By: Mike Davis
Mike Davis is the leader of the Northeastern hockey student section known as “The Doghouse.” He will be a contributor to WRBB Sports throughout the coming season. You can follow Mike on Twitter at @spellinwithmike.
Over the weekend the Huskies secured a verbal commitment from ’98 F Matt Thomson out of Reading (MA) High School. Thomson is a 6-foot, 180-pound left-shot center who led Reading in scoring as a sophomore this past season, with a line of 13-9-22, after going 3-3-6 as a freshman. In his freshman campaign, Thomson was a member of the Reading team that defeated Braintree to win the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 1 State championship.
Jeff Cox, a contributor to SB Nation College Hockey had this to say about the commitment: “Nice pickup for Northeastern…skilled, can create scoring chances, good skater…good hands, good shot, needs to learn how to use line mates better”. Cox has seen Thomson extensively, listing him as an Honorable Mention when giving his All-State teams for Massachusetts High School hockey for 2014-15. After the Beantown Summer Classic, Cox said this about Thomson: “This was the first time seeing him outside of a high school game and he didn’t look out of place. He’s quick and is an above average skater. He has good hands and was around the puck.”
I was able to talk to Thomson about his commitment and the decision-making process:
Mike Davis: What appealed to you about NU as a school and as a program? Who was your main recruiter at NU?
Matt Thomson: “Northeastern is a great hockey school and always has been, and it has evolved into an extremely successful academic school, and being a Boston kid it’s just that much more special to me to attend Northeastern. My main recruiter was Coach Jerry Keefe, who is a great coach and an even better guy”.
MD: What are your plans for the upcoming season?
MT: “My plans for the upcoming season are to get better every single day and help my team win as many games as possible in hopes of another championship.”
MD: What other schools were you considering other than NU? What was the whole process like for you?
MT: “I definitely considered UNH because my dad was the captain of their hockey team and I have always looked up to Coach Umile, however when I was at Northeastern it felt like home and there was not a single thing I did not like about the school [or] team. The process for me was very exciting and a little nerve-wracking considering I had to make a big decision that would determine my future as a student and an athlete.”
MD: How would you describe yourself as a player?
MT: I would describe myself as a team player. I strive to be a leader and stick up for my teammates who are all like brothers to me. I love scoring goals and absolutely hate losing the puck, and if I do I’ll do my best to get it back on my stick. And do whatever I can to get the win.”
MD: When will you be enrolling at NU?
MT: “As of right now I am not 100% sure when I will be enrolling at Northeastern because I still have two more years of high school and am not sure what is to come after. But words can’t describe how grateful I am to be a Husky.”
Congratulations to Matt and his family on his commitment. You can follow Matt on Twitter at @Matt_Thomson8. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @NUDogHouse and for up-to-date information for the upcoming season.