Thinking inside the box: Lax man Will Palmer’s change of venue
Palmer continues his lacrosse career with the Boston Nor’easters after standout years in college and high school.
After wrapping up a decorated on-field career at St. Anselm College, Will Palmer wasn’t done with lacrosse.
Before graduating in 2022, Palmer helped the men’s lacrosse team reach the NCAA Division II tournament twice, with a run to the Elite 8 in the second tourney berth, and earned All-America honors as a senior.
Palmer, a 2017 graduate of Acton-Carlisle High School who excelled in three sports with the Patriots, is in his fifth season with the Boston Nor’easters of the North American Box Lacrosse League.
The Nor’easters, who play their home games at the LoConte Ice Rink in Medford, won the New England Regional championship in each of the last two seasons, advancing to the national tournament each time. In 2024, they reached the semifinals.
“It’s a grind,” said Palmer. “The playoffs are always one day. When you play games back to back, you have to play hard enough to win the first game but still have something left to play in the second one.”
This season, the team took a 5-1 record into the regional playoffs, which they hosted on August 9. The Nor’easters earned the top seed and a bye into the finals, where they defeated the Maine Northmen, 16-14, to win the New England regional championship.
They’ll play in the national championships in Utica, New York, on August 22.
‘Much more physical’
Box lacrosse is the indoor version of the outdoor game that’s typically played at the high school and college level. It’s played on a hockey rink (on turf or a hard surface like concrete) with teams of six players — five field players and a goaltender. The indoor version is more popular in Canada.
“The first time I played it was after college,” Palmer said. “I wish I had started earlier. It’s a great way to develop better skills. You’re in a tighter space, and it’s much more physical.”
The goals are smaller than those used in the field game, and the goalies wear much larger pads.
“They’re like the Michelin Man,” Palmer said. “You really have to be precise with your shots to score. It’s not about just shooting hard.”
At CCHS, Palmer played lacrosse, basketball, and soccer. He was on the soccer team that won the MIAA Division 2 state title in 2014 and the basketball team that reached the Division 2 state finals in 2016.
Playing for Tom Dalicandro in lacrosse, David Cohen in basketball, and Ray Pavlik in soccer — well-regarded coaches in the state — helped him as a college athlete and now with the Nor’easters.
“The attention to detail that they taught was second to none,” Palmer said. “I was used to college-level coaching before I even got to college.”
Drawing on parallels
Palmer’s time on the basketball court also helped when he took his lacrosse game indoors.
“There’s a lot of crossover between lacrosse and basketball,” he said. “The offensive and defensive sets are similar. Indoors, there are a lot of pick-and-rolls and picks. Having played basketball helps a lot.”
Palmer described the level of play in the NABLL as a rung below the professional level, and he attributes the Nor’easters’ run of success to their experience.
“There are a lot of new teams,” he said. “This team has been around for a while. We have the captain of the Saskatchewan Rush [of the National Lacrosse League, a professional box league] and guys who played for the Boston Cannons of the MLL [which was an outdoor pro league]. We have great camaraderie and chemistry.”
Palmer recently turned 27 and works for Columbia Threadneedle Investments. He still plays field lacrosse, mostly in men’s leagues in the spring and fall and an occasional tournament in the summer. At this point, he has no plans to hang up his stick.
“I want to keep playing until it’s not fun anymore,” he said.
