With two USPHL Premier seasons in the books for Pueblo Bulls goaltender Alex Timmons, his attention turned quickly to his NCAA hockey future with Framingham State University.
“During the off-season, my focus will be on continuing to build strength and continuing my goalie training to be ready to go this fall at FSU,” said Timmons, an ‘02 from Stillwater, Minn. “More specifically, I plan on working on my hand eye coordination and perfecting my movements in the crease.”
It all began around Christmas 2022 when Timmons began his conversations with Framingham Coach Mike Bailey about a future in the small city just 23 miles outside of Boston.
“Coach Bailey said he liked my style of play and was looking to have someone come in ready to play,” said Timmons. “On the hockey side, I like that Coach Bailey kept in contact with me past the initial conversations and was honest about what he was looking for in a goalie. FSU as a school was exactly the size of school I was looking for with a smaller campus and good teacher to student ratios in the classroom. I was also looking to go out east to play, so FSU fit into that as well. I had played in [another Tier III league] for a few months so I am familiar with the area.”
Don’t be surprised if the mental part of the game is a strong suit for Timmons, as the working ways of that big mass inside all our heads is of great interest to this student-athlete.
“I plan on studying Psychology at FSU and they have a good Psych department,” he added, before also saying that he’s excited to see the campus firsthand when he moves in later this summer. “Unfortunately, due to the Bulls schedule and being in the Mountain Division, it was tough to set up a visit to Framingham. I kept talking to Coach Bailey and decided to commit. I appreciated his interest and commitment to having me come to FSU.”
A standout goalie for Minnesota’s Gentry Academy, Timmons first joined the Bulls in 2021-22, playing 16 games and registering a .916 save percentage. He improved to a .924 in the 2022 playoffs, and was only too happy to re-up for another 32 total games this season. He was also given an “A” as an alternate captain, being a veteran goalie and a strong leader.
“I can’t say enough about the Pueblo Bulls organization. I truly feel like they are one of a kind and I appreciate the opportunity to play for them for two years. They support each and every player and help them to achieve their goals in hockey,” said Timmons. “When you play for the Bulls, both the organization and the town make everyone feel special. It was a great experience.”
He praised the Bulls coaching staff that includes Chris Wilhite, David Nelson, Tyler Tuneberg and Austin Hoff, for making him into an NCAA-ready goaltender.
“The Bulls are in a strong USPHL Premier division with a consistent schedule which helps each and every player develop. I think playing in this high-level, fast-paced Mountain Division, with top competition helped me to become a stronger goalie.
“The Bulls organization’s development model is not just focused with on-ice time,” he added. “There were many different facets of training which made me be a better goalie. The Bulls coaching staff constantly held us to a high standard which made me always push myself.”
He is not at all surprised that the Bulls were selected, along with four other Mountain Division teams, to move up to the Tier II NCDC for the 2023-24 season and beyond. A sixth team, the Rock Springs Grizzlies, were just announced as joining the NCDC last week.
“The USPHL Premier league is a high level league. The Pueblo Bulls is moving into the NCDC next season which tells you something about the level of play,” he added. “Ultimately it was the Bulls Organization and the high level of competition and play in the Mountain Division that helped prepare me for NCAA hockey.”
The USPHL congratulates Alex Timmons, his family, the Pueblo Bulls and Framingham State University for his commitment.
