While attending Harvard, Young played four seasons of college hockey with the Crimson men's hockey program between 1986 and 1990. He recorded 29 points each in his freshman and sophomore seasons, in 34 and 28 games respectively. Also as a sophomore, Young made his first international appearance as he joined the American junior team for the 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Moscow. He scored two goals and added an assist in seven games for the sixth-place Americans.