Sacred Heart will be getting some offensive reinforcement at the semester break in the form of Loomis Chaffee alum Cody Hoban.
The ’01 from Guilford, Conn., appeared in six games this fall for the Danbury Hat Tricks in the North American Hockey League. He scored a goal and added five tallies in his first junior hockey action.
Hoban helped Loomis Chaffee win the NEPSAC Large School Championship last March. In 23 games, he posted 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points.
“We were fortunate that Hoban was back in the lineup. He had a big shorthanded goal Saturday and the game-winner in the final. His presence overall had an impact and was a positive for team morale,” Loomis Chaffee head coach JR Zavisza said shortly after the tournament.
“He’s got a knack to score and he played a more well-rounded game this year. He used to be more focused on the offensive side of the puck, but he transitioned to being more of a 200-foot player. He was a key penalty-kill guy and he was one of the few guys who blocked shots for us. He became a complete team guy for us. The numbers reflected that growth. There is still room for improvement, but if he continues on this trajectory, he’ll be an effective college player,” Zavisza said last March.
In addition to his time spent at Loomis Chaffee, Hoban played split-season hockey for the Yale Junior Bulldogs. Hoban previously had been committed to Dartmouth, having pledged to the Big Green in November 2017.
UConn adds a pair for future
Connecticut received commitments from a pair of players, it was recently learned. Former Union goaltender Darion Hanson will join the Huskies for the 2021-22 season as a graduate transfer, while defenseman Owen Simpson has switched his commitment from Harvard to the Huskies.
Hanson, 23, will have one year of eligibility when he suits up for UConn next fall. The East Bethel, Minn., native played three seasons for Union in ECAC Hockey. He concludes his career in a Dutchmen uniform with a 30-37-9 record and a .913 save percentage.
Hanson is a solid addition for next year for UConn. He’s always gone somewhat under the radar as Union has struggled the past couple of seasons. He likely will be the starter, as it is expected that junior Tomas Vomacka will sign with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him in the 2017 NHL draft.
Simpson, an ’03, spent the 2019-20 season playing for the Whitby Fury in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. In 50 games, he had a goal and 15 assists while racking up 63 penalty minutes. Simpson, who hails from Toronto, is a big defender who skates well. He initially had committed to Harvard 14 months ago.
BCHL defenseman chooses Yale
Surrey Eagles captain Kieran O’Hearn has committed to Yale for the 2021-22 season. The ’00 from North Delta, British Columbia, will come to the Bulldogs with three years of experience playing junior hockey.
O’Hearn spent parts of three seasons with the Trail Smoke Eaters before being acquired by Surrey midway through last season. In 126 British Columbia Hockey League games, O’Hearn has four goals and 25 assists. He’s a big, stay-at-home defender who played for Delta Hockey Academy prior to making the jump to junior hockey.
