Myles Powell is moving on up.
After two seasons with the BCHL Victoria Grizzlies, the Comox native has committed to NCAA Div. 1 Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers for the 2013-14 season.
The 19-year-old forward played minor hockey with the Comox Valley Chiefs midget program and had brief stints with the VIJHL Comox Valley Glacier Kings and BCHL Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
After a decent rookie season with the Grizzlies in which he played 38 games and put up a 6-7-13 line, this season Powell was much more consistent with 17 goals and 18 assists in a full 52-game spread while playing second-line minutes and providing excellent penalty killing.
"Myles has worked very hard on his game this season and his work ethic is second to none on our team," said Grizzlies' head coach and general manager Bill Bestwick. "He will be a terrific player for RIT and we congratulate him on this achievement."
RIT plays in the Atlantic Hockey Association against the likes of Air Force, Robert Morris and Holy Cross. The Tigers have been a major recruiting presence in the BCHL in recent years; league alums Brad McGowan, Matt Garbowsky, Greg Noyes, Eliot Raibl, Brad Reid, Rajan Sidhu, Jeff Smith, Adam Hartley, Josh Mitchell and Josh Watson all spent this past season with the team.
The Tigers have won two national championships, one each at the Div. II and Div. III levels. It lost in the semifinals of the Div. I Frozen Four in 2010.