Alberni Valley Bulldogs' forward James Kerr is used to hitting the books as often as he hits the ice. And this week, the hard work he has put into balancing athletics and his education paid off with a commitment to attend Princeton University on an ice hockey scholarship.
Kerr, who scored 14 goals and added 29 assists in 60 games as a rookie, will play another year in Alberni Valley before making the jump to the Ivy League and the NCAA for the 2009/10 season.
For many, the opportunity to play at a prestigious university like Princeton would make for an easy choice, but the New Jersey-based school had competition to secure Kerr's signature.
“During exhibition and near the beginning of the season I started to get it down to the top three and I toured at Harvard and Yale before Princeton,” he says. “But I really liked the coaches there and they had the best hockey program of the three.”
For Kerr, the chance to secure a scholarship to a U.S. college by playing in the British Columbia Hockey League trumped his Major Junior alternatives.
“At the start of the season I went to the Kelowna (Rockets) camp and they offered me a spot but I decided I wanted to go the school route,” the 17-year old explains. “After that, they traded my rights to Portland but I wanted to keep my college options open.”
“It was a real transition coming here coming from Junior B and it was a lot tougher scoring, but the coaching was good in Alberni and I gained more confidence.”
Even after he leaves Alberni Valley, Kerr won't have to look far to reminisce with old teammates. Daniel Moriarty and Chris Moulson have committed to Harvard and Cornell and will soon be heading east as well. That so many Bulldogs are moving on to top-notch schools reflects well on the team and its players, head coach Bryant Perrier says.
“I think the infrastructure of our organization is solid and there's a real commitment to help our players get to the next level. Tom McEvay, our academic advisor, has an amazing network with the U.S. colleges and puts our guys in a position to succeed.”
And Perrier, who watched Kerr mature from behind the bench this season, insists that it?s no secret why Princeton wanted him aboard.
“I think for James it's been a long journey to get to this point but he really committed himself. He brought the level of his game to where it is because of the hard work he put in and what's happening now is the residue of all that.”
Before he leaves to join the Tigers in 2009, Kerr still has another season to build his game and, he hopes, catch the attention of NHL scouts.
“I'm looking to get stronger and faster and improve point total. I want to be one of the leaders on the team and I'd like to get drafted.?
