A leader on and off the ice has announced where he will continue his hockey career after his time with the Princeton Posse comes to a close.
Captain Tyson Horiachka has committed to play for the Drury University Panthers in the American Collegiate Hockey Association this fall. The Sherwood Park, Alta. native recently wrapped up his third and final season with the Posse in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL).
This past season, the 20-year-old forward racked up 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points in 41 regular season games, finishing second on the team in goals and points, and added three goals and five points in 11 Teck Cup playoff games. He is looking forward to joining the Panthers, as he has had his sights set on the program for a while, a program that includes former teammates Lucas Sadownyk and Anmol Garcha, as well as 11 other KIJHL alumni.
"That was my goal from the start of the year, so it's good to be able to get that done,” said Horiachka. “Coach Jeremy Law seems like a great coach with a lot to offer, so that intrigued me, and then the living situation, the schooling and overall it seems like the best path for me.”
Horiachka continued his strong defensive play in his final season with the Posse, a season that saw his game reach another level as a scorer and leader.
"I took a big step as a relied-upon scorer, he said. "I've always been a good two-way player, but this year I was able to capitalize more on my chances and contribute a little more offensively."
Horiachka credits his coaches, Mark Readman and Torrin White, and the entire Posse organization for earning the opportunity to continue his hockey career. He said both coaches allowed him to grow as a player and person while the organization helped him mature.
White said that Horiachka is an impressive person, and even with an already strong foundation, he still saw growth in him as a player as well.
"He did a really good job of taking ownership of things as the season went on,” White said. “That was the biggest thing I saw.”
