UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- While most of Penn State's nine newcomers this season will be making their college hockey debuts, Tim Doherty will be looking to add to his already successful career.
After spending the last three seasons at Maine, Doherty decided to play his final season with the Nittany Lions. He closed the 2019-20 season with a career best 37 points for the Black Bears and will look to carry over that success to Penn State. The transfer process is something Doherty thought he would enjoy, but the pandemic certainly made it difficult.
Doherty weighed several options of where he would take his next step. But, ultimately felt the best decision was to attend Penn State. Transitioning to a new school is always challenging add in the pandemic, and things were even more difficult. However, having already been through the process once during his initial college decision, the 25-year old Doherty showed his maturity through it all.
Zoom meetings and lack of time together as a team are some of the challenges Doherty, and all the newcomers face as they try to build a camaraderie with their new teammates. Even amongst all the challenges, Doherty is still finding a way to make the most of the situation.
"The experience I have had has been really good so far," Doherty said. "It's been a different experience with COVID. I'm taking nothing for granted and it's really awesome to be here."
As is the case with most, the last six months were difficult for Doherty. He was preparing for a Hockey East playoff game at Maine when the news of the league's shutdown hit. It was a tough pill to swallow as it felt like everything Doherty worked for was taken away from him.
He returned home to Portsmouth, Rhode Island and didn't skate again until July, when he found a rink, he could get into close to home. Now, at Penn State, Doherty is skating in small groups with his teammates and can already tell he is going to like the way Penn State plays.
In addition to the style of play here, Doherty also has taken an admiration of the culture Guy Gadowsky has created.
"I really like the coaching staff," Doherty said. "It has a really personal feel. The standard and winning culture too, as I wanted to go somewhere where the team is successful."
Gadowsky played a large role in Doherty committing to Penn State. They established a very good connection the first time the two of them spoke.
Looking ahead, Doherty will attempt to rely on the lessons he learned at Maine to bring similar success to the Nittany Lions. Being able to practice with a strong team in Maine pushed Doherty to be his very best.
"We were one of the top teams in the league," Doherty said. "Being able to practice and compete with guys who are really good as well is something that prepared me."
His time at Penn State will be short, but not short enough to where Doherty won't be able to make an impact.
"I hope I can make a big impact," Doherty said. "Every single person is focused on this season, no one is worried about the next one. If I can help make this one the best one yet, then that's what I want to do."
Off the rink, Doherty recently received a degree in finance from Maine. He is now in a graduate program for Real Estate Analytics and Development. Once his playing career comes to an end, Doherty would love to stay in the New England area and go into finance.
But, before that, Doherty is focused on making this season the best one yet and perhaps taking the next step when this season concludes. To do that, he will continue to rely on past experience to make himself the best teammate possible.
