Another member of the 2017 Division 1 state hockey champions from Brighton has committed to play in college.
But, unlike Jake Crespi, who committed to Lake Superior State during his senior season, Adam Conquest committed to Bowling Green on Sunday, well before his senior season.
“Maybe it’s a sign of the times,” Brighton coach Paul Moggach said Monday night. “But Adam had a good run in the playoffs, was on the big stage, and people noticed.”
Conquest had 38 points in 29 games as the Bulldogs won their fourth state title in March. He made his choice of Bowling Green public via Twitter on Sunday.
“I picked (Bowling Green) because I see it as an up-and-coming hockey program,” Conquest told mihockey.com on Sunday.
Conquest was drafted by Des Moines of the USHL in April and also played on Team Michigan in addition to his role on Brighton’s state champions.
“He’s got good speed, and what we saw was more consistency with speed and in his game,” Moggach said. “He got bigger, better and stronger. Our program, we really rely on not just maintaining where we’re at, but he got strong, and when you get stronger you get faster, and you can do some different things. He got better as a teammate for everybody, and that’s what we want for all of them.”
Conquest will be welcomed back for a third season as a Bulldog, but he might not get there.
“We don’t know what he’s going to do this year,” Moggach said. “Des Moines, they’ll want him out there, in which case we lose him. The coaches at Bowling Green really like our program, and I think they realize what we can do. There’s a decent chance he’ll be back with us.”
As for the early commitment, Moggach called it another plus for the Bulldogs.
“We’re very happy we have two that are commits and get offers while in high school,” he said. “I think it’s a great tribute to our strength and conditioning program and also his teammates. I think you can’t get there on your own, and he was surrounded by good players who also helped. It’s a tribute to them as well.”
