Matt Curley spent three seasons with Alaska Anchorage, two behind the bench (photo: Skip Hickey).
Alaska Anchorage announced Monday that head coach Matt Curley has submitted his resignation, effective June 30.
“This was a very difficult decision for me and my family because we believe in Seawolf hockey’s future,” said Curley in a statement. “It’s been a privilege to coach such fine young men, as well as live in the Anchorage community. The outpouring of recent financial support for the team has been great to see, and I wish the program nothing but the very best.”
Curley served as the Seawolves bench boss for three years, although the team was only able to compete in two of those seasons with UAA opting not to play the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He compiled a record of 7-53-10, while his squads excelled in the classroom with 33 players earning WCHA Scholar Athlete honors and 45 players earning WCHA All-Academic accolades during Curley’s tenure.
“I want to thank Matt for his efforts while here at UAA and wish him well in his next endeavor,” said UAA athletic director Greg Myford. “His professionalism and effort in support of our students never wavered.
“Normally, we would immediately put full attention into determining our next coach, but these are not normal times. We first have to save our hockey program by securing the $800,000 we still have to raise before August 30. When we do that, I’m fully confident that we will find the next coach for UAA hockey and be ready to compete as planned in 2022-23.”
The efforts to raise $3 million in private funds in support of reinstating UAA hockey before August 30, 2021, continue. Donations are currently being accepted.
Mike Trimboli, who has been involved in grassroots hockey as a player, coach, official and administrator for parts of the last six decades, was elected president of USA Hockey at the Board of Directors meeting as part of the organization’s virtual Annual Congress.
Trimboli, who will serve a three-year term, succeeds Jim Smith, who served the past six years as president and has played a significant role in the advancement of the sport over the past 30-plus years as one of the most active volunteers in the organization.
The Massena, N.Y., native began his formal engagement with what was at the time the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (today USA Hockey) on the local outdoor rinks as a player in 1970, then in 1979 became an on-ice official and added youth hockey coach to his resume starting in 1984.
Trimboli’s first involvement as a volunteer administrator was in 1996 when he was appointed as a regional vice president for the New York State Amateur Hockey Association and subsequently was elected as a vice president for the affiliate. In 2004 he also took on the role of the District’s player development coordinator.
He was elected to the USA Hockey Board of Directors as a director from the New York District in 2005 and since that time has served as a director representative to the Executive Committee and also been part of the Marketing Council, Junior Council, Player Development Committee and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force. He was elected as a vice president of USA Hockey and chair of the organization’s Marketing Council in 2017 and has concurrently served on the USA Hockey Foundation Board of Directors.
Trimboli, a Level 5 USA Hockey certified coach, has served as an instructor for USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program since 1995. He has also been actively involved with USA Hockey’s player development program and camps, either at the district or national level, since 1990. Furthermore, he has also served as a USA Hockey Youth National Championship site director on multiple occasions dating back to 2010.
In addition to his work with USA Hockey, Trimboli, who retired in 2018 from his role in law enforcement with the New York State Police after over 31 years, has also coached public high school hockey for more than 25 seasons over two stints, including from 1990 to 2005 and from 2009 until today, winning a Division 1 New York state championship in 2014.
Katey Stone is six wins away from 500 behind the Harvard bench (photo: Harvard Athletics).
Longtime Harvard women’s hockey coach Katey Stone has been named the recipient of USA Hockey’s 2021 Distinguished Achievement Award.
The Watertown, Conn., native has had a storied career at Harvard, a tenure that began with the 1994-95 season. The 2021-22 season will mark her 27th at the helm of the program.
Stone has guided the Crimson to 494 victories all-time and counting. Her teams have advanced to the NCAA tournament on 11 occasions, including six appearances in the Frozen Four and four NCAA title games, captured the AWCHA national championship, won seven ECAC regular-season titles, earned six ECAC tournament championships, and won eight Ivy League titles and 11 Beanpot championships.
Additionally, she has coached 24 All-America selections, six Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winners and 13 Olympians.
Stone has played a significant role in the overall administration of the sport as well, having served as a member of the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Committee, NCAA Rules Committee, Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Selection Committee and as president of the American Women’s Hockey Coaches Association during her career.
On the international stage, Stone reached the highest level of the sport in serving as head coach of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team. The first female head coach ever of a U.S. Olympic hockey team, she guided Team USA to a silver medal. Stone also served as head coach of three U.S. Women’s National Teams, leading the U.S. to gold on two occasions at the IIHF Women’s World Championship (2013, 2012) and silver once (2011). She also coached Team USA in five Four Nations Cups, where the U.S. captured three championships. In addition, Stone guided the first-ever U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team to gold at the 2008 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship.
A 1989 graduate from New Hampshire, Stone was a captain and four-year letter-winner in both hockey and lacrosse for the Wildcats. She helped the hockey team win ECAC championships in 1986 and 1987 and earned All-ECAC honors. Additionally, Stone was a two-time All-America selection in lacrosse and help UNH to the 1985 NCAA championship.
A three-time ECAC Coach of the Year (2008, 2005, 1999) and AHCA Women’s Coach of the Year (1999), Stone was inducted into the New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014, a year in which she also received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. In 2020, Stone was honored as one of Boston’s most influential women by the Harvard Club of Boston.
Before arriving at Harvard, Stone served as assistant athletic director and coach at Tabor Academy and also had coaching stints at Northfield Mount Hermon and Phillips Exeter Academy.
Created in 1991, the USA Hockey Distinguished Achievement Award is presented annually to a United States citizen who has made hockey his or her profession and has made outstanding contributions, on or off the ice, to the sport in America.
The USHL announced Friday that Bill Robertson has been named the tenth president and commissioner.
Robertson joins the USHL after seven seasons as the president and commissioner of the WCHA, which dissolved after the 2020-21 season.
“I’ve known and worked with Bill for 20 years and am confident in saying the USHL is in great hands with Bill taking over the roles of president and commissioner,” said outgoing USHL president and commissioner Tom Garrity in a statement. “We had a lot of fantastic candidates for the position but feel Bill’s experience in the sport will help continue to grow the league’s pedigree as one of the best junior hockey leagues in the world. I have great respect for Bill as a person and leader and there is no one better to lead the USHL.”
Robertson was approved Thursday afternoon by the USHL Board of Governors to take over the role from Garrity, who has served in his role since November 2017. Robertson will begin his role with the USHL on July 12.
With the WCHA, Robertson has improved the experience for both the student-athlete and fans. He brought playoff games back to campuses, championed safety provisions and introduced the 3-on-3 overtime and shootout format to the WCHA regular season for the first time in league history. Robertson played a pivotal role in expanding partnerships, adding collaborations and refining Association governance all while reducing operating expenses.
“I’m honored to serve as the president and commissioner of the USHL,” said Robertson. “As the only Tier I junior hockey league in the United States, the USHL stands as the top development league for the sport of hockey in this country. I’m excited to work with our owners, team executives, general managers, coaches and the individual markets that support this great league as we continue to raise our profile and grow the USHL. I’m also grateful to succeed my good friend Tom Garrity, who has seen the league thrive under his leadership.”
Prior to his experience in the WCHA, Robertson was part of the inception of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) and Minnesota Swarm (MLL) as well as four different sporting venues including the Xcel Energy Center, Target Center, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim and Edison International Field.
A native of St. Paul, Minn., Robertson is the father of Brett and Brooke and the son of late Norbert Robertson who played hockey collegiately at Minnesota and St. Thomas. Mike, Robertson’s older brother, played college hockey for Boston College.
Northern Michigan has announced that Nick Peruzzi has been named a new assistant coach for the Wildcats.
“We are very excited to add Nick to our coaching staff,” NMU coach Grant Potulny said in a statement. “Throughout the interview process, Nick displayed his knowledge and passion for the game. His energy, preparation and work ethic stood out when he was on campus. Nick is a Michigan native that comes from a family of coaches that is well schooled in the rich history of NMU hockey. His ties to the area should serve us well in the recruitment of future Wildcats from our home state.”
Peruzzi has spent the last year and a half serving as the associate head coach of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars.
“I am very excited to join the Northern Michigan University family and Wildcats’ staff, and thank Grant Potulny, Byron Pool, and the rest of the hockey staff for providing me this opportunity,” Peruzzi said. “I want to make a positive contribution to the program by making our players better, and I’m proud to be part of a college hockey program with a longstanding history of success, player development, and tradition. I hope to use my past coaching experience in the USHL, NAHL, and AAA to build upon the great program already established by Grant, Byron, and the rest of the Northern Michigan hockey staff & University.”
Prior to his time in Lincoln, Peruzzi was an assistant coach and director of scouting for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms from 2017 to 2020. Peruzzi also had stints coaching with the NAHL’s Aston Rebels, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U16/U18 AAA teams, and was a scout for the USHL’s Fargo Force.
On top of his experience at the junior hockey level, Peruzzi has been a skills and development coach for TPH & Pro Impact, based out of Detroit, since 2016.
“During the interview process, I was really impressed with the vision Grant has established for the NMU hockey program,” Peruzzi said. “It supports the university’s mission and vision demonstrated by the innovation, investments and renovations happening around campus and, in particular, within the hockey program. It will provide big advantages for our current and future student-athletes. In addition, the Marquette community is the greatest. Not many places compare in terms of the quality of people, support, way of life, and the breathtaking scenery.
Wisconsin sophomore Cole Caufield led the NCAA with 30 goals this season. (photo: Tom Lynn).
USA Hockey announced Wednesday day that Wisconsin forward Cole Caufield is the Jim Johannson College Player of the Year for the 2020-21 season.
Established in 1994 to recognize the accomplishments of the top American-born player in NCAA Division I men’s college hockey, the award is presented annually by Bauer Hockey. In 2019, it was renamed in honor of the late Jim Johannson, who played at Wisconsin and spent two decades as an executive at USA Hockey.
Caufield led all players in NCAA Division I in 2020-21 with 52 points in 31 games, including a nation-best 30 goals. The Badgers sophomore also earned the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in college hockey.
Caufield, a unanimous choice as the Big Ten Player of the Year, helped the Badgers to the Big Ten regular-season title and a berth in the NCAA tournament. He became the first player in Big Ten history to win the league scoring title in consecutive seasons.
The Stevens Point, Wis., native also played a significant role in helping the U.S. National Junior Team win gold at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship where he contributed five points in seven total games.
After the season, Caufield signed with the Montreal Canadiens and is currently in the Stanley Cup semifinals.
As part of receiving the Jim Johannson College Player of the Year Award, The USA Hockey Foundation contributes $5,000 from the Jim Johannson Legacy Fund to the USA Hockey youth association of the winner’s choice. Caufield has selected the Stevens Point Area Youth Hockey Association.
Northeastern goalie Aerin Frankel took the Huskies to the NCAA championship game against Wisconsin this season (photo: Jim Pierce).
USA Hockey announced Thursday that Northeastern goalie Aerin Frankel has been named the 2021 Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year for the 2020-21 season.
The award is named in honor of the late Bob Allen who was an ardent supporter of women’s hockey throughout his career.
After an abrupt ending to the 2019-20 collegiate season, Frankel returned for her senior campaign in 2020-21 and helped Northeastern to a 22-2-1 record and national runner-up finish, the best in program history.
Serving as an alternate captain, she assisted in leading the Huskies to their fourth straight league postseason tournament title after completing the regular season as the top-ranked team in Hockey East.
Frankel closed out her final campaign earning the 2021 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. She also garnered many other accolades, including being named Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association Goalie of the Year, Hockey East Player of the Year, and Hockey East Goaltender of the Year, as well as earning a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team and being named NCAA Goaltender of the Month (January) and WHCA National Goaltender of the Month (January).
She led the nation in nearly every statistical category, including GAA (0.81), save percentage (.965), goalie winning percentage (.891), and shutouts (9). Within the conference, she paced the league in goals against average (0.65), save percentage (.971), and goalie winning percentage (.912).
In March, the Chappaqua, N.Y, native was named to the 2021 U.S. Women’s National Team that was set to play in the IIHF Women’s World Championship in April. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world championship was postponed until late August.
Meghan Duggan and Blake Geoffrion are two of the newest members of the UW athletics hall of fame.
Twelve athletes, staff and supporters of the Wisconsin Athletic Department will be inducted into the organization’s hall of fame in 2021, Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced on Tuesday.
“Every year it gets harder and harder to select our inductees into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame and this year was no different,” said UW director of athletics Barry Alvarez in a statement. “This year, we will induct 10 individuals who had outstanding athletic careers as Badgers as well as two individuals who have served the Wisconsin Athletic Department with their time and dedication. I am very excited for all of these individuals and can’t wait for them to join our prestigious Hall of Fame.”
The 2021 UW Athletic Hall of Fame will hold its induction ceremony on Friday. Sept. 10. All inductees will also be recognized during the Eastern Michigan football game on Saturday, Sept. 11 in Camp Randall Stadium.
Two hockey players are among the 12 in Meghan Duggan (2006-11) and Blake Geoffrion (2006-10).
Duggan’s accomplishments include:
• 2011 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner
• 2011 First Team All-American
• Aided the Badgers to three NCAA championships
• Captain of the 2011 NCAA championship squad
• Ranks second in UW history in assists (130), third in points (238) and third with plus minus rating (+164)
• Captain of the 2018 U.S. Olympic team that won gold
• Captain of the 2014 U.S. Olympic team that captured silver
• Member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic team that won silver
Geoffrion’s accomplishments include:
• 2010 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner, the first Badger honored
• 2010 First-Team All-American
• 2010 First-Team All-WCHA
• 2010 ESPY nominee for male college athlete of the year
• 2010 Wisconsin Male Athlete of the Year
• 2010 USA Hockey College Player of the Year
• 2010 NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player
• 2010 WCHA Final Five All-Tournament Team
• 2008-09 co-captain; 2009-10 tri-captain
• Helped team to 2010 NCAA runner-up finish
• Played for NHL’s Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens
• Florida Panthers assistant to the general manager
• First fourth-generation player in NHL history
• Managing director of BHMS Investments
Penn State announced Wednesday the hiring of Juliano Pagliero as an assistant coach for the Nittany Lions men’s hockey team.
Pagliero has a decade’s worth of coaching experience, including eight years at the Division I level, and comes to Penn State after spending the previous three seasons at UMass Lowell.
“Juliano is a great fit for our program,” said PSU head coach Guy Gadowsky in a statement. “He has a tremendous reputation around the hockey world and has worked with some excellent programs under excellent coaches. We are thrilled to welcome ‘Pags’ to Hockey Valley.”
“I am honored to be given this opportunity to join the staff at Penn State,” added Pagliero. “I want to thank Coach Gadowsky for believing in me. I am excited to work with him and the entire staff in Hockey Valley and continue to build on the success the program has already had.”
During his time in Lowell, Pagliero served as recruiting coordinator while working closely with the River Hawk goaltenders and power-play unit.
Prior to his time with the River Hawks, Pagliero was an assistant coach at Colgate from 2015 to 2018 and served a major role in recruiting goaltender Colton Point.
Pagliero spent the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons on the bench at Holy Cross.
He began his collegiate coaching career with a two-year stint at Division III Utica (2011-13).
A native of Dalroy, Alberta, Pagliero was a four-year goaltender for Niagara from 2005 to 2009 where he was a three-time all-conference selection and the College Hockey America player of the year as a senior. With Pagliero in goal, the Purple Eagles won back-to-back regular-season titles in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and reached the NCAA tournament in 2008 after capturing the CHA championship.
Joel Johnson has coached with the Minnesota women’s team the past 16 seasons (photo: Minnesota Athletics).
St. Thomas announced Monday that Joel Johnson will be its next women’s hockey head coach.
Johnson brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the Tommies, both at the collegiate level as well as with USA Hockey. Having spent 16 seasons in the WCHA, Johnson will lead St. Thomas’ move into Division I play, which starts this fall.
“I am delighted to welcome Joel Johnson and his family to the University of St. Thomas,” said St. Thomas director of athletics Phil Esten in a statement. “Through our national search that spanned an impressive pool of candidates, it became clear that Joel is the right individual to lead our women’s hockey program, now and into the future. He epitomizes what it means to be a Tommie as a relationship-focused servant leader that develops his student-athletes both on and off the ice.”
With a championship pedigree, Johnson brings a focus on culture, servant leadership, and student-athlete development.
“First, I would like to thank Dr. Sullivan and Dr. Esten for this great opportunity,” said Johnson. “In my conversations with each of them I have been so impressed first with the overall direction of the University of St. Thomas, and specifically the bold and impressive commitments shown as the department of athletics transitions to Division I status.
“The women’s hockey program has a great foundation of success, and I look forward to continue building upon that. I believe St. Thomas is uniquely positioned to attract and develop the very best student-athletes not only from the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota, but from across North America. The excellence in educational opportunities along with the campus-life experience creates an atmosphere that is unique and exceptional. I couldn’t be more excited for our student-athletes as they combine that great atmosphere along with an athletic experience that is second to none. We will be a passionate group of players and staff committed to a faith-filled, value-driven adventure that pursues excellence and championships both on and off the ice.”
In addition to serving as St. Thomas’ third women’s hockey head coach in program history, Johnson is also currently the interim head coach of USA Hockey’s women’s national team. He has spent the last 11 seasons with USA Hockey, serving in many capacities. Most recently, Johnson was the assistant coach for the women’s national team from 2018 to 2020 and was a key member of teams that won gold medals at the 2018 Four Nations Cup and the 2019 IIHF World Championship. Additionally, he was head coach of numerous U22 and U18 National Teams from 2014 to 2018.
Johnson’s collegiate experience includes time at both the Division I and Division III level. He has spent the last 11 seasons at Minnesota as associate head coach for the women’s program. Johnson was also an assistant coach for the Gophers for five seasons from 1999 to 2004 before spending time with the the Bethel men’s program from 2004 to 2010. He also spent time coaching men’s and women’s golf, as well as men’s and women’s soccer at Bethel.
Johnson will be formally introduced at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Greg Carvel celebrates UMass’ 2021 national championship with Bobby Trivigno (photo: Rich Gagnon).
Massachusetts head coach Greg Carvel has had his contract extended through the 2025-26 season.
The new five-year rolling contract for the reigning USCHO Coach of the Year comes on the heels of the Minutemen’s first NCAA and Hockey East tournament championships in 2020-21.
“We are very pleased to grow our investment in Greg Carvel and the national championship hockey program he has built in Amherst,” said UMass director of athletics Ryan Bamford in a statement. “Coach Carvel’s outstanding leadership has produced remarkable results in the classroom, in competition and in the community. This new contract affirms our strong commitment to keep Greg and his family in maroon and white for years to come. Under Greg’s continued charge, we believe our nationally renowned program will remain a significant point of pride on campus and around the Commonwealth.”
“I want to thank Ryan Bamford, Chancellor Subbaswamy and President Meehan for displaying their trust in me and their continued support for our hockey program through this contract extension,” added Carvel. “I have tremendous pride in the accomplishments of our hockey team over the past five years and I look forward to the continual elevation of our program over the life of this contract. I came to UMass because I believed the leadership and resources were in place to continually achieve national success. UMass has been a great fit for me and my family is excited that this contract will allow us to call Amherst our home for many years to come.”
The new contract (April 11, 2021 to April 10, 2026), which will automatically add an additional year to the agreement on April 11 of each contract year (unless Carvel is provided notice by the university), includes a substantially increased annual compensation package, salary increases based on team performance, new or increased academic and competitive performance bonuses and a new supplemental retirement contribution plan.
“It’s imperative that I thank my outstanding staff, as well as the many extraordinary young men who have made the sacrifices off of the ice and won the battles on the ice that ultimately earned a national championship,” Carvel said. “I feel genuinely grateful for all of this and am honored to serve our university and it’s exceptional student-athletes.”
Over the past five years, the Minutemen have reached new heights under Carvel’s guidance, including four of the top-10 winningest seasons in UMass’ 91-season history, the program’s first NCAA title, first NCAA runner-up finish, first Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles, first Hobey Baker winner (Cale Makar, 2019), and first Walter Brown Award winner (Bobby Trivigno, 2021). On his watch, the Minutemen posted their third-straight 20-win season in 2020-21.
In addition to his USCHO accolades in 2021, Carvel was tabbed the Spencer Penrose winner in 2019 as national coach of the year, the 2019 Clark Hodder Award winner (New England Coach of the Year) and the Hockey East coach of the year. He was also the 2021 Spencer Penrose runner-up.
Filip Lindberg put up stellar numbers for UMass over his three seasons in Amherst (photo: Rich Gagnon).
Massachusetts goaltender Filip Lindberg has elected to forgo his senior season, withdrawing from school to pursue a career in professional hockey.
Lindberg, the NCAA leader in goals-against average and save percentage in 2020-21, helped guide the Minutemen to the program’s first NCAA and Hockey East tournament titles as a junior and earned an All-USCHO Second Team nod this past season.
“Fille Lindberg has decided to withdraw from school in order to pursue professional hockey opportunities in North America and will not be returning for his senior season,” said UMass coach Greg Carvel in a statement. “Fille was simply outstanding in the net this past season and proved that he is ready to move on to the next level of hockey. His development as a goaltender during his time at UMass has been impressive and I give a ton of credit to associate head coach Jared DeMichiel, who works closely with our goalies.
“Fille has our full support after being an outstanding part of our team and culture and a critical part of our winning the national championship.”
Lindberg tied for the third lowest GAA and posted the fourth-best save percentage in NCAA Division I men’s hockey history in 2020-21 at 1.24 and .949, respectively. The Hockey East Second-Team All-Star and Frozen Four All-Tournament Team and All-Region Team honoree and Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA East Regional went 10-1-4 with five shutouts during his junior campaign. His five shutouts, good for second in the nation, included one in the Hockey East championship game, one in the East Regional Final and one in the NCAA championship game as he set the NCAA record for career shutouts in the NCAA tournament (4).
The Espoo, Finland native leaves UMass as the program’s all-time leader in save percentage (.935) and GAA (1.62), logging 2,745 minutes over 49 contests with 1,067 career saves. He ranks second all-time in career shutouts (10) and fifth in wins with a career record of 28-10-6. Lindberg holds the program record for single-season GAA (1.32, 2020-21) as well as the No. 2 mark on the list (1.60, 2018-19). He tied program single-season record for shutouts in 2020-21 and 2018-19 with four in each of those campaigns and owns the second (.946, 2020-21) and third (.934, 2018-19) single-season save percentage marks.
Lindberg was originally selected by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round (197th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Derek Schooley was the only coach Robert Morris ever had in its 18-year existence (photo: Jason Cohn).
Those of us who have been associated with Atlantic Hockey of the years understand the league’s differences from its peers.
The teams aren’t massive superpowers, but the hockey is as good as anywhere in the sport. There’s unparalleled parity, and the deep rivalries are tempered by an “all for one, one for all” mentality gripped by the constant fight for national respect.
That unity lives in Atlantic Hockey’s undercurrent, and it’s why all 11 teams root for one another whenever they step into nonconference games. They all understand how people saw the conference as an island of misfit toys or a place for teams nobody else wanted, but the more recent era shows constant growth among each of its member institutions.
So that’s why anger and sadness ran recently when Robert Morris University unexpectedly dropped both its men’s and women’s hockey programs. The announcement came out of nowhere and was part of a release further highlighting the university’s strategic initiatives, but it meant the end of hockey programs widely regarded as a rising star for both men and women. Two decades of progress and growth were reduced to rubble, and a tradition of excellence simply disappeared with the snap of fingers.
It’s a cruel irony because RMU fought to assume its cornerstone status in both Atlantic Hockey and the women’s College Hockey America leagues. The men joined the AHA with Niagara because the CHA imploded, but they quickly established a tradition of success with seven consecutive .500 or better seasons. They infamously won the 2014 Atlantic Hockey postseason championship after starting the season in last place, and their pistol-hot second half ranked as one of the best memories in conference history. It jumpstarted a run of six consecutive trips to the Atlantic Hockey semifinals that also included two regular season championships.
The Colonials men won 20 games in three straight seasons, but they defeated a litany of star-studded programs in non-conference play. They used their central location in Pennsylvania to play and beat teams both from the east and west and built a trail lined with wins over Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Dartmouth and Quinnipiac. They additionally hosted a four-team holiday tournament at PPG Paints Arena, a bracket they won three on separate occasions, while serving as host institution for two separate Frozen Fours, including the most recent championship this past April.
“We had a tremendous relationship with the Pittsburgh Penguins,” RMU men’s coach Derek Schooley said. “We have a corporate partnership with the Penguins, and we played games at their practice facility. It’s going to be a challenge because of the support that we had from the Penguins and the great partnership we had with (them). Not everybody got the support of the NHL team like we did. They were outstanding to us.”
That success shifted the perspective from the admissions-based addition of athletics in the mid-2000s. Schooley was the only head coach the program ever knew after he accepted the position one year prior to the team hitting the ice during the 2004-2005 season. He built the team from scratch and spent a year recruiting a roster that didn’t hold ties to the less-established club team on campus, and RMU entered the first season with a new program that joined the CHA following Findlay’s decision to drop hockey.
Robert Morris toppled Syracuse for the 2021 CHA playoff championship, its first since 2017 (photo: Justin Berl).
The subsequent implosion of the league resulted in the shift to Atlantic Hockey, and Robert Morris instantly found itself in a position to challenge its new league’s established block. The Colonials had their own building, which was a rarity in that era considering a good chunk of teams played in underfunded municipal buildings, and their home-ice performance challenged the top tier blockade set by Air Force and RIT.
That’s what makes this decision so mercurial. Its head coach was instrumental to its success, and dozens of former Colonials skated among the professional ranks both in North America and in Europe. The arena needed a facelift, but RMU owned the Island Sports Center and recently completed a $50 million basketball arena at the UPMC Events Center in 2019, one year before the rest of the Colonial athletic programs moved from the Northeast Conference to the Horizon League.
“Our building was fine for what we accomplished,” Schooley said. “We have very nice locker rooms and a nice players’ lounge. Is it the Taj Mahal? No, but it was a nice building. We had good crowds. The fans were right on top of you. We didn’t play in front of fans this year, but we were going to have a really good team.
“The building hasn’t been affecting our product. We won the West Division in Atlantic Hockey, and the women won the [CHA] playoff championship [this season]. I had one coach tell me they felt we were going to be one of the top two or three teams in the league this coming year.”
It makes virtually no sense to drop hockey when both the men and women were surging to that degree. RMU routinely swirled in the ever-present realignment conversation, at least anecdotally, and felt miles from the looming decisions that eventually swallowed Findlay, Iona, Fairfield and Wayne State. The team didn’t have the same geographic issues that faced down the Alaska schools or Alabama Huntsville from their recent rounds battling contraction, and their overall location, presence and culture as a top-ranked team in both genders made it feel like it was a heartbeat away from jumping to the CCHA or ECAC or some other prolific conference.
And it is worth noting the historical success of the women’s program. RMU likewise held multiple 20-win seasons over the past five years and won three consecutive CHA regular season championships prior to the 2019-20 season. Colonials women’s coach Paul Colontino finished under .500 only once in his tenure and registered wins over more powerful national brands. A handful of former players turned pro to play in both the CWHL and NWHL, and goalie Brianne McLaughlin won two silver medals with the United States in 2010 and 2014. This past year marked the third CHA tournament championship and second trip to the NCAA Tournament for that program.
It all fed to the belief that RMU was a very healthy program. A conversation about contraction in Atlantic Hockey has existed among the fans and analysts, but the Colonials never lived in that conversation. They simply didn’t have the economic issues facing Alaska Anchorage, which is still in a fight to save its program for the upcoming season, or Alabama Huntsville, which suspended its team because it lost its league affiliation and has stared into the contraction spotlight multiple times. RMU had substantial community support in a major hockey market, and its built-in rivalries against Penn State and its AHA brethren made for an extremely competitive culture.
But now good people are going to lose their jobs and student-athletes are losing the opportunity to play the sport they love. Both Schooley and Colontino each had to deliver the dreadful news to their respective teams, players who put their trust in the school to stand behind them much like they have done representing the institution. It’s a painful pill to swallow.
“We’ve been up front and honest with the players, and we said that we’re working on some things to keep the program alive,” Schooley said. “But they have to do what they have to do for themselves. They have to take care of themselves.
“The players are just as in shock as [the coaches]. I spoke to someone who thought they were going to be told they thought they had to be vaccinated [to play next season], or there was going to be some new COVID protocol or something. Nobody saw this coming. In fact, the women’s team thought they were getting a sneak peak of their CHA championship rings.”
Removing the women’s team is actually more devastating for the college hockey landscape because the CHA now drops to five teams. The NCAA Tournament threshold for an automatic bid is six, and while adding a new team is always an option, simply adding just to maintain numbers might not always be the best option if the team that’s added can’t compete at a similar level to what RMU established.
There is, of course, hope for the future, and both petitions and fundraising are kicking into high gear to save the RMU programs. There’s just no way of knowing what will happen in the coming months and if that’s even a possibility.
Two solid programs are gone, and that’s simply not a good thing for college hockey. Everyone involved on both the inside and out after left with one simple question: “Why?”
Nothing seems to add up and the administration has been irresponsibly silent since issuing a tone-deaf press release. The coaches, players, history, alumni and tradition deserved better, and that by itself is simply just sad.
“I’ve gotten a tremendous amount of texts and phone calls,” Schooley said while fighting back tears. “The reality is that I’ve been here since 2003. I’ve been here for almost 18 years, and it’s the only home my kids have known. It affected 55 student-athletes and seven staff members, but it’s affecting people’s families. This is the only place that we’ve known as a family, so it’s a challenge.
“This was a labor of being here from the start and you start getting emotional because it’s been hard. I don’t wish this on any student-athlete, any staff member, any coach. You go through hard games and hard things that you deal with as a coach and in your personal or professional life, but this is a combination of all of it. It’s hard.”
An artist’s rendering of how the new rink in Storrs, Conn., will look upon completion in 2022 (photo: UConn Athletics).
When one thinks of big-time college hockey, 1998 was the Year of the Arena.
Four different schools opened new, highly-touted buildings, all significantly increasing their capacity. Two were monstrosities – Wisconsin opened the Kohl Center seating 15,237 for hockey and Ohio State christened the Shottenstein Center, even larger with as many as 18,809 seats available.
Both were and continue to be multi-sport arenas, hosting both hockey and basketball, and both were significant upgrades to the predecessors – Wisconsin moving from the 8,600-seat Dane County Coliseum and Ohio State making a massive upgrade from a 1,400-seat OSU Ice Rink.
In Colorado Springs, Colorado College was settling into the new Broadmoor World Arena, an 8,100-seat facility upgrade from its predecessor, which sat about 3,000. And UMass Lowell, which for years played at the Tully Forum about eight miles off campus, more than doubled its capacity when it moved to the Tsongas Center, which currently seats a little more than 6,000.
Those who love big arenas were in their heyday. Even those venues were topped when North Dakota opened what many considered a palace, Ralph Engelstad Arena, three years later. The 11,640-seat venue has been at, near (and sometimes probably above) capacity nearly every North Dakota men’s hockey game since.
Sadly, though, “the Ralph,” as it is affectionately known, is pretty much the only one of this group of large arenas that in recent years has posted anywhere near capacity. Add to that lists buildings like 3M Arena at Mariucci, home of Minnesota; Agganis Arena at Boston University; and the Mullins Center in Amherst, Mass.
Sure, there are nights when these buildings approach or reach capacity. But on the average night, even reaching two-thirds of capacity can be a struggle.
Thus, we’re seeing a new building trend, one that was on display last Saturday morning when Connecticut broke ground on its first high-end on-campus arena, the final building block in an impressive athletics campus that athletic director David Benedict refers to as UConn’s “Olympic Village.”
Similar to the buildings of the late ’90s, UConn’s facility will come with a high price tag, reportedly $70 million if things stay on budget.
But unlike its 20th century counterparts, UConn won’t sport a massive capacity.
Instead, this arena will feature a little more than 2,600 seats with a standing-room capacity that will push 3,000. That doesn’t mean that this won’t be an attractive venue for future Huskies.
A focus on amenities
Like a fine resort, UConn isn’t focused on volume as much as it is the experience. Despite a smaller capacity than the average arena in Hockey East, no coach would be ashamed to show this building to recruits. Locker rooms will feature high-end elements with sport-specific training facilities just yards away from the locker rooms, a training room with hot and cold tubs and an area specifically dedicated to players working on shooting.
Fans will also be treated to the best, including a club area that men’s hockey coach Mike Cavanaugh thought was important after seeing Notre Dame’s Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend.
“I thought it was important – and I saw this at Notre Dame – they have a super club room and I wanted to make sure we have one of those,” Cavanugh said. “We were able to put one of those in and it will double as a place for a pregame meal and any type of banquet [space] we might [need].”
Fitting in by being different
In June 2012, the UConn men’s team announced that it would transition its membership into Hockey East beginning in 2014. The university’s women’s team was already a Hockey East member.
At the time, there was a commitment by the school to build an on-campus facility while beginning play at the XL Center, the former home of the NHL’s Hartford Whalers. Needless to say, things didn’t exactly move swiftly. Despite promises of state funding, final commitment didn’t come until just months ago, though administrators last Saturday often referred to the multitudes of meetings and planning that has occurred during that time.
“The league and member schools showed a lot of patience,” said Benedict. “Something things take longer than you expect, but I assure you the wait will be worth it.”
When UConn entered the league, the commitment was for a 4,000-seat facility. When it was announced the final count would be closer to 2,600, criticism across the board was swift, though when one sees the final plans, that’s likely unjustified.
The 4,000-seat capacity number was established in years past when the league was looking for new membership. The reality, though, is even that number might not be an overreach.
Taking the attendance from the 2019-20 season in Hockey East, the average attendance at all games in Hockey East buildings was 3,650. Now if you’re not familiar with college athletics and reporting of attendance, particularly at the more popular sports, schools typically inflate attendance numbers, sometimes heavily.
At an average of 3,650, that’s still an average of just 66.45% of total capacity.
And one thing that was left out was postseason attendances as, you may recall, the 2020 postseason was canceled due to COVID.
One thing some don’t know about the postseason is that schools are incredibly honest in reporting attendance for postseason home games. The reason? Well, the league is given the ticket sales proceeds in the postseason, thus every person you report in the building translates to a dollar figure you must pay the league.
(For a matter of comparison, the 2018-19 season that included on-campus playoffs in the quarterfinal round had a season-long average attendance of 3,326).
So, for the sake of argument, let’s say that on average a school may mark up attendance by 20%. If your league average is 3,650, mark that down to 3,041 to account for that attendance “fluff.”
That 4,000-seat minimum doesn’t necessarily make sense.
UConn still will have the option to play games in downtown Hartford at its current home, the XL Center, but according to the UConn AD, that’s not necessary in many cases.
“That number that was a requirement is no longer a requirement,” said Benedict. “We’ll be able to play here whenever we want to play here.
“We talked to a lot of our peers in Hockey East and in this region. The people that I spoke with, the athletic directors at all these programs, I think we’ve picked a size arena that is going to be appropriate for our area and our program.
“It’s going to allow us to sell it out whenever we play in it. I’d rather play in an arena that is sold out every game than play in a facility that is half empty all the time. It’s going to be a loud facility.”
A benefit to the women’s side
UConn women’s coach Chris Mackenzie, whose team lost to national runner-up Northeastern in the most recent Hockey East title game, joins those excited by the UConn arena.
Prior to the 2020-21 season, when COVID forced both the men’s and women’s teams in Freitas Ice Forum, the current on-campus facility that resembles more of a high-end youth hockey arena rather than a proper Division I building, Mackenzie’s women’s team was the only team skating on campus.
He has no problem sharing the new space when the arena opens, particularly given the size, something he sees fitting of most any women’s program in the nation.
“When you look at attendance, historically we’re going to have a smaller crowd than the men’s [team],” said Mackenzie. “This arena is an ideal size for any women’s team. We’re really happy with that.
“If we can get our regular crowd of 300 to 500, it’s going to feel like there are people in the building. It’s going to be a great venue for a student-athlete.”
Setting, or maybe following, a trend
When you look at the most recent arenas that have been opened across college hockey, smaller seems like the future.
The largest of the recent arenas are Notre Dame’s Compton Family Ice Arena and Penn State’s Pegula Ice Arena. Sure, each has a capacity north of 5,000 with Pegula able to seat a little more than 6,000, but in comparison to the rest of the Big Ten – particularly Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State – these buildings are smaller.
But in other leagues you have Quinnipiac, which plays at the People’s United Center, a 3,386-seat building known for generating one of the better atmospheres in college hockey.
Colgate recently opened the Class of 1965 Arena, capacity 2,222. Bentley Arena at Bentley University boasts a capacity around 2,000.
And then we can circle back to one of the schools that called home of the great 1998 arenas: Colorado College.
While the 8,000-plus-seat facility has been a great home, the school decided almost two years ago to build a smaller on-campus facility, Robson Arena, which will seat just 3,407. The odds of that facility being near or at capacity in the future is much better than at the Broadmoor World Arena.
But in a day and age where competing for every entertainment dollar is becoming increasingly more difficult, it’s likely when it comes to arenas that smaller may be better.
Kale Bennett served as an alternate captain in 2020-21 for Western Michigan (photo: Western Michigan Athletics).
By Al Daniel/Special to USCHO
Kale Bennett tends to send his regrets when people want him anywhere outside a rink, fitness center, lecture hall, library, or lab.
But to his credit, he tends to ensure that everyone’s patience pays off.
That was the pattern when he figuratively penned his story as a student-athlete at Western Michigan. Why shouldn’t it have been the same when that chapter started literally being written on amidst a rare intermission?
A medical school candidate and aspiring orthopedic surgeon, Bennett reprised his calculated disappearing act by taking off on a mid-May vacation the day after turning in his MCAT. It was the culmination of, by his estimate, “studying for three months, five or six hours a day.”
That said, two days after returning home, he was ready to reflect publicly on his title of NCHC postgraduate scholar and what went into it. The conference bestowed its annual $7,500 assist for a senior’s continuing education March 30, just 17 days after Bennett’s final game.
Those door-shutting and –opening milestones overlapped with his MCAT cramming sessions. But with the latter, residual ice chips are sure to resonate, especially with the NCHC’s fingerprint on the financial cushion.
“Nice recognition,” Bennett said of the scholarship. “But also a push to keep going.”
At least there is some measure of continuity in there. In between his 113 career games of stay-at-home defense for the Broncos, Bennett kept going for rigid objectives by not going along when the other Kalamazoo campus pucksters went on the downtime kill.
“The course load that I had was definitely a little more advanced than some other guys,” he said. A troika of minors in chemistry, psychology, and sociology joined his concentration in biomedical science, which he settled on after swiveling his head between that or engineering during his first month at WMU.
As certain as we was about his post-playing goals by the time he first wore Bronco game garb, Bennett was not always immune to hesitation. The son of an NHL assistant coach father and a nurse mother, he initially looked at hockey and medicine alike through the typical children’s all-glory lenses. But it did not take long for the grunt side of the two fields to come into view.
At least hockey was still a fun pastime he could continue through college, and maybe beyond. Medicine meant, well, more school on top of the standard student’s storybook, which Bennett admits “didn’t seem that appealing to me.” So he “would kind of brush it off” when his mother plugged the profession and cited what she saw as his compatibility with it.
Little did he know where and how he was logging the requisite intangibles to transfer from dad’s domain to mom’s. He was a frequent guest at his father Ray Bennett and future WMU bench boss Andy Murray’s Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues practices. That is, he clarified, “when I didn’t have school” and before he entered competitive age groups that took his own ice itineraries on weekend road trips.
Bennett remembers feeling mesmerized as he watched his idols feed their own insatiable craving for perfection. To try to tally a given player’s self-assigned overtime and total reps on a given drill was to induce a headache and miss out on a life lesson.
Spoiler alert: The moral did not elude Bennett.
“Most people don’t realize how serious it is,” he said. “Nothing is too small to worry about.”
With that, his pond of dreams functioned as an early lecture hall. It yielded an appropriate, relatable introduction to the importance of mastering the minutest details.
That principle only gets more urgent as Bennett turns to face and embrace his transformation from Moonlight to Doc Graham.
“Going forward, I hope to be a surgeon someday,” he said. “Obviously in that profession, it can be a difference between life and death sometimes, or possibly a patient being able to walk or not.”
Even in less dire scenarios, it has been Bennett’s nature to demand seamless outcomes. After he conceded that Mother knew best and mapped his preferred path, he duplicated his career-long all-in-or-out spirit for his studies at WMU.
“Growing up I’ve always been competitive,” he said. “Sometimes people might argue a little too competitive.”
He added that even his parents suggested he tone down a tad now and then. Easy for them to say, as they were not the ones who had to bounce back from getting cut their first year in junior to score a Division I slot.
In four seasons with the Broncos, Bennett collected 17 points in 113 games (photo: Western Michigan Athletics).
Later Bennett’s teammates missed his physical presence for portions of every road trip when he made a carrel out of bus seats, airplane seats, and hotel room desks. Filling every non-practice, -meeting, -game, -grooming, -eating, or –sleeping minute with his schoolwork was so routine he could not recount a particular moment. The sum of the parts, the whole hodgepodge of every last detail, was what mattered.
“Anything less than an ‘A’ wasn’t acceptable,” he said.
Was a college career GPA of 3.99 good enough? It’s a start, as is the resultant NCHC accolade, although that was barely on Bennett’s radar throughout his immersive quest.
“I kind of heard about it my freshman year,” he said.
Only when the time came to pen an essay was he expressly bent on the conference’s ultimate academic prize.
“Not my goal the whole way through, but it’s huge coming from them,” Bennett said. “Going beyond hockey, I have their support.”
Granted, the scholarship will not cover the full package, and where those bucks go is still to be determined. As he winds up to one-time his MCAT results to prospective schools, Bennett will pursue real-world experience and additional money by shadowing veterans in the field for at least the next year.
If he has it all his way, he will max out the paradoxical adage on things shifting while keeping their old form. Consumed by contact sports as a kid, Bennett understood physicians to be “the guy that fixes the bones, fixes knees, and stuff like that.”
He can still become that innocent, inspiring childhood impression, and he could work with another. One more A-or-bust grind could circle him back to a literal arena as a sports medicine specialist — another unsung, unseen, and unquantified but indispensable role on the team.
“I understand those kind of jobs are highly sought after, but that would be for sure a dream job,” he said. “Having an impact that way is exactly where I would want to be.”
The university’s senior leadership team shared these strategic initiatives, collectively called “RMU: Beyond 100,” at the RMU Board of Trustees annual retreat last week.
According to the announcement, the university “will honor all scholarships currently being received by the student-athletes whose sports are being discontinued and will assist those who wish to transfer. Under NCAA rules, student-athletes who transfer from schools that have eliminated their sport do not have to sit out a season at their new school. The university has pledged to put all of its support services at the disposal of student-athletes, including academic, eligibility, and career advising.”
“We are saddened for the student-athletes who will be unable to continue in their sport at Robert Morris University and are committed to assisting them during this difficult time,” said RMU president Chris Howard in a statement. “However, this is the best course of action to leverage our strategic assets and position us for future growth.”
By discontinuing Division I hockey, the university puts itself in closer alignment with similarly sized institutions, according to the announcement. Approximately 55 student-athletes and seven staff positions will be impacted by this decision, which is effective immediately.
Elizabeth Giguère registered 233 points over four seasons at Clarkson (photo: Clarkson Athletics).
After four successful seasons at Clarkson, forward Élizabeth Giguère will join the Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team as a graduate transfer for the 2021-22 school year.
Giguère won the 2020 Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation’s top player in women’s college hockey. A three-time All-American selection, Giguère was the 2020 ECAC Player of the Year. She secured the 2018 NCAA title for the Golden Knights after scoring the game-winning goal, and has compiled a whopping 233 points (99 goals, 134 assists) in 137 games to date.
“Over the past four seasons, Élizabeth has shown herself to be one of the top players in college hockey,” said Bulldogs coach Maura Crowell in a statement. “She is a proven winner, elite goal scorer, and part of a prestigious sorority in women’s hockey as a Patty Kazmaier Award winner. She has also performed extremely well in the classroom and will be an asset to the Labovitz School as a bilingual student. We are thrilled to welcome her to Bulldog Country.”
Giguère leaves the Golden Knights as the program’s all-time leading scorer. During her Kazmaier-winning junior campaign, the second-time First Team CCM/AHCA All-American led the nation with 37 goals over 37 games — seven more goals than any other player at the Division I level and picked up every national and ECAC award available.
As a sophomore in 2018-19, she was a Top-10 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist, the USCHO.com Player of the Year, and earned a CCM/ACHA First-team All-American nod. Giguère led the country in points with 73 and was the nation’s top playmaker with 47 assists, while having added 26 goals.
During her freshman season, Giguère was named a Second Team All-American and the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year, nearly doubling the point total of all the other conference freshmen. She shattered the Clarkson freshman scoring mark with 71 points on 27 goals and was the nation’s second-leading playmaker with 44 assists.
The biggest goal of her career came in the final game of her rookie season. Giguère was named to the 2018 Frozen Four All-Tournament Team after she scored the deciding goal at 7:55 of overtime in the 2-1 NCAA championship game to push the Golden Knights over Colgate on March 18, 2018 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.
Colin Bailey has been named the executive director of Colorado College’s Ed Robson Arena.
Bailey comes to Colorado College after serving as the assistant athletic director for event management and operations at St. Lawrence.
His responsibilities at SLU included game management for the school’s 35 NCAA intercollegiate athletic programs, oversight of men’s and women’s Division I hockey ESPN+ broadcast operations, coordination and scheduling all facilities and executing necessary building protocols, and managing all maintenance, capital projects and renovation initiatives of the athletic facilities.
“We are excited to bring Colin to the CC community as we prepare to open the doors of our new arena this fall,” said Colorado College VP and director of athletics Lesley Irvine in a statement. “Colin’s skillset is a fantastic match, however, his excitement to help us introduce the new arena to the campus and community set him apart. He understands the importance and potential of the facility and is passionate about the building’s ability to impact in so many ways and his role as a leader in that process.”
Prior to joining the St. Lawrence athletic department, Bailey was the director of athletics operations at Bloomsburg (Pa.) University. He coordinated all competition logistics for the 20 intercollegiate teams and was accountable for all facilities during home athletic events, outside rentals and community engagement activities.
“I am extremely grateful to Lesley Irvine, Scott Lowenberg and the search committee, and excited to join the athletics department at Colorado College,” Bailey said. “Ed Robson Arena will be transformative to CC, the community and serve as one of the premier facilities in all of college hockey. I am truly honored to contribute to the excitement and passion surrounding this arena. I cannot wait to work with local leadership to continue to cultivate and enhance the vision of this facility.”
Bailey, who also has event and facilities experience at Northern Arizona University, the University of Arkansas and North Dakota State University, received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sports management from West Virginia University.
Ed Robson Arena is scheduled to open this fall in Colorado Springs. It will serve as the new home of the Colorado College hockey program and allow the Tigers to play regular-season games on campus for the first time in the program’s 80-plus year history.
Liz Keady Norton coached the past three seasons at Boston University (photo: BU Athletics).
Dartmouth has announced that Liz Keady Norton has been named head coach of the women’s hockey team.
She is the Big Green’s 11th head coach in the program’s 44-year history and sixth in the last 35 years.
“Liz brings unique experience to Dartmouth women’s hockey,” Dartmouth interim director of athletics Peter Roby said in a statement. “She was a successful student and athlete while attending Princeton, so she appreciates and believes in the Ivy model. She has coached at the highest level of college hockey and is a role model for current and future women at the college. We are excited to welcome her to Hanover.”
Keady Norton comes to Dartmouth from Boston University, where she spent two seasons as assistant coach before being elevated to associate head coach in May 2019.
“It’s truly a privilege to be named the next women’s hockey coach at Dartmouth,” Keady Norton said. “Throughout this process, I have been impressed with every aspect of the school, athletic department, and community at Dartmouth. What stood out to me most was Dartmouth’s commitment to excellence and a world class student-athlete experience. I want to thank Peter Roby and his staff for the opportunity and their dedication to the success of this program.
“I am grateful for my time at Boston University and the support I received for the last four years from the BU athletic department. I’m excited and honored to be back in the Ivy League and cannot wait to get started.”
No stranger to ECAC Hockey, Keady Norton spent one season as an assistant at Union (2014-15) and two years at Harvard (2015-17) before making her way to BU.
Keady Norton graduated from Princeton in 2008 with a degree in psychology. A native of Braintree, Mass., she ended her career with 79 points on 38 goals and 41 assists in 118 games. Named team captain for the 2007-08 season, she led the team in plus/minus (plus-15) in 2004-05, short-handed goals in 2006-07 and game winning goals in 2007-08.
Brown has hired Melanie Ruzzi as the Bears’ next women’s hockey head coach.
No stranger to the ECAC and Ivy League, Ruzzi comes to Brown with seven years of coaching experience in the conferences.
“We are delighted to welcome Mel to the Brown Athletics community,” said Brown vice president for athletics and recreation M. Grace Calhoun, PhD in a statement. “Through her background locally at Providence College, in addition to her experience at three Ivy League institutions and USA Hockey, Mel quickly rose to the top of an extremely strong and competitive candidate pool. We feel that she is the perfect fit to restore Brown women’s ice hockey to prominence and cannot wait to welcome her, along with her partner Katie Guay, when they arrive on College Hill.”
Ruzzi most recently enjoyed two successful seasons as an assistant coach at Princeton. In her time with the Tigers, Princeton set a program wins record with 26, reached the ECAC tournament final for the first time and won the ECAC tournament title for the first time in 2019-20. The team qualified for the NCAA quarterfinals, but the event was canceled by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am grateful to Dr. Grace Calhoun, Kim Insalaco and members of the search committee for the opportunity to lead this storied hockey program,” said Ruzzi. “Brown University is a prestigious institution with a uniquely welcoming campus and community. I am proud that I get to introduce Brown to prospective student-athletes and engage the incredible women’s hockey alumnae as we work to return the team to the top of the Ivy League and the ECAC. More than anything, I can’t wait to get to know the team, build our staff and enjoy every step of the journey we are taking together.”
Ruzzi began her coaching career at Amherst in 2005, where she acted as an assistant coach for two seasons. From 2007 to 2011, she was an assistant coach at Harvard before returning to her alma mater, Providence, for six years as associate head coach.
Her involvement in hockey exceeds the collegiate ranks. She has been involved with USA Hockey since 2006, and is currently an assistant coach for the USA Under-18 World Championship Team.
A 2003 graduate of Providence, Ruzzi was team captain in 2002-03 and helped the Friars to the ECAC Eastern title as a junior and the inaugural Hockey East title in 2003.
