A former standout defenseman for the Nichols College men’s ice hockey program, Wil Brown begins his fourth season as the head coach of the women’s ice hockey program in 2016-17.
Brown – who had 11 student-athletes named to the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Academic All-Conference Team this past season – guided the Bison to a program-record eight wins in just his second season behind the bench in 2014-15 and saw 11 of his student-athletes earn ECAC Women’s East Academic All-Conference honors. The Bison established program-records for fewest goals allowed (91), highest save percentage (.908), and lowest goals against average (GAA) (3.48) in a season, and also opened the season 2-0-0 for the first time in program history. Nichols returned to the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.
In his first season as head coach, the Bison set a program-record for fewest goals allowed in a season (94) and lowered their goals against average (GAA) from 4.29 in 2012-13 to 3.76 this past season. Brown earned his first collegiate win as a head coach with a 3-0 shutout of Plymouth State at Levy Rink on November 23. Less than two weeks later, the Bison scored the biggest win in program history with a 4-3 road triumph at No. 10 Manhattanville, which had won all 10 previous meetings by a combined score of 49-7.
Brown is no stranger to the Bison, having served as a two-year captain of the men’s ice hockey team (2011-12, 2012-13). He helped the Bison to consecutive ECAC Northeast Semifinal games in 2012 and 2013. Brown anchored the No. 2 defense in the league as a senior, when he was an ECAC Northeast Honorable Mention selection. As a junior, Brown was an ECAC Northeast Second Team selection and also earned a spot on the Inaugural Worcester City Shootout Team.
Overall, Brown totaled 12 goals and 35 helpers for 47 points - including a stint at Lebanon Valley College. In three seasons in Dudley, the Hershey native scored nine goals and tallied 22 assists for 31 points. Brown never missed a game in his collegiate career and reached the 100-game plateau in a 3-1 victory over Suffolk on February 6, 2013. Prior to the milestone game, Brown participated in a puck drop to help raise awareness for stomach cancer as part of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s (SAAC) ‘Play for a Cure’ campaign.
In addition to his time on the ice, Brown brings three years of coaching experience to the Bison as he was an assistant coach for St. Mary’s High School from 2007-2009. In 2010-11, he was a head counselor and hockey coach at Boot Camp Hockey as well as a coach at Puckmasters Hockey Training.
In the classroom, the two-year SAAC secretary earned a pair of ECAC Northeast All-Academic team nods and was inducted to the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society as a junior. He also served as the Vice President for ‘Windfall,’ Nichols College literary magazine, in 2011.
Brown is currently working towards earning his Master’s Degree from Clark (MA) University in Worcerster.
Career Record at Nichols
|
W |
L |
T |
| 2013-14 |
4 |
21 |
0 |
| 2014-15 |
8 |
18 |
0 |
| 2015-16 |
3 |
22 |
0 |
| Totals |
15 |
61 |
0 |
