Today, we are checking in with Nick Palmer ’25, who is currently attending Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. The campus is located on the water of Mount Hope Bay. “I decided to attend Roger Williams University because of the strong business program, beautiful campus location, and the opportunity to play college hockey,” Palmer said recently from his new campus.
Photos: Roger Williams Hockey (Instagram)
Palmer, who is in his first year of business school, says his “favorite thing about college so far has been the amount of time and flexibility you have every day.” His current schedule consists of hockey practice in the mornings from 8-10 a.m. and classes usually between 11a.m.-5 p.m. each day. He usually has up to three classes per day, each lasting an hour. Then he has workouts after class. Palmer notes his current university schedule is “very similar to Northwood’s winter schedule.”
This year is special for Roger Williams University. It is the inaugural season for their men’s DIII hockey team. Palmer provided some information on the recruiting process for him to play for the Roger Williams Hawks. The process “involved coaches coming and watching my games,” Palmer said. “Following this came lots of emails and then campus tours. It’s a cool experience.”
The Hawks played their first exhibition game on October 21 against the EHL All Stars. The Hawks won 3-2 in overtime. “The first game was good; our team is growing and improving every day as we continue to get more comfortable with our teammates and systems.”
The team’s first official DIII game is on October 25 against Albertus Magnus College. Palmer is most looking forward to playing Curry College in January, stating, “I think it’s always cool to play high-end teams, and they were very good last season.”
Palmer has great memories of his time at Northwood last year. His favorite part of Northwood was the town of Lake Placid and the rink. He misses the students, faculty, and staff, saying, “It is a very tight-knit community that is unlike any other.”
To end the interview, Palmer provided some advice for current Northwood hockey players looking to play NCAA hockey. “Take it one day at a time. It’s easy to get caught up in everything that goes on during the process, but if you continue to work hard and do the right things, everything will come together. Your time at Northwood flies by, and it’s so important to have a smile on your face and enjoy every day you have here.”
