Barrington skaters shine for prep hockey team

Michael Lombardi and Bryce Dolan lead Kimball Union to championship

By Josh Bickford
Posted 3/30/17

They are both from Barrington.

They both love hockey.

And in the near future, both Bryce Dolan and Michael Lombardi will be skating for Division I college ice hockey teams.

Dolan and …

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Barrington skaters shine for prep hockey team

Michael Lombardi and Bryce Dolan lead Kimball Union to championship

Posted

They are both from Barrington.

They both love hockey.

And in the near future, both Bryce Dolan and Michael Lombardi will be skating for Division I college ice hockey teams.

Dolan and Lombardi recently completed a stellar season for the Kimball Union Academy hockey team in Meriden, NH. The two Barrington products led the KUA to the Elite 8 Prep School Hockey Championship, and capped the memorable season by committing to play their college hockey at top-ranked programs. 

Lombardi, a hard-working forward, will play at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, while Dolan, a standout defensemen, will take his game to Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

Lombardi is due to graduate from Kimball Union Academy in the spring and is slated to play in the Canadian Junior hockey program for a year before he arrives at Quinnipiac. He is looking at either Cedar Rapids or Chillawack in British Columbia, Canada. 

It was three years ago when Lombardi decided to make the move from Barrington High School to Kimball Union, which plays in a demanding prep league. 

As a freshman at Barrington, Lombardi and his older Joe led the Eagles to a state championship. Lombardi knew he loved the game, and believed he could compete at Kimball Union. Without telling his parents, he applied to the New Hampshire prep school after his sophomore year at Barrington and was admitted. He told his parents about his plans and was, at first, met with some skepticism. 

But quickly his folks came around on the idea and Lombardi made the move to Meriden, a small town tucked in the Connecticut River Valley. And while the transition to the rural setting might present some challenges, the move to KUA hockey was even more daunting.

Kimball Union's top players are regularly drafted by NHL teams and top college programs.

"It's a huge difference," said Lombardi. "The guys are faster, they're stronger. Two years ago, on the Kimball Union team there were three NHL draft picks and 11 college commits."

In his sophomore year at KUA, Lombardi found himself skating on the fourth line. But over time, and with a tireless work ethic, the former Eagle eventually earned more ice time. He spent his summers working out with former Providence College standout Noel Acciari, and current PC players Bryan Lemos and Shane Kavanagh.

This past winter, Michael was a first line forward. He led Kimball Union in scoring with 31 points — 12 goals and 19 assists — in 23 games. He also served as one of the team's assistant captains. Michael also played for the Boston Jr. Bruins Selects U18 team and scored 22 points in 14 games, finishing with 9 goals and 13 assists. 

Not only was he a top performer for KUA, he was also garnering attention from top college programs, including Providence College, UMass and Quinnipiac. He eventually chose Quinnipiac.

"I knew it was the spot for me. It's a dream fit," Lombardi said.

The Barrington native said his drive to compete and succeed has been fueled, in part, by those who doubted him. 

"When I decided I wanted to go to prep school people were asking me why. They said 'You're not going to make it.' I was doubted a lot," he said. "It still bothers me."

Now Lombardi has set his sights on a bigger goal.

"My goal is to play in the NHL," he said.

Dolan headed to Holy Cross

While Michael Lombardi prides himself on his physical style of play, he is quick to acknowledge that there was likely no one on the KUA team this past year who played a tougher brand of hockey than fellow Barrington native Bryce Dolan.

Bryce played the 2014-15 school year at Bishop Hendricken, scoring two goals and notching nine assists. He then transferred to Kimball Union and played 25 games for the Wildcats in the 2015-16 season. This past winter, Bryce was the first line right defensemen.

"He was one of our best defensive players down the stretch," Lombardi said. "He's more physical than me. He's a tough kid."

Bryce is a junior at Kimball Union and a first line defensemen. In the playoffs, Bryce helped limit the opposing teams to little more than one goal per game. In the championship game, Dolan put the puck on net — the shot was deflected past the Rivers School goalie and gave KUA a 3-0 lead at the time. Kimball Union went on to win 6-2. 

This past week, Bryce, who is 6-feet tall and praised for quick feet and a nice shot release, committed to play his college hockey at Holy Cross. 

"Proud to announce my commitment to play college hockey at Holy Cross," Bryce tweeted out on Sunday, March 26. "Thanks to everyone who helped along the way!"

Just a few moments of the tweet, Lombardi responded: "Huge shoutout to one of my best friends @Bdoles99 on his commitment to Holy Cross!"

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