When Sam Stevens finally found his role during the second half of last season, he didn’t look back. And now, after adding a 2019 Clark Cup championship with the Sioux Falls Stampede to his résumé, the 19-year-old center’s eyes remain fixated on what’s ahead, and that would be his upcoming freshman season at Boston University.
“There’s a lot of exciting talent going in there,” said Stevens, who totaled 25 points (10-15-25) in 62 regular-season games and six points (3-3-6) in 12 playoff matches last season with the Stampede. “Our freshman class is really something special with all of those USA kids (from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program), the really good United States Hockey League kids and the great guys from other junior leagues. It’s exciting to see who we have going there and how we are going to be able to help the team be successful.”
Stevens originally planned on remaining with the Stampede for the 2019-20 season before going to the University of Wisconsin the following campaign. However, once the opportunity to attend a school in his home city of Boston arose, the 6-foot, 184-pounder was presented with an intriguing alternative option.
“BU came out and saw me play in the playoffs, and they were pleased with that, and I had some chatter with my adviser,” Stevens explained. “I was totally focused on finishing the year in Sioux Falls, so I didn’t put much thought into college. But once the summer came, being from Boston, BU was an appealing option. I took a while to decide because it was really hard. I loved Sioux Falls, and I also loved Wisconsin.
