The '03 native of Framingham, MA chose the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) for his final season of junior hockey. His time this past year was split between Maryland and the Seahawks Hockey Club, and over the course of 39 total games, Kotkowski tallied seven assists to his credit.

"We're very proud of Eric to earn the opportunity to continue his hockey career at Misericordia University," said former Maryland head coach and general manager Eric Progen. "Eric is a very passionate and hard-working player. He immediately fit into our family when we added him this past season and was an integral part to our success toward the end of our year. We're excited to see him play at the next level and become a great student-athlete for Misericordia University."

Kotkowski will enjoy the familiarity of already knowing one of his teammates with the Cougars, as Will Moran followed a similar path to the veteran defenseman. Moran began this past season with the Connecticut Chiefs, before moving down to Maryland. Then, back in late January, Moran himself made his commitment to help Misericordia launch their NCAA Division III program this fall.

"I’m excited to announce that I’ll be continuing my hockey career at Misericordia," said Kotkowski. "I want to thank my family, friends, and coaches for supporting me throughout the years! A special thanks goes out to Team Maryland and Coach Progen for giving me a place to finish out my junior hockey career. I’m excited to start the next chapter of my life at Misericordia!

Check out the full 2023-24 NCAA commitment list.