Hebron, ME- The GBL Boston Jr. Bruins are proud to announce the commitment of goaltender Mason Rosado to Babson College for the fall of 2023.

"I'm very excited to continue my academic and hockey career at Babson," said the Waxhaw, NC, native. "After weighing all of my options for both hockey and school, it was obvious that Babson would be the perfect place for me."

Rosado first put himself on the map as a goalie in the 2016-17 season when he played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament with the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, splitting time in net with fellow 18U goaltender Grant Kloeber.

When he reached high school, his first stop was at Brewster Academy, where he tended goal for both the Bobcats and the Northern Cyclones 15O team.

With the COVID-19 pandemic raging, Rosado headed west to Gilmour Academy in Ohio.

"It was an easy choice to make that move," he recounted, "given that Brewster's season was wiped out entirely and I was able to play over 60 games with Gilmour. Also, I wanted the experience of playing out west, but once things returned to normal, I would want to return to New England for prep hockey.

"Growing up, I spent a few years in Avon, CT, and I would go to Avon Old Farms games. That convinced me to go the prep route and I missed it when I was at Gilmour."

Rosado returned east for his junior year, this time landing at the Northfield- Mt. Hermon School and spent the fall season playing for the Springfield Rifles. Although he planned on staying at NMH as a senior, his teammates stoked his interest in joining the GBL Bruins for the 2022 fall season.

"A lot of my teammates wanted to bring me over to GBL with them," he noted. "They were having so much fun [with GBL] and constantly talked about how great the experience was. [NMH] Coach [Kevin] Czepiel always sends a lot of his players there, and after talking to [team owner] Pat [Bohan] and [18U Head Coach] Bret [Tyler,] I barely had to think about it.

"Playing for GBL was amazing," he continued. "The team was extremely tight-knit and Pat and Bret run a great program. Everyone had their role in the locker room; some of it was pretty silly, but it helped us bond as a team very quickly. And once the fall season finishes, it's always fun play against the guys. There's a good amount of chirping the week before we play each other, but after the game, we always stay for a bit, shake hands, and take pictures with each other."

Rosado found himself on the move again for his senior year, finding his way up to Maine to play for Hebron Academy.

"It was purely a personal decision to transfer," he stated. "I just needed a change of scenery, and it's been a blessing to play for [Hebron Coach] Jack O'Brien. He's been very helpful this year with my development both in school and in hockey. He's built a team of hardworking kids. We all like to play for him and each other. In that way, playing for Hebron reminds me a lot of playing for GBL."

Rosado had already begun considering his options for next season, going so far to sign a tender with the Pueblo Bulls of the USPHL NCDC West, but after getting in touch with Babson Head Coach Jamie Rice, he decided to make the jump to NCAA hockey.

"I was sitting on the offer from Babson for about a month," he stated. "I wasn't sure if I wanted to play a year or two of junior hockey. Some guys have their hearts set on playing Division I, but there weren't a lot of schools that I would have wanted to attend. Who knows, playing junior hockey may have created some new opportunities for me, but it may have also closed the door on Babson and that wasn't a risk I was willing to take.

"It's rare that players go straight to college without playing juniors first, but I wouldn't have committed to any other school for next year," he continued. "It fit very well with my plans for what I want to do with my life, both with school and hockey."

Incidentally, the 18U's played a game at Babson College over Columbus Day weekend, but as luck would have it, Rosado was not available that weekend. Still, he made a visit to the campus and that further cemented his desire to be a Babson Beaver.

"I was blown away," he said. "The classroom buildings really impressed me as much as the athletic facilities. I'd never seen anything like that. Add in the fact that it's only ten miles away from Boston and I knew that it would be the best place to spend my college years.  I get to play four years of hockey and graduate with a degree from a great school with an excellent alumni network."

Congratulations to Mason and the Rosado family?