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Nichols is the long term veteran of Vancouver's Furious George.
At age 37, he claims the temptation to test out the Masters
division, but some might argue that the term master could
more aptly describe Al's unique ability to avoid being slagged.
He'll talk over you, talk to someone else, not hear you, or
hear you but ignore you. His teammate Jeff Cruikshank admits,
"in 7 years of playing with Al, I've never actually known
him to acknowledge trash talk when it's directed at him."
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Despite invoking frustration on many, he's clearly been a
team player from day one, with his own highlights mirroring
his teams' successes.
1989 Rookie Year. Position at Canadian Champions: the
sideline.
1990 First international experience: World Championships
in Oslo.
1991 Pick-up team plays out of their heads at World
Clubs in Toronto.
1997 Break through year for Furious - joins ranks of
top U.S. teams.
1998 Upset DoG twice en route to World Championship.
2001 World Games victory with Team Canada.
Undisputedly one of the top defenders in the game, Al is
that consistently rock solid player who's ready to play at
a top level from the first pull of every game, a trait cherished
by teammates and dreaded by opponents. Steve Dugan of the
Condors confesses:
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"At Championships
in 2000, we played Furious twice. Basically, Al had
my number. It was the first time in my career that I
felt stifled by a defender." —
Steve Dugan, Santa Barbara Condors
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That 2000 UPA Championship game brought mixed emotions for
Al. It was a career high, making the final and getting so
close to the illustrious UPA win and a career low, losing
that final by one point.
A fitting summary of Al Nicchols seems to be a recurring
two-word descriptive used by a number of his teammates, "unsung
hero," a desrving testimony to his consistency, composure,
spirit, and skills.
— Anne-Marie Carey
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