Eastwood grad starts college hockey career at Yale

By: 
J. Patrick Eaken

Hayden Rowan got to play in one of the most storied collegiate hockey rivals in American history at the Madison Square Garden Saturday when Harvard took on Yale in the popular “Rivalry on Ice.”
        The Harvard-Yale game dates back to 1852. Harvard and Yale oarsmen battled over two miles on the waters on the Lake Winnipesaukee during the first intercollegiate sporting event in America. Harvard and Yale have met 259 times on the ice including their first contest on February 26, 1900. Harvard leads the series 145-92-22.
Rowan, a 2017 Eastwood graduate, is now a 5-foot-9, 175 pound forward at Yale. The team is led by two-time U.S. Olympic coach and Yale head coach Keith Alain. Rowan has already made an impact for the Ivy League team.
During a 3-1 victory over Maine, Rowan, playing center, flicked a back-hand lead pass to teammate Luke Stevens, who was cruising through the high slot. Stevens gathered the pass and then featured a wrist pass past Black Bears’ goalie Jeremy Swayman, making the score 2-1 at the 5:23 mark of the second period.
Early in his freshman season at an NCAA Division I school, the 20-year-old Rowan already has taken nine shots and has two assists playing in nine games for the Bulldogs. Yale is 5-8 heading into a contest at Vermont Tuesday and the rivalry game Saturday in New York City. He played three years of junior hockey before joining Yale. Starting college hockey at age 20 is statistically typical for NCAA D-I players.
        "Playing hockey at Yale has been a truly amazing experience. It was evident right away that Yale hockey is a brotherhood and I was welcomed into that family as soon as I stepped on campus,” Rowan said.
        “From the weight room to the ice our coaching staff and returning players have held me accountable every step of the way. It's a challenging and competitive environment that makes everyone a better hockey player. Overall playing hockey at Yale has exceeded all of my expectations."
Last year, playing junior hockey for the Trail Smoke Eaters (Trail, British Columbia) in the British Columbia Hockey League, Rowan had 33 points (17 goals, 16 assists), including a team-leading 10 power play goals. He added seven more goals in the playoffs and served as an alternate captain.
He also played for the Sioux City Musketeers (Iowa) in the United States Hockey League, where he migrated to a defensive forward role, getting 10 points on two goals and eight assists in 46 games.
Previously he totaled 45 points (11 goals, 34 assists) in 57 games as a rookie for the Johnstown (Pa.) Tomahawks of the North American Hockey League in 2016-17. He was named NAHL Rookie of the Year and named to the NAHL All-East Division Rookie Team.
        Rowan says Yale has an “amazing campus, amazing history (and) amazing teammates” and says the program is a “truly amazing experience.” He says he’s “working diligently to initially be a strong contributor to his team and ultimately a leader during his time at Yale.” Some of his teammates have already been drafted by NHL teams.
Although Rowan has an undeclared major, he is interested in studying economics and political science, and he enjoys boating.
Hayden’s younger brother, 18-year old Lewis Rowan, is slated to graduate in the Eastwood class of 2020. Hayden says it is important to finish high school at Eastwood even though he has had offers to play junior hockey elsewhere.
        A lefty forward who plays left wing primarily, Lewis is a co-captain playing for Belle Tire U18 AAA in the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association out of Taylor. His head coach is Steve Dickinson from Perrysburg and assistant coach is Scott Syring from Toledo.
        Lewis currently has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 28 games, and his team is ranked 12th in the nation by MyHockeyRatings.com. Last year, Lewis had 52 points (28 goals, 24 assists) in 43 games as his team won the Tier 1 League championship in February and qualified for the 16-team USA Hockey Nationals, losing in the quarterfinals last April.
        Lewis was also selected for the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League East Team in the NAHL 18U Top Prospect Tournament last May, scoring two goals and one assist in four games. He hopes to play junior hockey next season and ultimately play NCAA hockey with a strong interest in the Air Force Academy, Miami (Ohio), and Ohio State, studying pre-med.
Both Hayden and Lewis Rowan train in the offseason with Hockey Player Development, run by Nick Parillo out of Tam-O-Shanter in Sylvania. Parillo played NCAA D-I hockey at Merrimack and professionally. Parillo was the last player to score at the Sports Arena in East Toledo when he played for the Toledo Storm.
Hayden and Lewis are the sons of Julia and Thomas Rowan. Thomas played football for the University of Toledo.
 

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