TELEGRAM: From pup to Ice Dog, Taylor Larsen's modest roots sink in at Assumption

From pup to Ice Dog:  Taylor Larsen’s modest roots sink in at Assumption


By Steve Kendall
CORRESPONDENT
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

    WORCESTER —  From the moment he put on his first pair of skates at age 4, Taylor “Bubba” Larsen knew he wanted to be a hockey player.
    A native of Blackstone, Larsen chased his dream through youth hockey, turning himself into one of the most prolific scorers in Division 3 high school circles while playing for Blackstone-Millville Regional, setting school records for career points (168), and goals (39) and points (67) in a season as a senior to lead all Central Mass. scorers. Despite his outrageous point totals, many doubted he could play at the collegiate level because they felt he wasn’t facing the best competition.
    So, Larsen decided to post-grad a year at Worcester Academy where, playing against some of the best high school competition in the country, he continued to score at an incredible rate. Larsen, along with now-Assumption College teammates Nick Blanchette and Cam Maillet, led the Hilltoppers to one of their best seasons ever.
    “(Coach) Kevin Magnani really pushed me to be a better player,” Larsen said. “He wouldn’t accept me just being on the ice — he wanted me to hit, which I never did in high school. He made me play physical and that really was the key to getting my game ready to play in college.”
    But even the numbers he put up at Worcester Academy weren’t impressive enough. The only team that really seemed interested in Larsen was Assumption, and then-coach Kevin Zifcak made an aggressive move to make Larsen an Ice Dog.
    Zifcak never got to coach Larsen, leaving prior to last season. When new Assumption coach Lance Brady saw Larsen skate the first days of practice, he was both shocked and thrilled — shocked no one else scooped him up, and thrilled he’d have Larsen for four years.
    “To have a kid come in and be able to skate like he does and possess the natural offensive gifts Bubba has was something we did not expect,” Brady said. “We have designed a lot of our offensive strategy and plays around him. He runs the power play and he is our main weapon offensively.”
    That was not the case as last season began. Larsen struggled to score for the first time in his life, but instead of becoming frustrated, he kept plugging away and finally netted his first goal seven games into the season.
    Despite the sluggish start, Larsen ended up leading Assumption in goals (12), assists (13) and points (25) and was named Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year. Not bad for a first-year player many thought wouldn’t be successful in college.
    “Once I got that first goal, my confidence improved,” said Larsen. “My physical play picked up, which helped me create more chances for me and my linemates. Once I got my confidence, pucks started going in for me.”
    Despite his success last year, Larsen knows he still has a way to go to become a complete player. He worked incredibly hard in the gym to become stronger and faster, and has emphasized improving his play in the defensive zone. As a center, he has accepted it as one of his primary jobs to support his defensemen first.
    Brady, as well as the Assumption defensemen and goalie Blanchette, are glad to see that. The Ice Dogs surrendered too many goals last year and struggled in their own end. Brady has made defensive zone play a point of emphasis during the preseason, and he has noticed a change in Larsen’s play inside the Assumption zone.
    “Bubba knows his offense is going to be there, and he wants to be a more complete player, so he has been working very hard at his play in the defensive zone,” he said. “We feel he can be a great two-way player if he continues to mature.”
    Larsen credits Brady for helping him realize that being a stronger player in his own zone not only will make him better, but also the team.
    This is something that interests Larsen and his teammates after Assumption went 6-16-4 last year.
    Things won’t be any easier this season. The Ice Dogs host perennial powerhouse Manhattanville on Dec. 30 in addition to their difficult Northeast-10 schedule. Larsen is hoping the combination of veterans, newcomers and an emphasis on defense will key Assumption this season.
    “We have the potential to have a great season, and I think everyone is looking forward to getting started,” Larsen said. “I like the mix of players we have and I love the commitment everyone has shown toward getting better. I’m thinking we will have a good season.”