Quick Centerman Aidan Curran Commits to UNH

Aidan Curran
2020 UNH Commit

"He (Curran) is quick and relentless in his puck pursuit. Quick reactions and can make people miss in open ice." Neutral Zone

In an interview back in the summer of 2016, UNH coach Mike Souza discussed his recruiting philosophy with me. Toward the end of the interview, I asked him if he would be interested in recruiting international players to come play hockey at the University of New Hampshire. He said:

"I do think there's a lot of really good players in Europe, certain countries in particular. I also think there's a lot of really good players here in North America. I always say there may be a really good player in Helsinki but there might be a better one in Boston so I think that just because the kid's a European doesn't mean it's going to help your program more than the kid from North America. But I do believe that there are a lot of benefits to having international players. It's a market that we've been involved with so we'll see where it goes. I think that when I was at Connecticut and at Brown we were able to bring some European kids to both of those programs. We want to get the best possible players for our program and it doesn't matter necessarily where they come from. I think that if it was the right fit for us, we would welcome a kid from anywhere, but he's got to be the right fit for our program."

In the subsequent two years, three international players have committed to UNH. Kohei Sato (Nishitokyo, Japan) recently completed his freshman year in Durham and he scored a goal and an assist in 29 games. Filip Engarås (Stockholm, Sweden), a 19-year-old, two-way center, will join the incoming freshman class this Fall. Tim Stützle (Viersen, Germany), a 16-year-old, high-scoring left winger, is on track to come to UNH in the Fall of 2020.

Coach Souza and associate head coach Glenn Stewart have also continued to pursue prospects from the northern suburbs of Boston. UNH junior Joe Sacco, from Reading, Massachusetts, played youth hockey in Winchester and for the North Suburban Wings in Middleton. Sophomore Eric MacAdams, from Salem, MA, played his youth hockey with the Valley Junior Warriors based in Haverill, Massachusetts. Incoming UNH freshman Ryan Verrier, who's from Reading, also developed his skills with the Valley Jr. Warriors as did 2019 or '20 commit Connor Sweeney from North Andover. MacAdams and Verrier went on to have outstanding careers at Austin Prep School in Reading. Sweeney has excelled at the Pinigree School in South Hamilton and Lawrence Academy in Groton.

Late last month, UNH landed a commitment from another talented player who honed his skills in the rinks just north of Boston. Aidan Curran (DOB: 1/22/2001), a 5'10", 179 lbs. center from Dracut, Massachusetts, has committed for the Fall of 2020. Curran also played youth hockey with the Valley Jr. Warriors. He played two seasons with Austin Prep. As a freshman at Austin Prep, Curran was a teammate of Ryan Verrier and as a sophomore, he was the team's 7th leading scorer with 9 goals and 7 assists.

Curran's announcement came at the conclusion of the Massachusetts Hockey High Performance Festival. He had just earned an invitation to the 2018 USA Hockey Select 17 Development Camp. He is one of only seven forwards born in 2001 to be selected at the highly competitive Massachusetts Festival. Scouts from Neutral Zone attended the festival and provided this assessment of Curran:

"He is quick and relentless in his puck pursuit. Quick reactions and can make people miss in open ice. Has a good stick and can break defenders down one-on-one in transition. He works hard and competes in all three zones. Sees the ice well and knows where he is going with the puck before it comes to him. 3.75 Stars"

Curran recently finished his season with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs who play out of the Tri Town Ice Arena in Hooksett. He primarily played with the 16U team and was called up to play 6 games with the 18U squad.

The Junior Monarchs' midget teams play a full slate of games in two leagues - the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League and the United States Premiere Hockey League. The T1EHL competition is against many of the top U16 and U18 teams in the country. In 27 T1EHL U16 games, Curran lead the Junior Monarchs with 9 goals and 30 assists. His 1.44 points per game scoring average was 3rd in the league behind Ty Smilanic (Denver commit) and Joshua Groll (Michigan commit). His 1.11 assists per game was the best in the U16 Division of T1EHL. Here's a highlight video of Aidan Curran's scoring:



In 22 USPHL 16U regular season games, Aidan Curran tallied 11 goals, including 3 game-winners, and added 30 assist. He averaged 1.86 points per game which was 7th best in the league. His 1.36 assists per game was 2nd best. Curran made the USPHL 16U All Star Team. The Jr. Monarchs 16U team did not make the USPHL Playoffs. Curran scored a goal and an assist in 5 Jr. Monarchs 18U games.

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Aidan Curran, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. What are the main reasons you chose UNH?

Aidan Curran: I think that UNH would be a great fit for me on and off the ice. The olympic ice sheet will be an advantage for me and allow me to play to my strengths as a strong skater and playmaker. As an academically strong student, I wanted to go to a place where education is a priority. UNH will allow me to obtain my goals as a student and will give me tools I can use throughout my life.
Another reason I chose UNH is due to the coaching staff. Mike Souza and Glenn Stewart are great coaches who want their program to succeed. I like how they believe in all their players and want them to achieve their fullest potential. As an aspiring pro hockey player, I feel like the coaches will direct me towards accomplishing that goal. I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to play for such an incredible hockey team and an unbelievable coaching staff.



Mike Lowry: What other college programs were you considering? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Aidan Curran: Although I had some interest from other college programs, I wanted to go to a place that would best suit me as an individual. When I visited UNH, I could definitely see myself as a student there and being totally comfortable in that environment. After meeting with Coach Souza and Coach Stewart, I honestly knew that UNH was the school for me.



Lowry: Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?

Curran: The UNH coaches and I have agreed on the year of 2020.



Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

Curran: As of right now, the biggest strengths of my game are my skating and playmaking ability. I like to use my acceleration and agility to my advantage and pick up speed in the neutral zone, which allows me to be sound on the rush. I try to bring energy and compete hard each shift, in all three zones. I have good vision and a pass-first mentality. Because of my pass-first mentality, I sometimes can be hesitant to shoot the puck. This is an area I need to improve on and will be working on that over the summer.



Lowry: Last season with the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs 16U team, you primarily played center. How would you describe your skills in the core areas of a centerman (e.g., faceoffs, passing, forechecking, and assisting your defensemen below the faceoff circles)?

Curran: When I came to the Monarchs, I was primarily an offensive player. To be a center at the next level, it is important to do the little things that are not always awarded on the score sheet. Throughout the year, I worked on winning faceoffs, defensive zone coverage, and to not be afraid to be the first man on the puck down low on the forecheck. As the year progressed, I became more of dynamic player who plays in all three zones.



Lowry: The 2017-18 season was a breakout season for you. In Tier 1 Elite Hockey League games with the Jr. Monarchs U16 team, you scored 9 goals and 20 assists in 27 games, which ranked as the third highest scoring production (1.44 points per game) in the league. In USPHL 16U competition, you tallied 11 goals and 30 assists in 22 games. That was the 7th highest production (1.86 points per game) in that league. Also, you were named a USPHL 16U All-Star. Last week, you competed in the Massachusetts Hockey District Festival and earned a slot at the 2018 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp. What factors lead to the big step forward in your development?

Curran: For the past year and a half, I have been working with Clint Edinger at Edingers Edge. I owe a lot of my success over the past year to him. He has taught me what it takes to become a player at the next level. Clint has worked with me individually and has given me the tools I need to succeed. He is the type of person who will do whatever they can to help the players who want to improve their game. Overall, the Monarchs organization as a whole have been so great to me and definitely played a major role in my development. I would recommend this organization to anybody who is 100% serious about becoming a better hockey player.



Lowry: Do you plan to play in either the United States Hockey League, British Columbia Hockey League, or North American Hockey League before you come to UNH?

Curran: I have thought about playing in the USHL, the BCHL, and the NAHL, but my primary focus for right now is to get ready for next season with the Monarchs.



Lowry: So far, you have not been drafted by a USHL or NAHL team. Do you plan to attend one or more USHL and/or NAHL tryout camps this summer?

Curran: I was recently drafted by the Northeast Generals out of the NAHL and I plan on attending their camp this summer. I am unsure whether I am attending any other camps as of right now.



Lowry: This season, you were called up to play 6 games with the Jr. Monarchs U18 team. Is your current plan to play for their U18 or National Collegiate Development Conference team next season?

Curran: My current play for next year is to play for the Monarchs’ National Collegiate Development Conference.



Lowry: When do you plan to graduate from high school? What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?

Curran: I plan on graduating from high school next year. For the past three years, I have been challenging myself with honors courses. Every subject matters and my grades are extremely important to me, but I believe my academic strength is English/Literature. Right now, I am undecided on a major.

Filip Engarås: UNH Hockey's First Swedish Player

Filip Engarås
2018 UNH Commit

“Filip Engarås is a clever two-way center who reads the game well." Carl Larsson, Swedish scout for Future Considerations

A couple years ago, the New York Times (December, 2015) chronicled the increasing trend of young Swedish players coming to America to play college hockey. The movement reportedly began in the mid-1970's with the Carlsson brothers. Anders Carlsson donned a hockey uniform for Yale University in the 1975-76 season and his brother Mats joined him in the 1977-78 season. By the 2015-16 season, 111 Swedish players had played NCAA hockey and a few, such as Douglas Murray (Cornell) and Carl Hagelin (Michigan), went on to have successful NHL careers.

Last season, four Hockey East teams had one or more Swedish players on their roster - UConn (1), Maine (2), UMass-Lowell (2), and Merrimack (2). In fact, every Hockey East program other than the University of New Hampshire has had at least one native of Sweden, who also played youth and/or junior hockey in Sweden, play for their team. If all goes according to plan, that will change next season. 19-year-old Filip Engarås (DOB: 5/16/1999), a native of Stockholm, has committed to enroll at UNH and play for the Wildcats this fall.

Engarås is a 6'0", 181 lbs., right-shot centerman who played his youth hockey with the Stocksunds-Danderyds-Enebybergs Hockey organization just north of Stockholm. In his final season with SDE, Engarås was the 15-year-old Alternate Captain of the under 18 team in the Swedish J18 Elite League. He tallied 18 goals and 11 assists in 35 games. He was also selected to the 2014-15 Sweden U16 team. In 9 international games, he scored a goal and 2 assists and served as the team's Alternate Captain.

At the age of 16, Engarås moved nine hours north of Stockholm to play for the Skellefteå AIK hockey organization. He began the 2015-16 season with the Skellefteå J18 team and wound up scoring 11 goals and 12 assists in 29 games. He was also called up to play 10 games with the Skellefteå AIK J20 team in the Swedish Super Elite League. Once again, Engarås made the Swedish National team, this time the U17 team. In 6 international games, he posted a goal and an assist.

Over the last two seasons, Filip Engarås has captained the Skellefteå AIK J20 team and his scoring production took off in 2017-18. He went from 10 goals and 9 assists in 40, 2016-17 games to 18 goals and 18 assists in 43 games last season. He tied for 14th in scoring in the Swedish Super Elite League. His +17 rating tied him for 9th best in the league. As these video highlights show, Engarås (wearing #21) skates strong to the net and has a deadly wrist shot:



In mid-February, Filip captained Team Sweden U19 at the 5 Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic. Team Sweden defeated Germany, Switzerland and the Czech Republic but lost to Finland. Engarås scored 2 goals in the tourney.

With the assistance of Dennis Schellenberg, European Head Scout for Future Considerations, I obtained a new scouting report on Filip Engarås from Carl Larsson, Future Considerations' scout for Sweden:

“He is a clever two-way center who reads the game well. Has really great skating abilities and good work ethic. Has improved his release and is now a good shooter, combined with the smartness which he uses to find unexpected passes. I am excited to see his future development as he is that kind of guy that really works hard, on and off ice. He is certainly determined to have a good hockey career.”

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Filip Engarås, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): Congratulations on your commitment to pursue a college degree and play hockey for the University of New Hampshire. Would you describe when and why you started to consider coming to the United States to play NCAA hockey?

Filip Engarås: Thank you. I have always had my thoughts on playing NCAA hockey but I made my decision in November when I first talked with (UNH Head Coach) Mike Souza. I want to develop and take steps as a hockey player and I think that playing in a top league as the NCAA will be great for me and a great next step in my hockey career. Also, it's an opportunity to combine great hockey with great education. That’s something I'm really looking forward to and I am very excited.



Mike Lowry: How did you first hear about the University of New Hampshire and its hockey program? Did you have an opportunity to visit UNH during the recruiting process?

Filip Engarås: I wasn’t familiar with UNH until Mike Souza contacted me. I didn´t have an opportunity to visit UNH under the recruiting process, but I have watched a lot of clips and searched on the Internet about UNH.



Lowry: What are the main reasons you chose the University of New Hampshire?

Engarås: I got a very good first impression when I talked with Mike Souza for the first time. And when he visited me in Skellefteå I was convinced. I felt right away that UNH will fit me perfectly when Mike talked about the program and it's philosophy. It´s well known and a very good school as well.



Lowry: What other college programs did you consider? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Engarås: There were some colleges that contacted me but at that time I had already decided and verbally committed for UNH. Therefore, I didn´t consider any other colleges and I am very confident with my decision.



Lowry: What other playing opportunities in Sweden did you consider?

Engarås: It was to play in either SEL (Swedish Elite League) or in Hockey Allsvenskan (second highest league).



Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

Engarås: My strengths are my skating abilities and my hockey sense. I’m working hard in all three zones and I think I have good defensive qualities. It’s the offensive part of my game that I want to improve.



Lowry: I've read that you were born in Stockholm and played youth hockey for the Stocksunds-Danderyds-Enebybergs hockey association just north of Stockholm. When did you start playing hockey and who was a major influence in your development?

Engarås: I was seven years old when I first started skating and as you mention, SDE was my first club. It was there I got my ground education to be a hockey player. They helped me a lot in the beginning. There are some very talented and good trainers in SDE and they are a big reason I’m where I am today.



Lowry: You've played for the Swedish National team at the U16, U17, and U19 level. What has playing in international competition been like for you?

Engarås: It has been great experiences to compete against top players on other national teams. And to be around with the top players in Sweden on training camps.



Lowry: Over the last two seasons, you have been the captain of the Skelleftea AIK J20 team. What makes you an effective captain?

Engarås: I always try to lead by example both on and off ice in all teams I have played with. That´s what I think has been the main reason I have got the honor to be team captain.



Lowry: What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?

Engarås: I’m interested in business and leadership studies. I would like to major in business.