Three Hockey East schools recently received commitments from junior hockey players. Providence College has a big, hulking defenseman for the future. 2002 birth-year player Taige Harding, a 6-foot-7 giant on the blue line, will play for the Friars starting with the 2022-23 season. A native of Irvine, Great Britain, Harding is in his second season...
Three Hockey East schools recently received commitments from junior hockey players.
Providence College has a big, hulking defenseman for the future. 2002 birth-year player Taige Harding, a 6-foot-7 giant on the blue line, will play for the Friars starting with the 2022-23 season. A native of Irvine, Great Britain, Harding is in his second season with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
In four games this season, he has a goal and two assists. He recorded two goals and six assists in 52 games last season. Prior to junior hockey, he played Midget hockey in St. Albert, Alberta, where he grew up.
He was born in Great Britain while his dad, Mike Harding, was playing minor pro in Europe. His dad played collegiately at Northern Michigan from 1991 to 1995, serving as captain for the Wildcats as a junior and senior.
UMass finds a goaltender for future
On Wednesday, Kenai River Brown Bears goaltender Luke Pavicich announced his commitment to the Minutemen. The ’02 from Clarence Center, N.Y., played youth and junior hockey for the Buffalo Junior Sabres prior to making the jump to the NAHL for this season.
Pavicich has a .925 save percentage in 21 appearances for Kenai River. He’s 11-8-1 over that time. He played in 43 games for the Junior Sabres entry in the Ontario Junior Hockey League over the previous two seasons.
While it’s not set in stone, Pavicich likely will play another season of junior hockey before matriculating to Amherst for the 2022-23 season.
USHL defenseman for River Hawks
Omaha Lancers defenseman TJ Schweighardt has committed to UMass Lowell. The ’01 from Wayne, N.J., is in his second season playing in the USHL. He is with Omaha this year after being picked up by that organization in the dispersal draft. He played for Cedar Rapids in 2019-20, but the RoughRiders are dormant this season.
In 32 games with the Lancers, Schweighardt has two goals and six assists. He’s a smooth, puck-moving defenseman with good mobility. Schweighardt played Midget and junior hockey with the Jersey Hitmen prior to heading to the USHL. He also played high school hockey in New Jersey at Don Bosco School.
