Abbotsford hockey product Jordan Kawaguchi has committed to play for reigning NCAA champion Providence College.
Kawaguchi, 18, has spent the past two seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Chilliwack Chiefs, and will play one more year before heading to university.
In two seasons for Chilliwack he has notched scored 37 goals and added 37 assists in 102 games.
“So excited to announce my commitment to Providence College,” tweeted Kawaguchi. “Couldn’t be more excited, thanks to everyone who helped me along the way.”
Kawaguchi spent two seasons with the Pursuit of Excellence (POE), beginning with their Bantam Prep team during the 2011-12 season.
The Providence College Men’s Hockey team plays in the competitive Hockey East Conference, against the likes of Boston College, Boston University, University of Maine and University of Notre Dame. Providence College captured their program’s first NCAA championship in April, defeating Boston University by a score of 4-3 in the Championship Game.
Earlier this year, Kawaguchi’s teammate on the Chiefs, Eric Roberts, committed to the University of Alaska-Anchorage.
Roberts, who also hails from Abbotsford, will join the Seawolves for the 2015-16 season. Alaska-Anchorage plays in the 10-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Seawolves recruit heavily from the western junior A leagues, and this year’s roster includes nine BCHL grads.
Roberts is finishing up his third full season with the Chiefs. In 166 career regular season games to date the 19 year old has five goals, 42 points and 149 penalty minutes.