By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
Nick Anderson gets a chance to – again – become the No. 1 goaltender for yet another well-known institution for a reputation for 21st century success.
The 2003-born native of Rochester, N.Y., is moving on to Nichols College, located in the small central Massachusetts town of Dudley. He’ll have plenty of company there, as he’ll be joined by Rush teammates Zach Gmerek, Dylan Ray and Aidan Flynn.
“I started talking to Nichols around Christmas time. The coaches loved the way that I can move quickly in the net and know how to play to my size,” said Anderson. “On the hockey side, when the coach originally called, he wanted me to be the guy to turn the program around and that is something that I look for in coaches, meaning that they want me.”
With the all-time record that the Charlotte Rush possess, including multiple USPHL Premier and Elite championships, it says a lot for a goaltender to be in the top three of all-time wins (30), save percentage (.929, second among multi-season goaltenders) and goals against average (.2.26, third among multi-season goaltenders).
“The Rush was an amazing spot for me. I loved being there, between the amazing billets and the coaching staff and the team, I’ll have family for a long time,” Anderson said. “On the goalie side of it, we had our goalie coach Jon De Castro, he was amazing all year and really helped me throughout the season. Being able to get on the ice with a goalie coach and have him tell you things you may not see yourself is a big bonus.
“The USPHL was a good gateway into NCAA. The top teams are all very competitive,” Anderson added. “Over the summer, I plan on working on my mechanics to make sure I’m ready for the next level.”
He’s also ready for Nichols’ next-level academics, and is looking forward to pursuing a “degree in accounting with a business minor, and possibly getting my masters in my fifth year with one of the programs they have.
“On the academic side, it’s a small school so everyone knows each other and the staff is awesome,” added Anderson. “Being able to be close to your professors and ask questions and have them care about you is great. On top of that, the campus is beautiful. After I committed, I went for a visit and the campus is amazing. Everything is super close, and I like that a lot, so that made the commitment feel good.”
And, of course, it always helps to have friends joining you on a whole new journey – and Anderson will certainly have that with Rush teammates Gmerek, Ray and Flynn joining him at Nichols.
“With my teammates going it’s going to make the transition easy for me and also already having chemistry is awesome,” said Anderson.
The USPHL congratulates Nick Anderson, his family, the Charlotte Rush and Nichols College for his commitment.
