Andy Stoneman has committed to Bowdoin College and set to wear a Polar Bears jersey this upcoming 2019-2020 season. Andy has been described as a savvy player with size. He has speed that he is able to combine with his strength to make him an effective forward.
Originally from Faribault, MN Andy grew up on Shattuck St. Mary’s campus, offering a unique insight into the hockey academy:
“I have a vivid memory of skating with a few Shattuck players in the early days and being amazed by how good they were. I remember being so excited to be on the ice with them and in hindsight it was really nice of them to come out and help me, when they really had no reason or obligation too. I grew up playing hockey and living at Shattuck, so there was really no other place in the world I wanted to play. While I think I maybe didn’t have much of a choice about that anyways, looking back at it now, I would not change a thing about the experiences I had at Shattuck. From being a little kid and watching the players, to playing on the Prep team for two years, Shattuck was always my home, and representing it gave me more pride than any other place ever could. I accredit almost all of my hockey development to Shattuck, whether it was actually practicing, or simply watching tons of hockey all the time. Not to mention that the school had a lot of other things to offer as well like great academics and other centers of excellences. I made friendships that will last a lifetime, both on and off the ice at Shattuck.”
Taking us through his recruitment process:
“I talked to and visited a fair amount of schools during the recruitment process, most of them in the northeast, and a few in the midwest. I think playing for Shattuck and attending National Camp really helped in terms of putting me on college’s radars, and it all kind of grew from there.”
Andy takes us through this past season, his rookie year of junior hockey:
“I definitely went through some tough times last year. I played on five different teams, in three different leagues, in the span of about a month and a half. There were definitely times when it got tough and I was pretty down on myself, which kind of created a bit of a downward spiral as it hurt my confidence on the ice too. However, I do think that I learned a ton from the past year, and also met a lot of really interesting people, some of whom I am still close friends with. While it was definitely really tough, it was also very eye-opening, and I don’t know if I would have had the insight to make the decision I did about Bowdoin had I not experienced the year I did. So in hindsight, I wouldn’t change a thing, because I think I’ll be happiest at Bowdoin these next four years.”
Prior to his commitment to Bowdoin, Andy was set to play at St. Lawrence, however a coaching change made him reconsider the decision:
“I committed to SLU around Halloween of my junior year, and the primary reason I committed there was because of the coaching staff. I felt that they really believed in me, and saw something in me that other schools didn’t seem to pick up on until later on. When the coaching staff ended up disbanding there, I had a tough time rationalizing why I should still go there, so I ended up decommitting. It was definitely a tough decision to make, but I thought it was the best decision. Absolutely nothing against the school, it really is a great place, and would be a great spot to play hockey.”
Andy is a 3.75 star player with the potential to play at the NCAA D1 level, especially with a few years to develop in juniors. He tells us about his decision to play D3 hockey:
“I think junior hockey wasn’t really for me, and Bowdoin is a place that still has extremely competitive hockey and a great staff, but they also have incredible academics, which as I went through juniors, was something that appealed to me more and more. I think Bowdoin kind of acted as a gateway for me out of juniors, and opened a path to still play high-level hockey while being in a different environment that would suit me better. One I’m super excited about and incredibly grateful for.” Continuing about his decision to to forego more time in junior hockey, “I definitely felt some pressure from coaches that thought I could benefit from another year of juniors, but for the most part it wasn’t ever too bad. I think NCAA D3 has a lot more to offer than people think. NESCAC hockey is very good, better than it is sometimes credited for, and I think to be able to have access to an incredible academic experience is an amazing opportunity for growth, and the D3 schedule allows for time to pursue other interests, which is something that is very intriguing to me. I think a lot of good things will come from the decision I made, and even though it may be perceived in a lot of different ways by people in the hockey world, both negative and positive, I’m extremely confident in my decision, and I think it will have a really optimistic impact on my future.”
We asked how he plans to prepare for the next level:
“I’m actually trying to spend a lot of my summer away from the rinks, and really trying to focus on off ice training. One of the common themes I hear from both coaches and players at the college level is the physical aspect, and how strong all the players are. So I want to do my best to put on some weight and get physically prepared, as I feel that’ll help me best for next year. The summer is looking like a lot of working out and eating!”
Taking us through his plan for life when hockey ends:
“I’ve definitely given a lot of thought to life after hockey. I think that was a big part of my decision in going to Bowdoin, because the school, like Shattuck, has so much more to offer than just high-level hockey, not to mention an unreal alumni base. At the moment I’m thinking of majoring in either physics, chemistry, or music, but I haven’t officially decided on anything yet, so we’ll see where I end up!”
Andy played 43 games with the Bismark Bobcats in the NAHL. He earned 22 points from 11 goals and 11 assists. Bowdoin College currently ranks #1 in our D2/3 recruit rankings for 2019. See those rankings here.
Photo Credit of Watson Arena: Bowdoin College/Bowdoin Athletics