Payson focused on Maine goal

Veazie’s Nick Payson made a difficult decision a year and a half ago. He passed up his senior year at Bangor High School to play for the Portland Junior Pirates in the Atlantic Junior A Hockey League.

He has always aspired to play for the University of Maine’s hockey team and he felt the 20-game schedule in Class A hockey wasn’t giving him the number of games or the competition necessary to attain that goal.

He was the leading scorer in Class A his junior year with 43 goals and 28 assists in 23 games. He led Bangor to its first-ever Eastern Maine championship game appearance.

He is currently in his second season with the Pirates and he is progressing well according to his coach, Jay Pecora.

Payson, a center, had 12 goals and 25 assists in 34 games last season but already has 13 goals in 24 games this season along with eight assists. He has been sidelined by a knee injury but is expected to return to the lineup this weekend.

“He has become more of a two-way player,” said Pecora. “When we first got him here, he was focused on his offense. That was his role in high school. The biggest thing he had to learn was to play in all three zones. He has been doing a great job in defensive zone coverage this year.”

Pecora said Payson has the physical tools necessary to play at the Division I level but he needs to continue to work on the “mental side” of his game.

“He’s strong, he’s in great shape, he can skate, he has good hands and he can shoot,” said Pecora. “He just needs to read plays [better] and make quicker decisions.”

Pecora has had Payson watching videotapes and hockey games to pick up valuable tidbits.

Payson agreed with Pecora.

“He has been putting me in situations so I’ll be able to play at the next level,” said Payson. “He has me playing the body more and penalty-killing. He’s using me as a high-energy guy.”

Pecora envisions Payson at the Division I level as a two-way, third- or fourth-line power forward who can kill penalties.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Payson has benefited from playing football at Bangor High. During his junior year, he ran for 1,588 yards on 280 carries and was one of the team’s top tacklers from his strong safety position. He led Bangor to the state-title game where the Rams lost to Bonny Eagle of Buxton 29-19.

“He’s a man [physically],” said Pecora.

Payson said he missed football and his friends at Bangor High “but it’s been worth it.

“There are a great group of guys here. It’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Payson said the improvement in his goal production can be attributed to “shooting the puck a lot more. When I get a chance, I’m just throwing the puck on net.”

Payson said Pecora has been a great help in his development and added that “the competition in the league is getting better every year so I’m starting to develop a lot faster.”

Payson, who will turn 19 on Sunday, has been contacted by several Division I schools, including Maine, and Maine is still his first choice.

“That’s where I really want to go,” said Payson, who could return to play for the Pirates again next season.

“I’m waiting to hear what my options are for next year. Then I’ll talk with my parents and figure out what’s best,” he said.

Pecora feels strongly that Payson will be a productive Division I player some day.

“He really wants it,” said Pecora.

Larry Mahoney can be reached at 990-8231, 1-800-310-8600 or by email at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net.