Women’s D-I in general
Providence College assistant vice president for athletics John Marinatto has announced the appointment of Bob Deraney as head coach for the women’s ice hockey team. Deraney replaces Tom Sheehan, who had served as interim coach since January. Deraney, a 1987 graduate of Boston University, played hockey for four seasons at BU, helping the Terriers capture … Read more
Jenny Schmidgall, a former U.S. Olympian, has signed a letter of intent to play for coach Shannon Miller and her Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs this fall. According to the Duluth News Tribune, Schmidgall said, “Her hockey philosophy and mine were the same, and she made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. She’s looking for the best players … Read more
Freshman center Jenny Schmidgall, who led Minnesota in scoring during the 1998-99 season, and sophomore defender Brittny Ralph, have left the Gophers with the intention of transferring, the school announced Friday. Both players have been granted full releases, including waivers of the NCAA’s one-year residency requirement. “It’s unfortunate that Jenny and Brittny have chosen to … Read more
At its annual meetings in Florida on Thursday, the WCHA gave final approval, via a unanimous vote, to the new WCHA women’s league. “This is indeed a significant development for the WCHA,” said association chair Darrell Smith. “We are all looking forward to playing a major role in the continuing evolution and development of women’s … Read more
USA Hockey Foundation president Walter L. Bush, Jr., announced Tuesday the names of the 10 candidates for the 1999 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented to the most outstanding player in NCAA women’s ice hockey. Harvard features three candidates, while Brown and New Hampshire boast two each. The candidates are Ali Coughlin, Princeton; Hillary Witt, Northeastern; … Read more
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association took a step towards the formation of a new Midwestern women’s collegiate league Sunday when conference administrators, meeting at the NCAA convention in San Antonio, Tex., passed a motion supporting such a concept. The proposed league could begin play as early as next season, pending approval of articles of agreement … Read more
Jackie Barto has left her post as women’s head coach at Providence to become head coach of the Ohio State program, which begins varsity play in 1999-2000. Barto has already assumed her new position with the Buckeyes. At Providence, Barto led the Lady Friars to a 55-30-6 record in four years. A 1984 graduate of … Read more
The defending American Women’s College Hockey Alliance’s National Champion and the defending ECAC Champions, the Wildcats of New Hampshire, were picked to finish first in the ECAC Women’s Division I Coaches Preseason Poll. The Wildcats received six of the 14 first place votes and amassed a total of 185 points. “I think that our team … Read more
St. Cloud State has named Kerry Brodt the Huskies’ first-ever women’s ice hockey coach. Brodt, a 1995 graduate of St. Cloud State, has coached girls’ ice hockey since 1994, currently with North St. Paul (Minn.) High School. She is also a coach for the U.S. Community Olympic Development Program for girls’ hockey, and is the … Read more
The University of Findlay plans to elevate its three-year-old men’s hockey team to Division I, and to add a D-I women’s program for the 1999-2000 season, the school announced Wednesday. The men’s team could be eligible for D-I play in the 2001-02 season, prior to which a scheduling alliance with Army, Air Force, Niagara, Bemidji … Read more
New Hampshire’s Winny Brodt has been admitted to the University of Minnesota for fall quarter, 1998 and will play for the Gopher women’s team this season, Minnesota coach Laura Halldorson announced Friday. Brodt, the Most Valuable Player in the inaugural American Women’s College Hockey Alliance national championship, scored 11 goals and added 23 assists for … Read more
Carol Mullins, for six years Cornell’s assistant coach, has been named the women’s program’s new head coach. Mullins succeeds Julie Andeberhan, who left Cornell to become head women’s coach at Wisconsin. “Carol Mullins has done a tremendous job as our assistant women’s ice hockey coach over the last six years and I’m sure she will … Read more
Julie Sasner (formerly Andeberhan), the head women’s coach at Cornell, has been hired as the first varsity women’s coach at Wisconsin. Sasner, 32, will receive a three-year contract with a base salary of $65,000 beginning Aug.1; her new team is expected to start play in the 1999-2000 season. Sasner compiled a 15-8-3 record last year … Read more
Beginning next season, the University of Vermont has lifted women’s hockey to varsity status. The team will continue to play in the ECAC Women’s Alliance, where it has been a member since the team’s inception in 1995. “This university has a strong history of promoting the personal development of its student-athletes by providing a comprehensive … Read more
Shannon Miller, former head coach of the Canadian Olympic women’s ice hockey team, has agreed to become the first coach of the nascent women’s varsity team at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The UMD squad will compete on a club level next season, then move into an independent varsity schedule in 1999-2000. Miller, 34, led Canada … Read more
Following a unanimous recommendation from its planning committee, the University of Wisconsin athletic board voted to add women’s ice hockey as a varsity sport beginning in 1999-2000, athletic director Pat Richter announced Friday. “Ice hockey was a preeminent thought even before the success of the United States women’s ice hockey team at the Olympics,” Richter … Read more
The University Division and College Division women’s All-America teams, as published in the inaugural issue of Women’s Hockey News: University Division First Team Pos Second TeamBrandy Fisher, New Hampshire F Ali Coughlin, PrincetonSarah Hood, Dartmouth F Nadine Muzzerall, MinnesotaMeaghan Sittler, Colby F Hilary Witt, NortheasternCourtney Kennedy, Colby D Brittny Ralph, MinnesotaNicki Luongo, New Hampshire D … Read more
New Hampshire forward Brandy Fisher has been named the recipient of the inaugural Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to women’s hockey’s top player. Fisher, the 1997-98 ECAC Player of the Year, set ECAC single-season records for goals (41) and points (81) as New Hampshire claimed the first American Women’s College Hockey Alliance championship. She beat … Read more
New Hampshire won the first-ever American Women’s College Hockey Alliance tournament final Saturday at Boston’s FleetCenter, and with it the title of unofficial Division I champion. The Wildcats topped the Brown Bears 4-1, avenging a defeat in the ECAC playoff championship. Melissa Renison scored first for Brown just over two minutes into the game, but … Read more
The ECAC Women’s League’s Player of the Year, Brandy Fisher, a senior forward from New Hampshire, has already set the ECAC single-season scoring record with 77 points this season, and needs just one more goal to reach the 40-goal plateau and set another ECAC mark. Providence’s Jessica Tabb, named Rookie of the Year, led the … Read more