The Massachusetts hockey team welcomed its newest addition to the squad over the Holiday Break. Freshman defenseman Nick Kuiper joined the team in mid-January and has appeared in five games on the blue line thus far.

Kuiper will have three years of eligibility remaining following this season. In 32 games with the Hawkesbury Hawks of the Canadian Junior Hockey League this year, he had seven goals and 10 assists.

‘I was playing in Hawkesbury, and we were struggling a bit,’ Kuiper said. ‘I thought that it would be good to finish out the year here.’

The rookie made his debut on Jan. 12 against Northeastern. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, he has provided a steady presence on defense. For the most part, he has been paired on third unit, usually with Luke Duplessis.

He has not registered a point in those five games and rates as a -3 in the plus-minus department.

‘Nick is going to be a good addition to our team,’ head coach Don Cahoon said of the 18-year-old. ‘He skates real well and has great hockey sense. It is going to be a big adjustment for him both physically and mentally. He will help to add some depth and quickness to our defense.’

Although Kuiper is now a Minuteman, it is evident that he does have pro potential down the road. The National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Service has him ranked No. 143 on their mid-season draft list.

However, since jumping to the collegiate ranks, Kuiper has already acknowledged that there is a difference in skill level between juniors and college.

‘I noticed that everything is so much quicker here,’ he said. ‘The guys are a lot stronger, too.’

The youngster has also had to deal with a different outlook in the standings. After being a part of a struggling Hawkesbury squad, Kuiper now finds himself as an integral member of a UMass squad that is battling for a Hockey East playoff spot. And since the fact that every game holds extra importance in the final month, there is a very small individual margin for error.

‘I’m just going to try to keep it simple and try not to make any high-risk plays,’ Kuiper said.

In the long term, though, the Montreal native has aspirations of a career in the professional ranks.

‘I’d like to be drafted and after that, play pro hockey,’ Kuiper said. ‘I’d like to play in the NHL someday, but if I don’t, I’ll have a good education to fall back on.’