By Alexis Demopoulos
A two-year veteran of the 2023-24 Dineen Cup Champion South Shore Kings, defenseman Brian Grant’s hard work has paid off as he has earned himself a NCAA Division III commitment to Babson College for the 2025-26 season.
“The NCDC is a very competitive league and every game is a battle,” said Grant. “Anyone can win on any given night and everyone is fighting for the few spots on college hockey rosters. Being on last year’s championship team has made us a target for this season and has also helped to bring out many college coaches.”
Grant credits a lot of his success to the South Shore Kings organization as a whole and his coaches Tyler Holske and Drew Omicioli, who have helped him get to where he is today as a player. During the Kings championship run a season ago, Grant played in 17 regular season games and 12 playoff games and was a vital member of the blue line. This season for the Kings, Grant has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 24 games and has helped the team get off to a blazing 21-1-2 start.
“The South Shore Kings has been an organization I’ve played for since I was 5 years old,” said Grant. “Getting to play juniors for this organization has been a very full circle experience. I decided to play my age out year for the Kings because of the coaching staff’s ability to develop my game in all areas of the ice.”
“The attention to detail from Coach Holske and Coach Omicioli is immense,” said the native of neighboring Mansfield, Mass. “The coaches not only care about how things on the ice are going but they truly care about how we are doing as people. Also, the coaches have had great success moving players on to the next level which was a huge drawing point for me.”
Choosing to continue his hockey career at Babson was an easy choice for Grant as he was drawn to their immense success as a program over the years. Grant started communicating with head coach Jamie Rice at the beginning of October and the two hit it off right away. Grant said that Coach Jamie Rice “was very confident in my abilities to not only defend but add to the offense and appreciated my ability to be a two-way defenseman.”
The success of the hockey program and the academics are what ultimately pushed Grant to want to commit there. He plans on majoring in entrepreneurship and Babson is ranked number one in the country for that, so it was a no-brainer in choosing this school.
“Babson has had tremendous success on the ice which makes it an easy draw for a player looking to continue their career in college,” said Grant. “Coach Rice has been at the program for 20 years and has developed one of the best reputations at the college level not only by winning championships, but by developing good character kids. Academically, Babson continues to climb the national ranks and is a perfect spot for myself as someone who plans to work in Boston in the future. Babson is a great option for hockey and is also an investment to a 40-year plan which I believe will help me to live a successful life.”
The best part of Grant’s game is his skating ability which allows him to maintain strong gaps, close quick, and join the rush when it’s available. As for what he is working on to be an impact player at Babson next year, it is getting stronger.
“I’m working to shut down in the D zone more by continuing to get bigger and stronger in the gym and also watching film to gain complete awareness,” said Grant. “Good defense leads to good offense and if I can tighten up the defensive zone I can help to be an impact player at Babson.”
Before attending Babson, Grant has one more goal he wants to accomplish and that is to bring home another Dineen Cup for the South Shore Kings.
“My goals have not changed and my team and I will continue to work hard every day on the ice and in the gym to defend the title,” said Grant.
The NCDC congratulates Brian Grant, his family, the South Shore Kings and Babson College for his commitment.
