Defenceman Josh Owings has become the fourth member of the 2016-17 Cowichan Valley Capitals team to commit to a college hockey team for next season.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound blueliner from Ann Arbor, Mich., will return to his home state next season to play for the Div. III Adrian College Bulldogs.
Owings spent two years with the Caps, finishing his 20-year-old season with 29 points (three goals and 26 assists) in 57 games, good for 17th among all defencemen in the league and second on the team. He added two assists in four playoff games.
For his career, Owings compiled four goals, 41 assists and 54 penalty minutes in 114 regular-season games and four points in 10 playoff contests.
“Josh is a two-way defenceman that is hard to play against, and a good defender that brings a physical game with a great reach,” Capitals head coach and general manager Bob Beatty said. “He makes a good first pass and is capable of adding some offence from the back end.
“I believe Josh will have a good collegiate career with Adrian and add to an already successful program.”
The Adrian College Bulldogs went 20-7-2 last season and reached the Div. III Frozen Four.
Owings joins captain Chris Harpur (Niagara University, NCAA Div. 1), fellow defenceman Ben Verrall (York University, USports), and forward Mitch Skapski (Ryerson University, USports) as players from last season’s team to commit for 2017-18.