Profile: Hockey senior owns the rink and double major degrees

Balancing a double major with collegiate sports takes a lot of dedication, and for senior Garrett Nelson, that balancing act increased significantly over the summer when he got married and bought a
second dog. 

Nelson, a law and economics major and a defenseman on the hockey team, wants to earn both a master’s in business administration and a Juris Doctor degree after graduating. He attributes his ability to remain focused with so much going on to not thinking about it all at once.

“It’s just about keeping busy,” Nelson said. “I’m thinking about one thing at a time. If I wasn’t doing that, it could become overwhelming, but that’s how I’ve found is the best way to work through
it for me.” 

With so many life changes, Nelson’s goals for his time in college evolved dramatically from his earlier seasons. 

“I think it’s just a mindset change,” Liberty Flames Head Coach Kirk Handy said. “He’s matured in not only his game but also as who he wants to be as a man off the ice. It’s been great to see as his coach.”

Nelson enjoyed productive seasons in his first three years, but he is currently on pace to set a career-high in points after scoring 14 points through five games, including a team-high 10 assists. This improvement is less about his play and more about overcoming injuries and staying healthy this year.

“The biggest thing is staying healthy,” Nelson said. “I haven’t had a healthy season in college yet, so I’m looking forward to hopefully being able to play a full season this year.”

As the sport of hockey has progressed, defensemen have become increasingly involved in offensive schemes, and Handy appreciates Nelson’s contributions from defense.

“It’s huge,” Handy said. “In today’s game, defensemen jump up into the play all the time, and he’s a fantastic puck-moving defenseman for us. It helps the whole offense flow to have guys like him
back there.”

Nelson grew up surrounded by hockey culture in Wisconsin, picking up the game at 3 years old. He has loved it ever since.

Nelson played for a couple of seasons in the North American Hockey League, where he eventually decided that playing college hockey was a possibility for
his career.

“It was a good couple of years,” Nelson said. “It helped to build confidence and prepare me for coming to Liberty.”   

Liberty’s team has enjoyed three winning seasons since Nelson joined the team, but the team has been unable to transform that into playoff success. However, Handy wants Nelson to focus on enjoying his last season as a Flame.

“I’m hoping it’ll be his best season of hockey,” Handy said. “He’s worked hard his whole career and battled injuries, but he’s come back with a great positive energy. He’s dedicated himself in a good spot off the ice that allows him to succeed on the ice.”