvold, who is also the Boston Bruins' skating coach. "He can get through traffic and should have a chance to be a strong contributor at the college level."
“I am a 200-foot, physical player and [UMass Lowell] will suit my style very well,” Fowler said when asked to describe his style of play.
Following the 2017-18 high school season, Fowler’s profile grew with a terrific showing at the Massachusetts Hockey Boy’s CCM High Performance Festival last May. Fowler does a good job of hunting pucks and driving the net. He uses his strong, rugged frame to bull his way to the dirty areas.
Fowler decided to make the move to prep hockey for the 2018-19 season. In addition, he plays split-season fall midget hockey for Neponset Valley River Rats 16U, coached by Albany Academy head coach Steve Needham.
“Owen is a power forward who is hard to play against," Needham said. "He’s fast, plays in straight lines and can make plays."
Fowler’s style of play will fit in well at UMass Lowell, a school that's a short drive from his hometown. Under Bazin, the River Hawks have become one of the top programs in Hockey East.
“I chose UMass Lowell because of Norm Bazin and the success he has brought to the UML program," Fowler said. "Just how he runs the program, he runs it like the pros. If you see the amount of players he produces into the pros, it is very eye-opening.”
