Taylor Browne said it was his goal to play college hockey. Then, a solid spring playing lacrosse changed his thinking. But Browne’s change of heart is a boon for the Thornton Academy boys hockey team, as the talented forward has returned to the team after playing one season of junior hockey.
Browne played sparingly for Thornton’s back-to-back state championship teams as a freshman and sophomore, but his desire to advance his career past the high school ranks brought him to the Portland Junior Pirates in Saco.
Browne played in 37 games for the Junior Pirates ”“ as a defenseman ”“ in the Empire Junior Hockey League, and scored two goals and tallied five assists. He said he thought it was his gateway to playing college hockey.
But 30 goals for the Thornton lacrosse team later, Browne’s plans have changed.
“To play juniors was to play college hockey. That’s what I really wanted to do,” said Browne. “But this spring, I learned that lacrosse was really my No. 1 sport.
“A lot of the reason to come back was because of lacrosse. I’m going to focus on lacrosse. Lacrosse is really my No. 1 sport, but I wanted to come back and have a good time my senior year.”
Browne said it feels as though he never left the team, and that he was welcomed back with open arms. He already hit the ground running with senior teammates Alex Fallon, Drew Lavigne and Owen Lemoine, with whom he played with on the Biddeford Wave midget team this fall.
“I played on Alex’s line, and that really helped a lot here, because we’ve been clicking a lot,” said Browne.
Fallon stands to have the most to gain from Browne returning to the Trojans, as he will have some pressure off his shoulders to be the go-to scorer after Thornton graduated its top two scorers from last season.
“Certainly guys like Taylor and Alex Fallon are capable of taking that role this year,” said Thornton head coach Jamie Gagnon. “With the addition of Taylor, it gives us another piece to the offensive puzzle.”
Browne said he thinks that he and Fallon can thrive together on the top line.
“I think we can be one of the top lines in the state, with (Alex’s) talent, and my talent and Carter Davis’ talent on our line. We could do something really special,” said Browne.
While Gagnon’s team isn’t hurting for leadership ”“ with a handful of seniors ”“ the coach said that Browne is a “welcome addition to the lineup and the locker room.”
“His personality is such that he adds a lot to the room,” said Gagnon. “He kind of knows how to read the room.”
Browne’s impact for the Trojans was felt immediately in the season opener Saturday, as he scored Thornton’s first goal during a 3-3 tie against Portland/Deering.
“It’s great to be back,” said Browne. “I love to play with my friends that I’ve been playing with since I was (little).”
— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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