Taft School boys varsity hockey head coach Daniel Murphy didn't mince words when asked about the long-term potential of Cole Maier, a senior forward at Taft who recently committed to Union for the 2015-2016 season.
"I anticipate he will be a top six forward for [Union] and the type of player that could be an excellent pro hockey player," said Murphy, who played professionally in the ECHL from 1993-1996 following four years at Maine.
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"Cole is a great competitor," Murphy said. "He has very good size, long strides and long arms which makes him very strong on the puck. He excels at puck protection and wins one-on-one puck battles all around the rink."
Like most prep players, Murphy said the 18-year-old's biggest need going forward is continuing to add strength.
"Cole just needs to continue to get physically stronger," said Murphy. "He has a great frame and is already well built. But with another 10 pounds of muscle, he will be a dominant college hockey player."
That projection may become reality sooner than later in his college career thanks to his athleticism.
"Cole is a fantastic athlete," Murphy said. "He played 'sweeper' on the school's varsity soccer team for two years and runs track. Because he is such a great all-around athlete, his development at Union should accelerate pretty quickly due to the fact that he will only have to focus his energy on his studies and hockey."
Maier, a native of Pequannock, New Jersey, will likely play a year of junior hockey next season before coming to Union in the fall of 2015.
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