« Local athletes prepping for New England meet

Scoring threat Beattie chooses Maine

By , BDN Staff,
and Larry Mahoney, BDN Staff

Posted Feb. 23, 2009, at 9:33 p.m.

Center Kyle Beattie, the leading scorer for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs in the Eastern Junior Hockey League, has verbally committed to attend Maine on a full scholarship beginning in the fall of 2010.

The 17-year-old Beattie has 20 goals and 40 assists in 43 games entering the playoffs this coming weekend. He has 23 points on the power play (10 goals, 13 assists).

“Maine landed a heck of a player,” said Monarchs head coach and general manager Sean Tremblay. “He is, by far, one of the top players in our league and across the country.

“He had a great year. He helped us win a league championship,” said Tremblay. “He has a huge upside. He’s a lot like [Maine freshman left winger] Brian Flynn but he’s three years younger. He’s six-feet tall and still growing. He has tremendous vision, great poise with the puck and he can shoot the puck. He’s a great decision-maker and he’s learning to compete at both ends of the ice tremendously well. He will have an immediate impact at Maine.”

The 6-foot, 170-pound Beattie, a native of Avondale, Ariz., said he chose Maine over a couple of other Division I schools “because of the history of the school and the program. Going to a game and seeing the fans and the whole atmosphere was awesome. The fans go crazy and they know everything about the team.”

He will have three other Monarch teammates with him at Maine in Adam Shemansky, Matt Mangene and Kelen Corkum and that also weighed in his decision.

“It’ll be fun already knowing some guys up there,” said Beattie, who will spend next season with the Junior Monarchs.

His coming to Maine is contingent upon his admission to the school and meeting NCAA eligibility requirements.

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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