INCH A to Z: Brown's Devin Timberlake

The following article featuring Brown forward Devin Timberlake appeared September 3 on the InsideCollegeHockey.com Web site as part College Hockey A to Z.

You can't learn how to spell before you've mastered your A-B-Cs. Turns out that's the best way to preview the college hockey season as well. For the fifth year in a row we present Inside College Hockey A to Z, an alphabetical look at a player you need to know from all 58 colleges in Division I.

When contestants start the final round on the Wheel of Fortune game show, the letters R, S, and T are automatically presented in helping them be able to figure out the mystery word. Those letters comprise the most commonly-used part of the alphabet, but our profiled players today are anything but common. We'll start with Lake Superior State's Rick Schofield, who led his team in plus/minus as a rookie, and then turn back to the Ivy League, where Dartmouth has a high-scoring defensemen as its leading returning scorer, and Brown has tabbed a junior captain to lead it in the upcoming campaign.

DEVIN TIMBERLAKE
Brown
Jr. | F | Port Alberni, British Columbia

Key Statistics: Timberlake isn't one of the elite scorers in ECAC Hockey, but contributes enough offense to make an impact for Brown. Last season he had seven goals and 10 assists, a six-point improvement from his freshman year.

What He Does: He is a well-rounded center that adapted to college hockey with a defensive focus during his first two years. As he gained the respect and confidence of the coaching staff, his offensive upside began to show with time spent on the team's top two lines centering offensive-minded wingers.

The Bigger Picture: Brown's graduated class of 2008 was a part of a team that finished in sixth place and was knocked out of the league playoffs by eventual NCAA qualifier Colgate. Since then, Brown hasn't won a playoff series and has only finished as high as a tie for 10th in the league standings. Changing the mindset and attitude around the Brown program is a foremost priority and Timberlake is embracing it. He was elected by his teammates to serve as team captain, but knows that many of the other players on the team have leadership experience from junior hockey, prep schools, and high schools. A core leadership and an influx of new talent could be the start of bringing Brown back toward the top of the ECAC Hockey standings.

Timberlake on setting new standards for Brown this season: "We will work as a team to be successful and make this an exciting program to be a part of. We have 10 new players coming in and we want to let them know right away what we stand for - hard work, discipline, and a winning attitude."

- Joe Gladziszewski

Complete article can be accessed via the INCH Web site by clicking here.