Former Thunderbirds standout Kiecker-Olson decides on Maine for NCAA Division I career
Killian Kiecker-Olson is from Minnesota and played AAA hockey for the Colorado Thunderbirds’ 14U and 16U teams before heading off to junior hockey.
Since 2018, Kiecker-Olson has played in the NAHL and USHL, skating the 2021-22 season for the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers.
After the season-opening league showcase, Kiecker-Olson committed to continue his hockey career next fall at the University of Maine, an NCAA Division I school.
“Maine recruited me, then offered me after the showcase,” said Kiecker-Olson, a forward from Andover, Minn. “Maine is appealing to me because it is in Hockey East. The campus is beautiful, and the surrounding area feels like home. No idea on a major yet, possibly something to do with business.
“I plan on preparing the same way I have prepared for every season with a lot of time in the weight room and on the ice.”
This season with Des Moines, Kiecker-Olson has rattled off four goals and seven points in eight games, far above his pace of a year ago when he recorded five goals and five assists in 45 games.
“My team is off to a good start, but it is only going to get tougher as the year goes on,” said Kiecker-Olson. “We need to push ourselves every week to get better as the competition rises.”
And while Kiecker-Olson said his mother, father and sister have supported him every step of the way, saying, “Without them and their support, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do,” his game took a turn when he played for the Thunderbirds.
“I played three seasons with Thunderbirds and was recruited out there by Dave Fromm, who was also my head coach for my first two seasons there,” Kiecker-Olson said. “I really grew as a hockey player in Colorado. Playing AAA hockey was a very good for my development playing against the best players in the country every weekend. I also think that living away from home helped me grow a lot as a person off the ice and a player on the ice.”
Photo/Des Moines Buccaneers
— Matt Mackinder
(November 3, 2021)