Julia Nearis feels like a whole new player.
Following four seasons at Boston University, the Beverly, Mass., native entered the NCAA transfer portal and landed at Quinnipiac University for the 2023-24 campaign in her fifth year of eligibility.
It’s a decision that changed how she viewed the game and her place in it.
“Even my parents have said this: It’s just a different me right now. I’m very happy with it,” Nearis said. “I’ve seen some film of me before the season, like when I was at BU, and then looking at where I am right now — I think it’s a little bit night and day.”
Nearis was a foundational offensive weapon for a Terriers team that struggled while she was there and is now in the midst of a rebuild with new head coach Tara Watchorn at the helm. While Nearis “loved” her time at BU, the competition within the program and Hockey East as a whole wasn’t enough. She wanted to win.
“With where I was going with hockey, it was just the right decision,” Nearis said.
It didn’t take long for Nearis to hit her stride with her new team at Quinnipiac. The 24-year-old posted 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) in 37 games and was a key piece of Quinnipiac’s veteran leadership.
“We [were] a really strong offensive team this year. I think Julia [was] a big part of that,” Bobcats head coach Cassandra Turner said. “We talk so much about being hard to play against, and what that means for us is having the puck, and when we lose it, being really relentless to get it back.”
Quinnipiac’s season ended in the ECAC quarterfinals at the hands of Cornell after blowing out Harvard, 9-0, in the opening round. The Bobcats finished the year 25-11-1.
Ranked No. 9 in the final USCHO poll, Nearis and her team missed the national tournament.
Trophy or not, Nearis found individual success as a Bobcat and, surprisingly, a lot of it came from her work without the puck. When recruiting Nearis, Turner knew she was a “clutch” goal-scorer and playmaker — that undoubtedly was going to translate. But it’s the development of Nearis’ 200-foot game that made all the difference this season.
“She battles at a much greater level than she did when she first got to Quinnipiac,” Turner said. “She understands the value of small plays that are going to make a big difference — plays that maybe end the shift, that put the next line in a good position.”
Nearis, who was on a line with graduate student Jess Schryver and senior Nina Steigauf, admitted her D-zone coverage was “not the best” when she first arrived at Quinnipiac, and said she had to work on her habits and details to be up to par with ECAC standards.
Whether that’s keeping her head up on a back check, pinching in to support the defensemen or spending extra time in the weight room, Nearis has seen tangible results from the adjustments.
“I’m not going to lie, it was a 180 going into ECAC. … Every game is basically a dog fight,” Nearis said. “Fitness is a huge factor here — and being in shape is not an option, it’s a requirement to be in this program.”
Quinnipiac’s January series against Minnesota Duluth is when it all really started to click for Nearis. The top-ranked WCHA Bulldogs presented a midseason test for the Bobcats. Could they stack up against a tournament team?
Quinnipiac came away with a 2-1 win and a 2-2 tie. Instead of a game-winning goal or highlight-reel pass, Nearis was proud of her forecheck. She felt good about her gaps in the defensive zone. In hand, it made her offensive game better.
“It’s a bit of a change, but I love it. I love playing this kind of hockey. It’s been rewarding just for me as a player,” Nearis said.
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Nearis’ change in mindset also was a product of the people she’s surrounded with. Before cementing her decision to transfer to Quinnipiac, Nearis talked with Corinne Schroeder. Schroeder, now the goaltender for PWHL New York, also played four years at BU (2017-21) before becoming a Bobcat for her fifth year in the 2021-22 season.
Schroeder primed Nearis on the “culture change” and “expectations for each player.” It turned out to be exactly what she needed.
“It’s kind of refreshing to be a part of something like this,” Nearis said. “Just going back to everybody being on the same page and wanting to put in the work every day, it’s just refreshing.”
With no more years of NCAA eligibility left after this season, Nearis is committed to extending her hockey career beyond the college game. Turner pointed to Nearis’ poised play with the puck and vision as intangibles that could propel her to a spot in the new women’s league.
While Nearis’ time at Quinnipiac was limited and came at the end of her collegiate tenure, it nonetheless opened a new chapter of who she is as a hockey player. It has her excited for the future.
“I am looking to go into the draft for the PWHL,” Nearis said. “After this year, it was such a great year, and I don’t want this one year of a new me, new player, to be it for the rest of my career. I want to see what else and how much further I can go.”
