Trail Smoke Eaters rookie defenceman Owen McCarthy committed to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell to play Division 1 NCAA hockey, even before skating in a regular season BCHL game.
The talented 16-year-old Trail native played the past two seasons at the RINK Academy in Kelowna and contributed 23 points in 29 games last season.
He was among the best U16 defencemen in the province and was selected to play for Team BC at the WHL Cup in Red Deer last October.
“I’m thrilled to announce my commitment to play Division 1 hockey at UMass-Lowell," McCarthy said in a release. "This is a dream come true and I would like to thank everyone who helped me along my journey.
"This includes my parents who have sacrificed so much for me; as well as my coaches, teammates, trainers and advisor, who have all helped me grow both on and off the ice."
McCarthy adds that he is excited about the upcoming BCHL season, and can’t wait to contribute to the UMass-Lowell River Hawks hockey program.
The River Hawks finished in fifth place in the competitive NCAA Hockey East division finishing with a 20-14-3 record last season.
“We are all very excited for Owen," said Smoke Eaters head coach and GM Tim Fragle. "He works his butt off on a daily basis and I have personally seen him grow both on and off the ice over the last five years."
The dynamic defenceman was also selected 69th overall by the Victoria Royals in the 2023 WHL Bantam Draft.
"I first saw him at the U13 level and knew he would have a future in the game," added Fragle. "Our coaching staff looks forward to helping in his development to get him prepared to play NCAA Division 1 hockey.”