Mark Bowen’s stint with the Lone Star Brahmas got off to a painful start. Bowen suffered a broken jaw on the final day of the Brahmas’ Main Camp in Detroit which sidelined him for the first five games of the NAHL season.
Bowen came to the Brahmas from Canterbury Prep in New Milford, CT after signing a tender offer during the summer. Being a point per game scorer at Canterbury, Bowen generated interest from teams in his native New England, but had conversations with Brahmas’ Assistant Jeff Potter that convinced him to sign with Lone Star. “I had interest from a couple teams on the east coast, but after looking into the Brahmas organization and being in contact with Coach Potter, I thought that Lone Star would be the best place to play before going to college,” said Bowen. “I was finally able to meet Coach Potter and Coach Wildfong at the USA Hockey Nationals and after that, my decision to go to Lone Star was confirmed.”
He also generated interest from Mercyhurst University and has committed to the Lakers for the 2016 season. While having a D-I commitment in his pocket does reduce the potential anxiety of waiting for that call, he says it will not change the way he approaches the season. “It’s nice to know where I’m going after juniors but other than that it doesn’t change much,” he said. “The goal is to win a championship, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.”
US Hockey Report described Bowen as a cerebral, poised player who is hard to knock off the puck. They went on to say that he lacks high-end speed but that his quickness and hockey sense make up for it. At 5’ 7” and 160 pounds Bowen is not the biggest guy on the ice, but he does not let that limit him. “I think being one of the smaller guys out there almost makes it easier to keep the puck away from opponents just because of having a lower center of gravity and being able to push off of defenders when they’re trying to pin you.”
