FIELD NOTES: College Athletics and Inside the Recruiting Process

In this debut episode of Field Notes, The Point's sports editor, Nola Patty, talks with a member of the Fitchburg State University Men's Ice Hockey team, junior Nick Millhorn, about the college recruiting process and the different experiences athletes can have. As a member of the Men's Ice Hockey team, Nick describes his experience during the college recruitment process and shares his tips on how to stand out to coaches while also staying true to your style of play. 

Episode transcript can be found here.

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Field Notes is an affiliate of The Point, Fitchburg State's student-run newspaper.  The series was created by Nola Patty as part of the Fall 2025 College Newspaper Production course (ENGL 3830), led by Prof. Wafa Unus. The episode was produced by Nola Patty and staff from Perseverantia.  Post-production editing and mixing by Perseverantia.

Click here to learn more about Perseverantia. Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Transcript

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NOLA PATTY (host): The college recruitment process can feel like a full-time job, and sometimes it's hard to know if you're even doing it right. Today we're talking with someone who's been through it and made it. Welcome to Field Notes, a Point affiliated podcast about college sports and the bigger questions behind the box scores.

Each episode, we spend 15 minutes unpacking one sports story that hits the campus life, the people, the stakes, and the facts behind the scoreboard. I'm Nola Paddy. Today we are diving into one of the most challenging and confusing parts about the athletic journey, the college recruitment process. We're joined by Nick Melhorn, a junior on the Fitchburg State Men's Ice Hockey Team.

Nick, thank you so much for being with us today.

NICK MILLHORN: Thank you for having me.

NOLA PATTY (host): So let's get into your history with the sport of hockey and how you got into it and your whole process with the recruitment.

NICK MILLHORN:  Yeah. So, um, started hockey when I was two years old. Um, hated it at first, but my mom kept me in it. And then, um.

Just started to love it. Went through the youth ranks a little bit, ended up playing high school hockey. Took a year off of hockey from COVID and then got back into it when I saw my buddies playing juniors. Played juniors for a couple years, and then was able to land a spot in Fitchburg State.

NOLA PATTY (host): So when did you first start thinking about playing in college? At what age was that kind of becoming a reality for you?

NICK MILLHORN: Um, it honestly wasn't until I got to juniors. So I was a part of a 2020 when I was a senior in high school, um, when COVID happened. So my state championship got canceled, so I was a little, a little sour with hockey. I kind of had a hate relationship with it and didn't wanna play anymore.

So I just wanted to go to college and then COVID happened, so we were all at home. And I had a bunch of friends playing juniors. So one time they invited me to come to a game and I went to their game and it was packed. It was very competitive and I kind of, I missed that competitive, 'cause it's hard after sports, like to find that competitive juice again.

So I wanted to get back into it. So I got back into juniors and then that's when I wanted play college hockey, when I wanted to continue playing hockey as long as I could.

NOLA PATTY (host):  So what was that process like for you? Reaching out to college programs and talking with coaches and trying to kind of. Show off, you know, what you could provide to a program.

NICK MILLHORN:  Yeah, it was a lot of, a lot of emails being sent. I actually had my best friend, Dante Depo kind of help me through that process 'cause he was playing college hockey at the time. So I remember we went to a Panera and just wrote out like a mock email of what I wanted to say to college coaches and then kind of just started looking up, like pulled up the D three rankings of college hockey and just started copying down every coach's email and then just firing emails like every day.

And then once I, once my season started for juniors, just kind of like copying clips of goals and just emailing them to coaches, just trying to market yourself as as much as possible to, to be a potential suitor for these teams.

NOLA PATTY (host):  Did you face any setbacks or rejections, like in this process? And how'd you go about handling them?

NICK MILLHORN:  Yeah, I mean, o obviously a lot of, I mean, you're not gonna commit to every school, so a lot of schools aren't, aren't gonna commit you. And then I had a big problem with, uh, I mean, I didn't make my RC team until I was a senior, so that was a big setback too. Just continue to grind through it and then eventually by narrowing it down, um, school I really wanted to go to.

They, um, didn't wanna commit me right away. They wanted to gimme, they wanted me to wait a couple weeks and I told a co a college coach. I didn't have a couple weeks, so I. Kind of wanted to make sure I was able to play college hockey. So I took committed to Fitchburg right away.

NOLA PATTY (host): Did you have, I know you said your friend, but do you have any other like coaches or mentors who helped you through that process?

NICK MILLHORN: Yeah, my juniors coach, uh, Kenny Miller was really helpful in that process. He was reaching out to college coaches as well, and I was emailing them too. Um, he set up a bunch, a bunch of visits for me, so he was very helpful in that college process.

NOLA PATTY (host):  Can you speak a little bit to the mental health side of the college recruitment process?

I know we talk a lot about, you know. Kind of that feeling of if you do get rejected from a school you were really hoping to, to go play for and kind of how that affects you and I guess how you move past that and kind of regain your confidence through the process.

NICK MILLHORN: Yeah, yeah. I mean, for me it was just understanding like as long as like my goal was just to play college hockey.

So as long as I found a home, I was, I was. Pretty content with that. Obviously, you're not gonna, like I said before, you're not gonna commit to every school, but for me it was just finding the right fit for me. And Fitchburg State for me had the best facilities and the best opportunity coming in, so I was really happy with that.

So, yeah.

NOLA PATTY (host): What would your biggest piece of advice be to aspiring athletes who wanna play in college?

NICK MILLHORN: I think just develop a work ethic. I think as you move up the ranks, your talent is not gonna be able to. Out talent, everyone, right? So as you get, as you move the ranks, P the kids get better and better and it just dwindles down.

So just develop a work ethic and you kind of have to be selfish and take control of your process. Like I said before, with e, just emailing, just like even just spamming coaches, I mean, it is what it is. And you have to take control of yourself. Like your juniors coaches and high school coaches have other stuff going on.

Like their sole priority is not to get. One person recruited, they have to like, deal with a whole team and like your game's going on during the season as well. So you have to take control of it yourself and be a little, be a little selfish with it.

NOLA PATTY (host):  What is one big thing you think coaches look for in players when they're getting recruited?

NICK MILLHORN:  I think it, I think it's what you do when you make mistakes, right? I think it's your body language. I, I had to work on that a lot too in juniors. Um, if I didn't like have as many goals as I want or points I want or made a mistake, I would. He slammed my stick head up in the air and a couple of my coaches and a couple, even like parents even pulled me aside and like told me that you're gonna have to work on that if you're gonna, if you're gonna play in college.

And I think just working also on. The defensive side and like the little things in your game will help you out a lot.

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NOLA PATTY (host): Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining.

NICK MILLHORN: Thank you.

NOLA PATTY (host): : It was great talking with you.

NICK MILLHORN: All right, thank you.

NOLA PATTY (host):  That wraps up today's episode of Field Notes. Huge thanks to Nick Milhorn for sharing his journey and giving us a real look at what college recruitment process looks like.

If you're a student athlete out there chasing your dream, remember the process might be tough, but preparation, persistence and staying true to yourself can make all the difference. Every no brings you closer to the right. Yes, this episode of Field Notes was recorded and hosted by me Nola Patty. Big thanks to the production and help from the University Podcast Network and Fitchburg State student Newspaper, the Point.

We'll see you next time. Thanks for watching.

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LISA ADAMS: You're listening to Perseverant, the Fitchburg State Podcast Network.

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