LEOMINSTER-- Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Billy Kent had to make an extremely tough one last year.

He was desperately trying to find a place to play junior hockey -- his No. 1 passion -- and believed he found the perfect opportunity with the New England Huskies of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

But there was a catch.

Kent would have to pack his bags, leave his family, friends, school and familiar surroundings in Manlius, N.Y., a 10-minute drive from Syracuse, and move to a different state.  Kent, who has aspirations of one day playing Division I college hockey and maybe in the National Hockey League, decided to chase his dream and give it a shot.

He moved to Leominster with a host family and cashed in on his opportunity to play for the Tyngsboro-based Huskies.But after Kent's ice hockey season ended, he decided to stay in enemy territory -- Kent's a New York Yankees fan now living in Red Sox Nation -- and continue his education at Leominster High School. There, he got the itch to play his second-favorite sport, lacrosse. "I'm so used to hockey, but it's a nice change of pace to play lacrosse," Kent, a senior at LHS, said. "I put off lacrosse my sophomore year to focus on hockey, but I realized how much I missed lacrosse so it's nice to play."

Leominster varsity lacrosse coach Colin Davis is glad that Kent decided to try out for the team.

"The transition from hockey to lacrosse and back obviously works for a lot of kids, but in his case where he has that elite athleticism already, and then you transfer that into having grown up playing lacrosse, it's so clear that he's so comfortable out there," Davis said. "He's confident, but he's not cocky. He's a great teammate, he supports his teammates and they love having him."His teammates can't help but love his talent and understand how much improved the Blue Devils are with Kent and senior captain Peter Jakola running the offensive show.

"It was a great addition to our team, obviously, and the benefits have paid off," Jakola said.  Leominster is off to a torrid 7-1 start to the season, including a six-game winning streak. Kent has played an important role as the team's leading scorer. The attack has 36 goals, including a whopping eight in a 15-12 win over Milford at Sky View Middle School.  "He's a nice, nice kid. I can't stress that enough," Davis said. "He's a very nice guy. In addition to that, he's calm in those stressful situations of the game. His stick work is really quiet. There's nothing really super flashy about it, but he stays so calm in the tight areas where it's so easy for your heart rate to get up and you yank one left or right or over the top of the net; he just doesn't seem to do it. He doesn't seem to get nervous."

Jakola and Kent have already developed a great rapport on the field. The duo have been giving opponents fits all season long.

"I'm always looking up the field and he always seems to be open, regardless of where he is on the field," Jakola said. "When I put the ball on his stick, he ends up finding the back of the net.  "He's a great player. He's a finisher; he's a playmaker. He can shoot, obviously, but he can also pass very well, too. He's just overall a good player."

Davis says that the addition of Kent has made his team a lot more difficult to defend.

"One of the biggest things for us is coming into the year everybody already knew about Peter Jakola and what he accomplished the last few years, and having another scorer on the field, another legitimate threat, has made it difficult for teams because they can't just focus on shutting down one guy," Davis said. "That type of versatility on our team is probably something we've never had before." 

Kent grew up in New York as an ice hockey and lacrosse kid. But there's always been something about hockey that has always made it his top sport to play.

"I like hockey better," said Kent, although his home state is a hotbed for gifted lax players. "Just the speed of it, it's so fast and you have to make decisions just like that. I just love being put in that spot and making decisions."

The 17-year-old Kent said that he started playing lacrosse a few years after hockey, and he carried that through up until high school. "It was just a matter of what I wanted to do and what I enjoyed playing," Kent said about choosing to concentrate on hockey. "But I'm glad I got the chance to play (lacrosse) this year." 

 

Kent got the opportunity to advance his hockey career with the help of head coach Paul Jenkins and the Huskies organization.  Jenkins' cousin, Darlene Tucker, also became Kent's host family in North Leominster.  "It's great there," Kent said. "She does everything for me. Paul placed me in a very good home. I couldn't have asked for anything better this year."  While with the Huskies, Kent scored 12 goals and added eight assists. He was third on the team in goals and tied for fourth in points. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound forward also had two game-winning goals.  "It was my first year in EJ's, so it was a big step up from the Junior B League I played in last year," Kent said. "I felt during the season I adjusted properly."  Kent came to Massachusetts in August for training camp and started his senior year at his new high school in early September.

Being away from home was a tough transition at first, but Kent has adjusted nicely to life in North Central Mass.  "When I first started school, it was tough, but I got to go home a lot on holidays and stuff," he said. "I actually like it here a lot now, so I'm not opposed to staying here."

After his hockey season ended, Kent could have gone back home, but he didn't want to.

"I've just gotten too acclimated to this area," he said. "I've grown pretty fond of it. I've made friends and felt that this is the place I'd like to come graduate."

Kent said his lacrosse teammates have been a huge help, making him feel right at home by immediately accepting him as part of the team.

"I've been very comfortable with this team," Kent said. "It's been a great experience already."  Despite not knowing anyone when he moved to the area, trying to make friends wasn't the biggest adjustment that Kent had to make.  "I think the toughest part was making decisions on my own, like handling money and just taking care of myself and going to bed on time -- all the things that my parents usually reminded me to do, I had to make that call for myself," Kent said. "It's helped me a lot growing up."

Making decisions -- good and bad -- is part of the growing-up process. Kent feels he's made the right ones in his athletic and academic career.  "I believe so. Looking back, a year ago I didn't know what I wanted to do, I had some choices to make," he said. "I feel like I've definitely made the right choices."  Attending Leominster High, playing for the New England Huskies and the Leominster varsity lacrosse team are decisions that he'll always be able to live with.