It is a season of change in the WCHA. For the first time since the league’s inaugural season of 1999-2000, it doesn’t have the defending national champion. That doesn’t necessarily indicate that its days as the country’s top league are over, however, as half of the WCHA is ranked in USCHO’s preseason poll, including the … Read more
Minnesota has been chosen to finish atop the WCHA women’s standings with six first-place votes in the league’s preseason coaches’ poll. The Gophers have advanced to the NCAA championship game the past three seasons, winning twice. Wisconsin, which finished second in the poll, garnered the other two first-place votes from the league’s head coaches. In … Read more
Maine has named Kendall Newell to the coaching staff as the Black Bears’ new assistant coach. Newell spent the past four seasons as head coach of the Banff Hockey Academy female prep team in Banff, Alberta. During her time with Banff, Newell compiled a 109-76-8 coaching record, winning back-to-back regular-season championships in the Alberta Junior … Read more
New coaches hope to rebuild at St. Cloud, Bemidji
St. Cloud State announced Tuesday that Eric Rud has been named the new women’s head coach, the fourth in school history. A former assistant coach with the St. Cloud State men’s team from 2005 to 2010, Rud has served as an assistant coach at Colorado College since 2011. Between his time at St. Cloud State … Read more
St. Cloud State has fired women’s hockey coach Jeff Giesen after eight seasons.
This promises to be a transitional year in the WCHA, as players like Brianna Decker, Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux, and Noora Räty that have formed the identity of the conference have completed their eligibility. Their former schools all bring in strong recruiting classes, so while the personnel losses leave the door open a crack for … Read more
While many contending teams view the Olympic year as an additional challenge that results in the absence of key players, for St. Cloud State an Olympic year represents opportunity. The Huskies parlayed a talented senior class and depleted rosters of some conference foes to finish a program-best third in the WCHA in 2009-10, the previous … Read more
Shera Fetter will be coaching alongside her husband, Jim Fetter, this season as the former Elmira women’s assistant is the new assistant at St. Cloud State, where Jim has been an assistant the past two seasons. “That’s probably the bonus [coaching with her husband], but she’s somebody that I interviewed before and with different circumstances, … Read more
St. Cloud State announced Wednesday that the National Hockey and Event Center has been renamed the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. According to a school-issued news release, the university is working with sponsors on commercial naming rights and naming opportunities within the arena. “Just as Herb Brooks saw Division I hockey as important to the … Read more
No win comes easily for building teams. With a slowing of the action due to the Four Nations Cup, only four games were played in Minnesota last weekend. I was able to catch the front end of a series bringing Maine to Bemidji State, as well as game two of Lindenwood visiting St. Cloud … Read more
St. Cloud State’s women’s hockey team is finally headed home. Stranded by Hurricane Sandy in Providence, R.I., after a series there last weekend, Huskies players and staff were scheduled to fly home from Boston on Wednesday. Their flight departed 15 minutes late, but they’re still scheduled to practice when they arrive back on campus. [blackbirdpie … Read more
The St. Cloud State women’s team is currently stuck in Providence due to the storms caused by Hurricane Sandy, according to a school-issued news release The Huskies were in town to play Providence on Oct. 27-28 and were slated to fly out of Boston on Oct. 29, but the incoming storms cancelled flights out of … Read more
Picking the winner of the WCHA this season is a bit like shuffling a deck of cards and then trying to anticipate the order the various suits will appear. Obviously, there are eight teams in the league, not four, but to date, all of the circuit’s championship banners have been hung in Duluth, Minn., Madison, … Read more
Hockey Canada named St. Cloud State assistant women’s coach Jim Fetter head coach of its women’s under-18 team for the 2013 world championship that will be held in January in Finland. Fetter will be joined on the Team Canada staff by assistants Rebecca Russell, Laura Schuler (Minnesota-Duluth) and Joe Johnston.
Reading into the ECAC games during the Four Nations Cup, possible D-III teams going D-I, and whether Bemidji is as good as their current place in the standings indicates.
Previews and conference picks for the Women’s D-I 2011-2012 season by new USCHO Women’s Columnist Arlan Marttila.
St. Cloud State has named Jim Fetter and Brita Schroeder as women’s assistant coaches for the upcoming season. “After a long process, I am very excited to have a full staff in place,” said SCSU head coach Jeff Giesen in a statement. “Jim and Brita will be a great coaching mix of knowledge and expertise … Read more