By Alexis Demopoulos
For Jake Stevens, playing in the NCDC has given him the opportunity to grow as a player after a great prep school career. With the help of the Mercer Chiefs, along with Head Coach Rob Broderick, he has earned himself an NCAA Division III commitment to Middlebury College, of Middlebury, Vt.
“The NCDC is an incredible league,” said Stevens. “The level of play is fantastic and each game is close and competitive. The teams’ locations are great which limits extensive travel but places the games closer to NCAA colleges, which I feel is important for recruiting. During the last NCDC showcase, it was great to see most NCAA college coaches represented in the rink and scouting the games.”
Stevens, in his first full season with the NCDC, is playing with the Mercer Chiefs and is off to a terrific start. Through the team’s first 10 games, Stevens has put up 15 points (1-14-15) and is constantly making his presence known on the ice. Stevens played his last two seasons at Canterbury and knew the NCDC is where he wanted to end up.
“After playing at Canterbury the last two seasons and winning a NEPSAC [New England Prep School Athletic Conference] championship my senior year, I was ready and excited to play junior hockey,” said Stevens. “I started this season playing in the NAHL and transitioned to NCDC for the coaching, talent, speed, skill, and college exposure.”
The college exposure came quickly for Stevens as during the USPHL Jersey Hitmen Classic in Wayne, N.J., last month, Stevens was approached by Middlebury and the talks took off from there.
“Communication began with Middlebury after the showcase in October,” said Stevens. “They watched several of our games and reached out and expressed a high level of interest in my game.”
Right away, Stevens knew Middlebury was the place for him, making his decision to go there an easy one. The campus was a great fit for him and he knew academically and athletically on the ice he would thrive. The Leopards play in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
“Middlebury College offers a combination of the best academics and the highest level of hockey playing in the NCAA and NESCAC,” said Stevens. “Education and hockey are equally important to my future, and Middlebury offers the highest levels of both.”
With its beautiful campus, small classroom sizes and exceptional athletic facilities, choosing Middlebury was a no-brainer. Stevens is hoping to get into the field of sports medicine or physical therapy, so he is looking to begin his college journey as a biology major.
“Having attended prep school at Canterbury, I knew it was the perfect fit the moment I visited Middlebury College,” said Stevens. “Spending the day on campus with the coaches and players and meeting the faculty made the decision an easy one. The location and campus are beautiful. Plus, the academic environment and classroom sizes are a perfect fit for my educational needs. The athletic facilities and rink are also first class.”
The Mercer Chiefs have been the perfect place for Stevens to grow as a player and as a defenseman, he is constantly trying to improve his game and is happy that the people he is surrounded by help him achieve that. This season he is working hard on getting stronger and faster to bring those skills to the NCAA.
“The best parts of my game are speed, skill, IQ and the ability to add offensively as a defenseman,” said Stevens. ”I focus on a defense-first mentality and then activate my offensive skills when appropriate. My goal every shift is to shut down the other team defensively and then help make a difference offensively with my IQ, speed and skills as well as help set up players to score goals and win hockey games. This season I am fortunate to be surrounded by such great players and teammates.”
Stevens has a long history with Coach Broderick as he has known him since he was a little kid and watched his brother play for him for many years. Playing for Broderick and the Chiefs was where he wanted to be and now he wants to help bring home a Dineen Cup.
“I am so excited and fortunate to play for the Mercer Chiefs and Coach Broderick this season. I have known and watched Coach Broderick develop hockey players and build winning cultures and teams since I was a Mite/Squirt,” said Stevens. “My brother played for Coach Broderick for years and those teams were so successful and fun to watch and so many players moved on to play NCAA hockey.”
“I know Coach Broderick coaches the game the right way and brings out the best version of each and every one of his hockey players,” said Stevens. “The team culture and chemistry at Mercer is one of the best I have been a part of. There is just so much talent on this team and everyone is committed to winning for one another. I am looking forward to helping our team in any way I can and the only goal we have is to bring a Dineen Cup into our house this season.”
The NCDC congratulates Jake Stevens, his family, the Mercer Chiefs and Middlebury College
for his commitment.
