By Alexis Demopoulos
Playing college hockey was always the goal for South Shore Kings defenseman Zachary Walsh and with the help of his coach and teammates, he has earned himself an NCAA Division III commitment to Hamilton College for the 2025-26 season.
Walsh, who is in his first year in the NCDC with the Kings, has found instant success with his team and has made his presence known all season long on the blue line. Through the team’s first 26 games, Walsh has 20 points (three goals and 17 assists). Walsh is happy to be a part of the organization and the success of past teams is really what drove him to sign there this season.
“I think South Shore is a fantastic organization,” said Walsh. “From the coaches to the trainers and billet director, everyone has been incredibly helpful in what was at times a tough and stressful transition. My conversations with Coach [Tyler] Holske and his success of moving kids on to quality college programs, as well as the success of his past teams were some of the main reasons that I wanted to join South Shore.”
Walsh credits a lot to coach Tyler Holske who was an important part of his recruiting process and the league for helping him showcase his skills.
“Coach Holske was a great resource as he helped with communications and then the league specifically helped through the Hitmen Showcase,” said the Lake View, N.Y., native. “The league put me in a good spot with any and every school watching my team.”
Walsh has been in communication with Hamilton since last year while playing in a tournament in Boston with Salisbury. Walsh explained that the coaching staff really liked his “deceptiveness, breakouts, and ability to contribute offensively.”
After visiting the campus over the summer, Walsh was drawn to the small classroom sizes and the academics as well as the success that the hockey team had the previous season. He knew it would be a good fit and assistant coach Stephen Castriota showed him the ropes.
“The hockey stood out to me pretty quickly as Hamilton had a pretty impressive season last year with a young team,” said Walsh. “I really got to learn about the Hamilton academics when I visited over the summer. It was here I realized the small classroom sizes, in-depth teaching and all the resources one could need to strive in an academic setting.”
“When I visited the campus over the summer I got a tour from Coach Castriota,” said Walsh. “During the tour I loved the small campus feel as it reminded me of my time at the Millbrook School and Salisbury School. Since I already had experience with the small campus feel, it felt like a place that I could be for four years.”
Walsh is continuing to work on shutting down plays in the neutral zone as well as continuing to add offensive ability to his game in order to be an impact player at Hamilton next season. His skating ability and his deceptiveness on the ice sets him apart from other players.
Before Hamilton, Walsh and his team have one more big goal in mind and that is to bring home another Dineen Cup for the South Shore Kings.
“I hope to continue to develop my skills and put on weight in the gym,” said Walsh. “As a team I’m hoping to continue our success on the ice and build upon our start to the season. I also feel that with the roster we have and the coaching staff around us we have a good chance of winning the Dineen Cup.”
The NCDC congratulates Zachary Walsh, his family, the South Shore Kings and Hamilton College for his commitment.
