By Delaney Rigdon
Massachusetts native Nick Newbold began playing hockey when he was six-years-old. He always knew he wanted to play ice hockey because growing up, he watched his older brother play roller hockey.
“Being around him at such a young age while he played goalie got me really interested in the position because of how cool his equipment was,” Newbold said. “After that I wanted to learn how to skate and tried playing different positions but always went back to being a goalie like my brother.”
When first starting out in the sport, there were several positions available, but he fell in love with the goalie position because of his brother’s experience in the same position in roller hockey.
“My brother moved away when I was very young, so I didn’t see him play a whole bunch, but I think just the excitement of wearing all the pads and different equipment pushed me into the position,” Newbold said.
The fifth-year finance major did not have an easy road to get here and he didn’t know where his hockey career would take him.
Newbold was not originally planning on attending the University of Georgia until he met with head coach John Camp.
Camp showed him the ins and outs of the program and school, which led Newbold to visiting the Classic City and his second home.
He said that he originally wanted to go to a small to medium sized school and UGA wasn’t on his radar.
“I was put in touch with Campy to meet and he sold me on the idea of coming to this school,” Newbold said. “Once I visited, saw the campus and met a few of the guys on the team at the time, I knew that I was going to have an experience of a lifetime. To be able to go to a school like UGA and be able to represent the red and black on the ice is something I’ll cherish forever.”
Newbold always knew he wanted to play hockey at a collegiate level, as is the aspirations of many players. But when playing at the next level became a reality, Newbold had to pick up and move over 15 hours away from home.
Moving from Bourne, Massachusetts to Athens, Georgia presented a significant challenge, transitioning to a city where he only knew a few individuals.
Previous captain and club president Cameron Campbell was the one to introduce Newbold to the rest of the team. From there, he made friends with his teammates quickly and was a major part of his success in the new area.
“Having the team to support me, my friends back home and my family – like my mom, who is probably my biggest supporter – so having them there to help me along the road really helped me to get where I am right now,” Newbold said.
This loving support system is what ultimately motivated him to continue pursuing his goals amidst the challenging distance from home.
Though Newbold’s time with the Ice Dawgs is slowly coming to an end, it is essential to point out his exciting career at Georgia.
From the start of his career at Georgia, he has been a part of the 2022 CHS Championships, several Tech slaughters, two Nationals visits and rivalry games.
“The CHS championship was the product of a year’s worth of hard work and dedication from our entire team, and to be able to be rewarded for all of that effort that we collectively put in makes me so proud to be a part of that team,” he said.
Newbold said that Georgia Tech is one of the team’s biggest rivals and the victories always feel great, no matter if it is in Athens or on the road.
“The Nationals trips are the big send off for the year and to see the team lay everything they have on the ice to fight for another day is always an exciting time and gives us a shot to become the next national champions,” Newbold said.
While this chapter is coming to a close, he is looking forward to moving into a career in either commercial banking or financial planning.
But before he thinks about that, he still has several games with the Ice Dawgs to look forward to.
“I think the things I’m going to miss the most are the locker room and bus ride antics that bring us so close as a team. Alongside that, I think the anticipation of upcoming game days. Being able to share so many great memories from playing at home in Athens in front of sold out crowds, to going on day-long road trips with the guys are going to be something I will remember forever. Also, the good-nervous feeling that you get from a new game coming up and the anticipation to get on the ice is something that has always brought me back to the game of hockey and I will miss that about playing here at UGA,” Newbold said. “I’m an emotional person so I’m not going to look forward to the feeling I will have inside after that last buzzer goes off. It’s a symbol of the end of my career here at UGA, which has seemed to come way too soon, but I am also excited to move into the next stage of my life after UGA.”
