BRUNSWICK

There was never any question about Cody Todesco. He was always going to be a Bowdoin star.

At Noble & Greenough School in Massachusetts, Todesco was a two-year captain and led his ice hockey team in both goals and points his senior year. The 5-foot-7 forward was named Independent School League MVP and was even drafted by the Sherbrook Phoenix in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Bowdoin College coach Jamie Dumont and his longtime predecessor Terry Meagher knew what they were getting. It just happened a bit quicker than they expected.

“We always knew he was a very special player, even coming out of high school,” Dumont said. “For Cody to come out of a really good prep school league, it’s still a big adjustment at this level. I thought last year, he handled it very well. He was coachable. He got through it.”

He did more than that. Todesco was named to the New England Small College Athletic Conference First Team and led the Polar Bears in both goals (12) and assists (12). He played in all 25 games, scored three game winners and was named NESCAC co-Rookie of the Year.

All as a nervous freshman.

“I think last year I definitely had a lot more nerves than I do this year,” Todesco said. “I think it’s been not so much confidence, but more so just nerves going into the year. Trying to help the team do the best that we can.”

This season, with the nerves gone and a year of experience under his belt, the goals are back. In just five games thus far, Todesco has already scored five times. He leads the team with nine points and netted a hat trick in a 7-4 shootout with SUNY Genesco last Saturday.

“This year, he’s just hit the ground running,” Dumont said. “I think with that added strength and experience level, we knew the compete was there, we knew the skill was there, we know the character is there. Now it’s really fun and special to watch because all these things are coming into play.”

Muscle building

Like any great athlete, the work starts in the offseason.

This past summer, Todesco worked out at Edge Performance Systems in Foxborough, Mass., where he’s also a trainer. On top of skating every day and weekly skill sessions, he worked out at the gym each morning. To keep his hockey and skating fresh, he played in a local pick-up league.

“I was over there every day just trying to put on as much muscle as I could,” Todesco said.

“That 15 pounds of muscle that he put on over the summertime has made a big difference in his game,” Dumont said.

Dumont said that for Todesco, getting physically bigger was the missing piece — that is, if there was a missing piece. The standout ability was already there.

“He’s got God-given hands,” Dumont said. “His hands are very good, very quick. He’s a guy that’s got a deceptive skating style. You think you may have a step on him, but he can separate as good as anyone we’ve had here at Bowdoin.

“With those good quick hands and that quick separation piece with his feet, that’s what makes him pretty special.”

One of the highest compliments Dumont can pay Todesco is that he uses all his skill in different ways. On paper, his role on the ice is defined — he’s the goal scorer, the points guy, an offensive weapon.

For Cody, though, it’s not that simple.

“I think it’s a couple different things,” he said of his role. “I definitely think scoring goals and putting up points is part of my role on the team. It was a little bit last year and I think it hopefully will be again this year.

“But I also try and be a momentum guy on the ice. I don’t really, necessarily look to score a lot of goals. Hopefully they hit my stick and go in, but I think more momentum is my role. I want to be that guy where if a team scores a goal against us, I’m the next one on the ice looking to score right back against them.”

You’ll also find Todesco on the other end of the ice, blocking pucks and protecting the goal. Earlier this season in a game against Middlebury, he took one off the neck.

As just a sophomore, he leads by example.

“The way he plays the game, the honest effort both ends of the ice, just comes to play shift by shift — that’s what a Bowdoin hockey player is all about.,” Dumont said. “For him to be able to produce like that and still block shots and bring it, it’s something that every guy in the room wants to patent our game after.”

Colby weekend

Heading into the rivalry weekend last season, Todesco didn’t know what to expect. He had seen photos of Bowdoin- Colby games online, but they didn’t really do a jam-packed Sidney J. Watson Arena justice.

This time around, he’ll be anything but nervous.

“There’s a lot of hype behind it on campus,” Todesco said. “There are signs all over campus, kids are excited going to the game, emails about tickets being sold.

“I think that our team’s definitely looking forward to it. I know I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a huge weekend for the team.”

Rivalry aside, this weekend, beginning tonight at home against the Mules (7 p.m.), will be a huge test for the Polar Bears. Colby is 3-1 overall (2-0 NESCAC) and a strong side as it normally is. Like the game against SUNY Genesco, currently ranked No. 5 in the USCHO.com Division III rankings, it’ll be a measuring stick for the team.

Early in the season, good competition is crucial.

“I think it’s great for our team, to be honest,” Todesco said. “I think it’s good to challenge us early so we know what our goal is come the end of the year. To reach our goals, we’re going to have to play weekends like this and hopefully challenge ourselves.

“We just want to win. Doesn’t matter whether I have a couple goals or not, we just basically want the best outcome for the team. We’re just hoping everything turns out well and our team has a great year.”

In fact, that’s all Todesco is hoping for.

When asked about his personal goals, there’s no talk of scoring or breaking a Bowdoin record. It’s all about the team right now. A NESCAC Championship and an NCAA bid take precedent over the stat sheet.

“No one likes to lose,” Todesco said. “I’m definitely the biggest advocate for winning no matter how we have to do it. Whether that means I’m sitting on the bench or playing every other shift. My goal as a player is to just help our team win as much as we can.”

Bowdoin will travel up to Waterville for game two of the weekend doubleheader on Saturday at 7 p.m.