Players from six different European countries have made the University of Maine their college hockey home this season, but the Black Bears left plenty of room on their roster for six New Englanders to play in the conference they grew up watching closely.
For junior Tim Doherty (Portsmouth, R.I.) and the rest of his teammates who call New England home, it’s still a dream come true.
“We were actually talking about it the other day. It’s awesome,” Doherty said after the Black Bears earned a Jan. 16 win at BC in which he logged a goal and an assist to contribute to the 7-2 score. “We grew up watching Hockey East as kids and now we’re here playing at BC, so sometimes we have to pinch ourselves. It’s a really cool experience for all of us.”
Doherty did not see any game action as a freshman in 2016-17 due to transferring from Brown University before playing in a game, but he’s become a steady contributor to sixth-year head coach Red Gendron’s lineup over the past two seasons.