NEWS

Georgetown Raiders forward Alex Botten (photo credit - Brian Watts/OJHL Images) has confirmed his commitment to join the Oswego State University Lakers beginning with the 2013-14 SUNYAC season.

Alex Botten was born and raised in Sharon, Ontario, playing his minor hockey with the East Gwillimbury Eagles organization until 2003-04 when he made the jump to ‘AAA’.  He would spend the next six seasons playing ‘AAA’ with a variety of teams, including the Don Mills Flyers, Mississauga Rebels, Richmond Hill Stars and Barrie Colts.

Botten joined the junior hockey ranks as a 17-year old member of the Alliston Hornets Junior ‘C’ club in 2009-10.  After notching 30 points in 32 games during the regular season for the Hornets, the club went on to win the Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario Junior Hockey League title by downing Walkerton and then the OHA Junior ‘C’ Schmaltz Cup with a four games to two victory over Belle River.

His success in Alliston earned Botten an opportunity to join the Orangeville Flyers for the 2010-11 season and he would continue his successes at the next level, recording 11 goals and 25 points in 47 games played.  With the Flyers suspending operations following the season, Botten joined the nearby Stouffville Spirit, embarking upon yet another championship run.

Playing with a high-flying offensive power, Botten was a key contributor and would finish sixth on the club in scoring with 45 points in 37 games played.  Then, with injuries playing a key factor during the playoffs for the Spirit, he continued his steady improvement, finishing tied for seventh in playoff scoring with 24 points, as well as leading all scorers with four game-winning goals to help the Spirit capture the franchise’s first-ever OJHL Championship and Buckland Cup title with a six game series victory over Whitby.  Although disappointed after falling to the Soo in the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Final held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Botten was the tournament's leading scorer at the event with eight points in four games played.

Entering the 2012-13 season as one of the club's leaders, Botten got off to an explosive start and after recording eight points in September, registered 15 assists and 21 points in October to be named the Gongshow Gear North-East Conference Player-of-the-Month.  With the Spirit in a rebuilding transition, Botten was traded to the perennial contending Georgetown Raiders in December.  The offensively-gifted forward would lead the Raiders in scoring, while finishing second among all OJHL players with 58 assists and fifth with 80 points.  His play during the season also earned Botten a spot on the North Division All-Star Team (was selected prior to trade) that competed at the 2012 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge in Wellington, Ontario, where he would lead the North in scoring with three goals and five points in four games played.

Congratulations to Alex on the commitment and best of luck in the NCAA!