American International the next stop for Oceanside product Timba
Julian Timba can be tough to pin down.
A nimble skater who can get the puck and transfer it up the ice, the 1998 birth year and Oceanside native fits a template many teams are seeking in defensemen in today’s game.
American International College (Atlantic Hockey) is among those, and the Yellow Jackets made Timba an offer he couldn’t refuse in early November, leading to his NCAA Division I college commitment.
“AIC showed a lot of interest recently,” Timba said. “I did some research and found they fit my style of play. It was a shorter process than I anticipated.”
The former Anaheim Wildcats, Orange County Hockey Club and Jr. Ducks player is in his third season of juniors, playing for the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) this season after two seasons with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the British Columbia Hockey League.
The transition, especially for a player in his final season of junior eligibility, has gone remarkably well.
After concussion-related symptoms sidelined him for nearly all of the 2016-17 season, the 5-foot-11 Timba had 17 points in 48 games last season. This season, he’s off to a banner start – racking up 13 points in his first 14 games in the more defensively-driven NAHL.
“Bismarck has been unbelievable for my development,” Timba said. “I can’t say enough about how much coach Layne Sedevie has helped me.”
Timba’s perseverance no doubt was formed during his youth hockey days, when he and his family drove from Oceanside to Anaheim for practices and games from the time he was a Squirt onward.
“He and his family are really, really committed,” said Alex Kim, who coached him for two of his three seasons with the Jr. Ducks. “They plugged along and stayed with the process.”
Kim added that Timba brings several things to any team he’s a part of: “Not only is he a really agile, smooth skater, but he can move the puck. And he’s a great kid. He is always in a great mood, which is a credit to him and his parents.”
Photo/NAHL
— Chris Bayee
(Dec. 5, 2018)
