Troy Bowditch has a year of college hockey experience under his belt. And it’s been a difference maker.
Consider that in year two with St. Olaf, the sophomore forward out of Ontario is leading the Oles in scoring with five goals and 15 assists. Both totals have already topped what he did as a freshman.
“I’m settled more in with the school and the system,” Bowditch said. “I know what to expect day in and day out. It’s nice to settle in and know what to expect.”
Bowditch has tallied at least one point in all but two games, recording at least one point in eight consecutive games for the Oles, who are 10-4-1 overall and 4-2 in the MIAC.
Bowditch points to added confidence as a key to his success from an offensive standpoint. It’s something he honed in on in the offense.
“I wanted to work on having more confidence offensively,” Bowditch said. “My first year I was trying hard not to mess up, but as an offensive player, you have to take a risk sometimes. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn’t. But you have to be confident that it’s going to work out. And if it doesn’t, you work to make up for it.”
Bowditch and the Oles won the MIAC tournament title last season and played in the NCAA tournament.
But that was last year.
“We put a few good games together at the right time and performed when it mattered,” Bowditch said. “We were proud of what we accomplished, but the big thing is we weren’t satisfied. We want to prove last year wasn’t a fluke. We have a lot of confidence that we can compete with anyone.”
Bowditch could skate by the time he was three and said he’s played hockey for as long as he can remember. He dreamed of playing at the college level.
“My older brother plated hockey, and when he was 16, he went on a college visit and he told me I had to play college hockey. It’s kind of been a plan of mine for a long time.”
The MIAC has been a good fit for him, though he admits it took time to adjust.
“The big adjustment was the physicality of the league,” Bowditch said. “You go from playing three or four games a week in juniors to toning it down to two and dealing with more physicality. You have to be able to take care of your body so you are ready to play each week.”
And being ready to play is key in a conference that is tightly contested from top to bottom.
“You have to bring it every night,” Bowditch said. “It can be a grind at times, but you want to be at your best when all the chips are on the table and that you are playing your best hockey when the playoffs roll around.”
