Auburn, ME – Few people are willing and brave enough to move to another country. CM men's hockey coach, Jordy Knoren, is one of those few people. Knoren made the jump from the Netherlands to the United States to play for the Maine Moose in the NSHL. He would finish his junior hockey career playing for the Cape Cod Islanders and Maine Wild in the NA3HL.
In 2016, he joined a brand-new hockey program at CM which saw three different coaches in just three years. For the team, the most challenging part was feeling like they had to start from scratch each season. Knoren was amazed at the growth of the CM program, "It is unbelievable to see how CM is growing and the facilities that have been added in the last five years." This however, did not stop him from having a successful college career. When asked why he chose CM to further his education and hockey career, Knoren stated, "I was blown away by the facilities they had for a Community College, everything was so professional and I felt like it would be a special place to continue my hockey career. On top of that I feel like a lot of college kids put themselves in debt by pursuing expensive schools. I felt like with the price I was paying, the facilities and athletic department at CM, it was an easy choice." Not only did he have a decorated playing career at CM, but he also represented his home country of the Netherlands at the IIHF U-18 and U-20 World Championships, including a gold medal in 2013 in Serbia.
After a stellar career at CM, which saw him end his career as the program's leading scorer and being named the 2019 Male Athlete of the Year at CM, he joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach for the 2019-2020 season. In 2021, Knoren was named the Head Coach of the men's hockey team at CM. Taking over a program during the height of COVID guidelines was stressful for the new coach. Knoren was responsible for ensuring that all of his players had everything they needed and were eligible to play. All in all, the experience of coaching at his alma mater has been positive. Knoren states, "The coaching itself has been fun. We have a great group of players which is all I could ask for, and on top of that we have great support from our athletic department and school."
Coach Knoren wants his team to play fast with discipline and being able to have control of the puck and possession. Players in this area have grown up playing the dump and chase style of hockey, which Knoren believes there are moments for in the game. However, he believes that if you control the puck and can create offensive zone time that good things will happen. "Being tough in your own zone and willing to pay the price and block shots is something our coaching staff thrives for as well, "adds Knoren.
What is a typical training session like for the CM hockey team? First, they usually start with high pace flow drills. Every day is a bit different as some days they work more on individual skill drills and some days more of the battle small area drills. The last practice before a game, they revise the systems, powerplays, and penalty kills, etc. Conditioning is a big part of the game of hockey so it is built in on and off the ice.
Knoren praises, "I am beyond grateful to be part of CM and I am excited to keep building and seeing what the future holds for all the CM sports team. For hockey, we have a great group of guys and we believe that something special can happen this year!" Currently, Knoren works at the Central Maine Conditioning Clinic and has a lead role in the strength and conditioning for the Mustangs hockey program.
