NHLCA Female Coaches Spotlight

Growing up in Minnesota, Sydney Baldwin played high school and youth hockey in Minnetonka, MN, before going on to play at the University of Minnesota from 2014-2018. With Minnetonka, she was a three-time AAA High school hockey state champion and was recognized as Ms. Hockey in 2014. She was a two-time NCAA Women’s Hockey National Champion during her time with the gophers. As a captain of the gophers during her senior season, she was recognized as the WCHA player of the year & defensive player of the year and was named an AHCA 2018 first-team All-American. Throughout her college experience, she coached various levels and programs during the off-season and found a passion for influencing and developing female hockey players.

Following her senior season, she went on to play hockey for the Vienna Sabre’s in the EWHL and won the Austrian Championship in 2019. Following this experience, she was an assistant coach with the Chinese National Olympic Women’s Hockey team and is currently coaching in her third season at St.Kates in Minneapolis, MN. She has a dual degree in Health Services Management and Human Resources from the U of M. She is currently taking a Master’s of Nursing program at St.Catherine University.

Lindsay Berman graduated from Northeastern with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2011. While completing her undergraduate degree, Lindsay played professionally for the Boston Blades in their inaugural season of 2010-2011. She continued playing for the Blades of the CWHL through the 2014 season while taking on the assistant coach role at UMass Boston in that same span. Lindsay took a year off of her playing career in 2014-15 when she moved down to Providence to coach at Brown University. The head coaching job opened up at UMass Boston the following season, which brought her back to Boston for the next three years. In her first season as head coach, Berman led the Beacons to the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) tournament title and the program’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament. Berman then guided the team to a program-record 19 wins in 2016-17 and was named the NEHC Coach of the Year in 2017-18 after helping the Beacons back to the conference title game. Lindsay was granted the opportunity of a lifetime in 2018 to return to her alma mater as an assistant coach. She has remained in that role since and is very much looking forward to her 4th season back on Huntington Avenue.

Dr. Lorenda Beuker is a goaltending and performance mindset coach with international playing experience with Team Canada as well as collegiate coaching experience at Princeton & St Lawrence University. Dr. Beuker combines this athletic experience with academic excellence in sports science and sports performance.

Lorenda is from Saskatchewan, Canada, and played for Team Canada in the 1999 Three Nations Cup (now the Four Nations Cup) and debuted with Team Canada playing in the 1999 U22 Christmas Cup in Germany. Lorenda currently resides in Florida and is a key founder in developing the Florida Alliance AAA girl’s teams.

Dr. Beuker is a professor at Keiser University in Florida and the State University of New York, teaching courses in Sports Management and Health & Human Performance. Dr. Beuker has active research with Keiser University athletes on the impact of performance mantra mental skills on well-being and coach performance ratings. Dr. Beuker has worked with golf, lacrosse, softball, basketball, and tennis athletes in applying her researched mindset strategy to the unique performance settings of the various sports.

Dr. Beuker works with individual athletes, from age 10 to pro-level athletes, on mental skills application to pressure and performance situations. Dr. Beuker is an established speaker on sports mindset and recently completed her Certified Mindset Performance Consultant Mentorship with Invictus Performance.

Lorenda is Goalie Development Leader with USA Hockey. Beyond that role of enhancing goaltender coaching, participation, and experience in her district, Lorenda has provided mental skills sessions at the athlete and national goaltender coach education level.

Dr. Beuker is the author of Goalies Rule the World, which is a positioning and mindset framework for goalies to isolate key areas for puck-stopping ease and consistency.

Valérie Bois coaching career began 10 years ago with the Midget AA Rempart du Richelieu and the Midget AAA Territoire Nord. In her second year of coaching, we participated in the Esso Cup, which they won in 2013 in Burnaby – a first for Qc. Following this championship, she was approached by Cégep Saint-Laurent to become an assistant coach, where she spent the next five years as an assistant, including 1 season as the Head Coach. During that time, she also held various roles; she spent three years with the various Hockey Qc programs, from Video Coach for the U18 Women’s Team to Head Coach of the U16 Women’s Team, as well as the Assistant Coach of the U18 Women’s Team and was able to experience 3 Canadian Championships in a row.

Subsequently, she was approached by the Montreal Canadiennes to become an assistant coach in the CWHL and by the Forestiers, d’Amos, to become their video coach. This season they ended with an appearance in the Clarkson Cup final.

With the CWHL closing that same year, she continued my journey with the Montreal team in the PWHPA while helping the Bishop’s University program start a new program in women’s hockey. Valarie had the chance to participate in two Team Canada training camps that took place in Montreal.

The last season marked the Bishop’s Gaiters’ entry into the U-SPORTS network and a 4th place playoff spot for such a young program. At the beginning of the season, she had the chance to participate in the Sherbrooke Phoenix LHJMQ camp and to be able to assist in an exhibition game as their video coach. Additionally, in conjunction with the Gaiters season, Valarie was the video coach for Collège-Français in the Junior AAA league of Quebec. Finishing 1st in the regular season standings, we continued our journey by winning the playoffs. At the same time, she was lucky to be the first woman to be able to lift the NAPA Cup as a coaching staff member. A few weeks later, they finished our season in the Final Four at the Centennial Cup in Saskatchewan.

Coaching Highlights
– 2022: NAPA Cup Champions with College- Français QMJHLAAA and a top 4 finish at the Centennial Cup
– 2019: Clarkson Cup finalist with Les Canadiennes de Montréal / HP2 Accreditation
– 2017: U18 National Finalist with Team Qc
– 2015: RSEQ Collegial Champions with Les Patriotes du Cégep Saint-Laurent
– 2013: Esso Cup Champions with Midget AAA

Kristen Bowness graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA in physical education. During her time at UA, she played for the women’s hockey team for three seasons and earned her master’s degree in Sport Management and Athletic Administration. After graduation, she taught physical education for six years and was awarded Rookie Teacher of the Year for Arizona. Bowness was the manager of diversity development and sled hockey for the Tampa Bay Lightning for five seasons. She created, managed, and coached various levels of girls’ hockey throughout the Tampa Bay Area. She coached sled hockey teams and won 3 national championships while helping to establish Southeast region girls and sled hockey leagues with 6+ teams in each. She is a USA level 4 coach.

Megan Bozek is a 2x Olympic Silver Medalist for Team USA. She graduated from University of Minnesota with a Sport management degree. She won back to back national titles while at school. She is a 5x World Champion, and currently lives in Waterdown, Ontario

Bethany Brausen is the assistant women’s hockey coach at the University of St. Thomas. The 2021-22 season marks Bethany Brausen’s sixth year coaching at the D1 level and her first with the Tommies. Brausen has helped lead St. Thomas in their transition from D3 to D1 hockey in the fall of 2021. Previous to St. Thomas, Brausen was an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. Brausen, a native of Little Canada, Minn., competed for the Gophers from 2010-11 to 2013-14, where she won two consecutive national titles. Brausen also served as a two-time captain in her junior and senior years. She has a wide range of coaching experience with youth hockey, high school, MN development programming, and USA Hockey.

Bethany is responsible for recruitment as well as on and off-ice development with student-athletes. In addition, Bethany helps oversee many areas within her current program, including academics, strength and conditioning, compliance, and logistics for the incoming players. During her first year with St. Thomas, she served as the acting head coach while Joel Johnson, head coach of the Tommies, was with the Olympic program.

Bethany has a background in psychology, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2014. She is also trained in mental health counseling, earning a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in 2017. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership Policy & Development. She is passionate about the fields of organizational leadership, sports coaching, executive coaching, counseling, and teaching.

Amy Brolsma is one of the premier power skating coaches in the Midwest. With 27 years of coaching experience, she has taught skaters from the beginning mite level to the NHL. Over the years, Amy has worked with many hockey players, associations, and teams in Wisconsin for 25 years and now in the Minneapolis area. Based out of Wisconsin, she worked with skaters and associations where her skaters have received the Mr. Wisconsin award, National camp, numerous central district attendees, all state awards, and more. She is developing skaters from the first days on the ice into skaters in AAA programs, including the Milwaukee Jr Admirals, Green Bay Jr Gamblers, Madison Capitals and Team Wisconsin, Shattuck St Mary’s, Kent, MN Blades, Machine, and many more, etc. Her top skaters play(ed) in the NHL(Seattle Krakken), Division 1 programs including Wisconsin, Minnesota State, Arizona State, Brown, Michigan Tech, Michigan, Clarkson, Quinnipiac, and Ohio State, Division 3 programs, USHL, NAHL to name a few.

Training under the tutelage of Olympic figure skating coaches, she accomplished two Us figure skating gold medal tests. As a Master Rated figure skating professional, Amy has presented at state and regional workshops and has been highlighted on figure skating websites for her skill teachings.

Personal Background:
B.S. in Human Biology with an emphasis in Exercise Science from UWGB
​Sports Psychology certificate from US Sports Academy
Personal Levels Attained:
Senior Freestyle, Gold Figure
Competed at the 1999 US National Championships in Compulsory Figures, 1999 US Collegiate Bronze Medalist in Compulsory Figures
Professional / Coaching Experience:
All level of hockey players from the 1st day to NHL level
Current Skating Coach to Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Other Credentials:
PSA Master Rated in Moves in the Field and Freestyle, PSA State Workshop Director for W.I.; PSA National and State Seminar Presenter

Current and Former Skaters: Seattle Kraken, Arizona State U, Army, Brown, Michigan Tech, Michigan, Minnesota State, Clarkson, Wisconsin, Ohio State, U of St Thomas, Green Bay Gamblers, Chicago Steel, Fargo Force, NAHL, NA3HL, High School, AAA programs, local M.N. and W.I. associations including Appleton, Arrowhead, Waupaca, Green Bay, Marinette, De Pere, Anoka, Coon Rapids, to name a few.

Jessica Campbell served as an Assistant Coach for Germany at the 2022 IIHF Men’s World Championship, becoming the first woman to join the coaching staff of a national team participating in the World Championship. This past season, Campbell joined the Tri-City Storm, USHL development program, actively heading the Windy City Storm Girl’s Hockey program in Chicago while also serving as an assistant coach and skills coach for the Nurnberg Ice Tigers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

As a player, the Rocanville, Saskatchewan native represented Canada in two Under-18 World Junior Championships, serving as captain at the 2010 event, scoring the gold medal-winning goal, and earning tournament MVP. She also played five games for Canada at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship.

Campbell played three seasons (2014-15 – 2016-17) for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), winning the Clarkson Cup in 2016. Prior to playing professionally, Campbell skated four years (2010-11 – 2013-14) at Cornell University, serving as captain in her senior season.

Alyssa Cecere was appointed interim head coach of the McGill University women’s hockey team in September for the 2020-21 season. A fluently bilingual 32-year-old native of Brossard, Que., she had served as a full-time associate coach with the Martlets since August 2014.
Cecere replaced Peter Smith, who stepped down on Sept. 2, 2020, after 20 seasons behind the Martlets bench. She received a BFL Canada female coach-of-the-year award in May 2020 as the high-performance nominee from Hockey Quebec. She was an assistant with the Quebec under-18 female team at the 2019 Canadian championship in Manitoba last November.

Cecere belongs to a rare group of players to reach the national gold medal game in five consecutive seasons. A member of five RSEQ conference championship-winning teams at McGill, she collected three gold medals at Nationals (2008, 2009, 2011) and a pair of silvers.
A product of Centennial Regional high school and Dawson College, where she captained the Blues, Cecere skated for five seasons with McGill before earning a physical education degree in 2011. A left-winger who led the Martlets for three years as an alternate captain, she tallied 43 goals and 110 points with 118 penalty minutes in 178 games overall. In 2009, Cecere played for a Canadian university all-star squad that won gold at the FISU Winter Games in Harbin, China. After concluding her collegiate career, she toiled with the Montreal Stars of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, helping them win a Clarkson Cup national title in 2012.

A long-time instructor at the Martlet Hockey School, Cecere served as an assistant coach at Dawson for three years prior to rejoining the McGill program in 2014.

She was previously a physical education instructor at various academic institutions, including Saint John’s elementary school in St. Jean, Que., Harmony elementary school in Chateauguay, Que., and was employed by the Riverside School Board in St. Hubert. During her student years, she interned as a stagiaire instructor at Centennial Regional, Roslyn Elementary in Westmount, Que., Marymount Academy in Montreal, and Harold Napper Elementary in Brossard.

Kori helped lead Team Canada to an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and a Gold Medal at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships in Calgary.

Kori Cheverie joined the men’s hockey coaching staff as a full-time assistant in August 2016.

Cheverie became the first female to be named a full-time assistant with a men’s hockey program in U SPORTS history.

In 2019 Cheverie was on the coaching staff for the gold medal-winning U18 Canadian national team at the U18 World Championship in Japan. She was also the gold medal-winning head coach of Team Ontario at the 2019 National Women’s U18 Championship.
Cheverie led the U18 Team Ontario squad at the 2019 national championship in Manitoba. In early 2020, she continued her work with Hockey Canada staff at the West Coast Rivalry Series.

History was made again by Cheverie on November 1, 2019, when she stepped in to coach the Rams to a 2-1 victory over Laurentian. In Head Coach Duco’s temporary absence, Cheverie was the first female to individually coach a men’s U SPORTS hockey team to a win. She helped Ryerson finish the 2019-20 season with a 20-5-3 record.

Prior to joining the men’s team, Cheverie spent three years at Ryerson as the Skate Training Specialist, working with the Rams hockey teams and external clients on stride mechanics and enhancing all-around hockey skills.

Cheverie played six seasons in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) with the Toronto Furies. Before that, Cheverie was a three-time AUS first-team all-star, team captain, Academic All-Canadian, and two-time female athlete of the year when she played at St. Mary’s University in Halifax.

Kelsey Cline enters her first season with the Ohio State women’s hockey team after being named director of operations in August of 2021. She brings an extensive resume of experience from all levels of the game, including coaching and playing, to the Buckeye staff.

Cline is no stranger to working with Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall, as she played for Muzerall at the University of Minnesota from 2013 to 2017. During her time with the Gophers, Cline won two national championships and skated in 161 games. She recorded 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists) and blocked 102 shots in her collegiate career.

In 2019, the Bloomington, Minn. native made her WNHL debut, signing with the Minnesota Whitecaps for the 2019-20 season. She played in 12 games, scoring a goal, adding three assists and finishing the season with a +10 on ice.

Prior to joining the Ohio State staff, Cline served as the associate head coach at the Blake School for the 2020-21 season and at Jefferson High School from 2017-2020. She was also the operations manager and coach for OS Hockey, assisting in organizing hockey programming and operating the Upper Midwest High School Elite League.

Cline graduated in 2017 with a degree in marketing from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.

The fifth head coach in the modern history of the women’s hockey program, Stacey Colarossi, joins Carleton Athletics for the 2022-2023 season.

Colarossi joins the Ravens after serving as the Associate Head Coach for China Hockey and the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Colarossi was previously the Head Coach of the Laurentian Voyageurs, where she served in the role from 2012 to 2021. Colarossi joined Laurentian after spending eight years as an assistant coach with the York Lions.

In addition to her Olympic experience, Colarossi served as the Head Coach for Team Canada at the 2019 FISU Games, earning a silver medal. In 2017 and 2018, Colarossi was the Head Coach for the USPORTS All-Star Team at the Hockey Canada Summer Showcase. A current member of the NHL Female Mentorship Program and a Chartered Professional Coach, Colarossi has also served as an Assistant Coach for Team Canada at the 2011 FISU Games and with Team Ontario U18 from 2009 to 2011, capturing a national championship in 2010.

Colarossi is Hockey Canada High Performance 2 certified and is currently completing the Hockey Canada Women Master Coach Developer program.

Delaney is from Pilot Mound, Manitoba. She played in 5 IIHF World Championships, winning gold in 2000, 2004, and 2007 and silver in 2005 and 2008. After retirement, Delaney coached NCAA Division 1 hockey at Mercyhurst University from 2011-2016.

Delaney was the Assistant Coach for Canada’s Development Team or U18 National Team from 2013-2017 and the Head Coach of the U18 National Team in 2018. She is a certified skills coach through Hockey Canada and worked as the IIHF U18 (female) lead skills coach in 2018 and 2022.

Delaney is currently dividing her time between the Hungarian Ice Hockey Federation and the Nashville Predators. She is in her second season as the Assistant Coach of the Hungarian National Women’s Hockey Team and continues to be the Ambassador for Female Hockey for the Nashville Predators. She is also a skills coach for the girls and boys in the Jr. Predators program.

For more than 20 years, Amy de Bree has been learning and teaching the game of hockey and the skills it requires. Her coaching career started on the skills side of the game with a strong focus in power skating and then when her playing career ended, she made the shift to team coaching.

Amy holds a Master of Education in Coaching Studies for the University of Victoria. It is through this Master’s program that she created her website athletetransitions.ca, which is a website dedicated to helping athletes prepare for and navigate their way through the transition away from competitive sport.

Amy is also the founder of the Women in Sport Speaker Series, which is a platform used to elevate the voices of women working in all aspects of sport. She is a strong advocate for creating equal opportunities and accessibility for women in sport.  In 2022, Amy won the Bobbie Steen Legacy Foundation Award for her work with the Speaker Series and work to advance gender equity in sport.

In addition to her coaching, Amy is a High School Home Economics Teacher, the Camps and Clinics Programmer for the Vancouver Thunderbirds, and an Executive Director for the UBC Women’s Hockey Alumni Association.

Born in Quebec, Kathy is a Goalie Coach at the high school, CEGEP, University levels, and Pro Women’s Hockey level(PHF). She studied Kinesiology Sciences at the Université de Moncton while being a Goalie with the Aigles Bleues from 2007 to 2012. AUS champions and CIS Bronze medalist in 2009, in addition to winning individual merits such as AUS MVP. Following her University career, she was drafted by the Calgary Inferno in the CWHL. Clarkson Cup Champion in 2016.

Following the 2016 season, she hung up my goalie pads to focus on family. She returned to hockey as a Goalie Coach in 2019 with the Cégep de Drummondville, as well as being Defence Coach and the Strength and conditioning coach.

She is the Goalie Coach with Bishop’s University in the CIS and also for La Force in the PHF. Recently, she became the sports analyst for La Force games at TVA SPORT in Quebec. During the summer, she participates in several training courses and Goalie School.
Throughout her career, she has had the honor of working with renowned goalie coaches such as Frantz Jean, with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Marc Champagne, formerly coach of Yaroslav Halak with the New York Islanders, and most recently with Stéphane Waite, previously coach of Carey Price with the Montreal Canadiens and many others.

Every day Kathy tries to learn more since hockey and teaching is literally the passion that she hopes will continue to the highest level.

​Laura is entering her second season as the head coach of the girls’ varsity hockey team at Choate Rosemary Hall, a college preparatory boarding school in Connecticut. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Laura provides academic support in the Teaching and Learning Center and works with the Admission office interviewing prospective students and reading applications. Laura also coaches with the Mid-Fairfield CT Stars Girls Youth Hockey Organization.

Prior to Choate, Laura spent seven years working in admissions and coaching at The Winchendon School in MA. She graduated from the Williston Northampton School in 2008 and then went on to play at Division III Hamilton College. She served as team captain and received the scholar-athlete award in her senior year. Laura has a USA Hockey Level 4 coaching certification and has worked at numerous USA Hockey National and District Development Camps. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Management.

Emily Engel-Natzke is entering her first year with the Capitals as a video coordinator. Engel-Natzke, 31, previously served as video coach for Washington’s AHL affiliate the Hershey Bears during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

With Hershey, Engel-Natzke was responsible for producing opponent pre-scouts and coaching reports, as well as in-game and postgame video breakdowns.

The Fort Collins, Colorado native previously worked with the University of Wisconsin’s men’s and women’s hockey teams as video coordinator from 2015-2017 and as assistant director of operations/ video coordinator with the men’s team from 2017-2020. In addition, Engel-Natzke has worked with USA Hockey as a video coach for the U18 and Senior Women’s National Teams. Engel-Natzke was part of the gold-medal winning staffs for the U18 team at the 2018 Women’s World Championship in Dmitrov, Russia, and for the Senior Women’s team at the 2019 World Championship in Espoo, Finland.

Engel-Natzke and her wife, Spencer, reside in Vienna with their dog, Hat Trick, and two cats, Sophia and Juusto.

Heather Farrell, a veteran coach with 18 years of coaching experience at all levels of the game, joined the Orange program as associate head coach in October 2022. Farrell’s resume includes stints as a collegiate head coach, collegiate assistant coach, secondary school coach, and administrator and teacher.

The 2004 graduate of Ohio State is coming to Syracuse after 11 years as the head coach at St. Paul’s School, a college preparatory boarding school in New Hampshire.

In her 11 years at St. Paul’s, Farrell guided the program to a 203-51-7 record, including New England Championships in 2015 and 2020. She was also the associate dean of admissions, director of office management, an advisor for students, and participated in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) Alliance and Affinity council.

Prior to her work at St. Paul’s, Farrell was an assistant coach at Bemidji State from 2007 through 2011, where she was responsible for planning team development, including individual skill and team systems/concepts, leading the penalty kill unit which led the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) with a 90.5 percentage and serving as the academic advisor for the team. She was also a physical education health and sport instructor and served on the Student Affairs committee at Bemidji.

Farrell began her collegiate coaching career at Bowdoin College in 2004 as an assistant coach. In 2006-07 Farrell served as the interim head coach when the head coach accepted a position at USA Hockey. During that season, she led the Polar Bears to a 17-7-2 record (11-3-2 NESCAC). Bowdoin lost in the NESCAC Tournament semifinals in overtime. In her two years as an assistant at Bowdoin in 2004-05 and 2005-06, the Polar Bears posted a 54-21-4 record, including 38-7-3 in NESCAC play and played in the 2004-25 NCAA Tournament. She also served as the events/game manager at Bowdoin in 2005, including as the NCAA Field Hockey Tournament liaison that fall.

Farrell, who earned a B.S. in sports studies with a minor in coaching and sports performance at Ohio State, played 132 games for the Buckeyes, scoring 29 goals and 32 assists. She led OSU to a berth in the WCHA semifinals as a senior.

Feaster is entering her 10th season at Providence College and 6th as Director of Hockey Operations for the Men’s Team at Providence. In this role, Feaster provides full-time video breakdown and analysis for the Coaching Staff as well as providing day-to-day support for all aspects of program operations. After being hired full-time in 2016, Feaster became the first of two women hired as full-time hockey staff members for Division I men’s hockey teams. While with the Friars, Feaster has been a member of a National Championship (2015), Hockey East Regular Season Championship (2016), and six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2020, Feaster was named Video Coach for the 2021 US National Junior Team and was the first female to serve on a coaching staff of a US National Junior Team and in the U20 World Junior Tournament. Team USA captured gold in Edmonton.

Janelle Forcand enters her 6th season coaching with the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy (WJHA). For the 2021-2022 season, Janelle made the transition to coaching the boy’s U13 WJHA team with the goal of increasing female visibility on the bench for men’s hockey. Prior to assisting with the male program, Janelle served as the Head Coach for the U11 Female team & was the Female Hockey Coordinator for the WJHA program from 2018-2021. Her time with the WJHA involved planning and executing on-ice sessions for students from early years to high school, and she worked closely with WJHA female players as she managed all three female minor hockey teams. By fostering strong relationships and providing mentorship, and coaching resources, Janelle played a significant role in the successful restructuring of the female minor hockey teams. As a result of the reorganization, the WJHA was able to incorporate an all-female coaching staff for each female team by 2019, which continues to this day.

In addition to coaching with the WJHA, Janelle has over ten years of experience working as a skating and skill development coach in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Throughout her years, she has worked with various hockey programs, including Canlan Ice sports, community hockey teams, and the St. James Assiniboia Hockey Academy, which was the first officially licensed Hockey Canada Skills Academy in Canada. Most recently, Janelle coordinated the St. James Minor Hockey Initiation program, which is a seven-week structured learn-to-play-based program for five and 6-year-olds.

With a passion for teaching hockey at the grassroots level, Janelle accepted the role as the Grassroots Program Coordinator for Hockey Winnipeg in the summer of 2021. In her current role, Janelle implements and oversees all grassroots hockey initiatives for the ten minor hockey associations in Winnipeg, using her skills to further her passion and continue to grow the game of hockey.

Janelle currently serves on the St. James Assiniboia Minor Hockey Association Board as the Clinic Coordinator. Her time and dedication to the sport of hockey were recognized when she was awarded the Provincial and National Community Coach of the Year Award by BFL and Hockey Canada in May of 2021.

Kathrin Fring started playing hockey at the age of 5. Overall she played for 19 years in the DFEL (first national women’s hockey league Germany), won 5 Championships, and several other medals.

After more than 25 years of playing hockey, she decided to still be part of the game and give it a try as an assistant coach in her old team. She’s in her three year right now and the actual vice German Champion with the team. Besides coaching the defenders, she is in charge of recruiting import players and helps with contacts for schools.

The team is the youngest in the league, with an age average under 21. The Eisbären Juniors Berlin Womens offer young girls a great place to study, live, develop their hockey skills, and become great humans.

Alyssa played NCAA Division I college hockey at Cornell University, where she was a two-year captain and 2014 ECAC Co-Defensive Defensemen of the Year and Second Team All-American. She competed with the USA Women’s National Team from 2013-2016, including at two Four Nations Cups (2014, 2015), while playing professionally for the Boston Blades (CWHL), Boston Pride (NWHL), and Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) from 2014 – 2020.

After completing her playing career, Alyssa worked for the Carolina Hurricanes organization in Youth Hockey Development, as well as coaching in the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes Tier I Girls Program, with a focus on Skill & Player Development.

Alyssa is currently an Assistant Coach with the Neumann University Men’s Ice Hockey program (NCAA D3), as well as a Skill & Player Development Coach for the Maine Mariners (ECHL).

She is also a volunteer coach with the Philadelphia Flyers Warriors Veterans team. Alyssa is a board member of the PWHPA and has been a member of the NHLCA Female Coaches Development Program since 2020.

Francesca Giammona, joined the Sacred Heart University women’s ice hockey program prior to the 2021-22 campaign, works with forward and blueliners. With the opening of the Martire Family Arena on SHU’s campus, she is at the forefront of coaching and playing technology.

Giammona, a Long Island, N.Y., native, began her developmental coaching career at a sports camp for all boys. She is the first and only female Hockey Director at Camp Mah-Kee-Nac, where she was responsible for growing the number of campers attending the hockey program.

Giammona also coached over two years with the Islanders Elite hockey program ages 10u through 19u.

As a player, she was a varsity member of the SUNY Cortland D3 Women’s Hockey team, and she graduated from Adelphi University with a Masters in Sports Management in 2020.

During the off season, Giammona ran multiple camps as an Athletics Director and Staff Manager. She has also volunteered during the summer as a grieving counselor, helping kids who were affected by major tragedies.

Giammona, in her collegiate debut, coached a season with the ACHA Lindenwood Lions, who won 14 of their 24 games and qualified for the national tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Lions finished No. 2 that year.

She has also conducted clinics and worked with groups around the continental U.S. and Alaska.

Chelsea Grills is the head coach of the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, a member of the RSEQ conference of U SPORTS. Her coaching resume includes intercollegiate national championships in Canada and the USA, as well as an international silver medal with the staff of Team Canada at the 2019 FISU Winter Games.

Grills was named head coach at uOttawa in the spring of 2020 following a successful finish to the 2019-20 season, which saw her serve as interim head coach. She amassed a record of 10-5-1 after taking over mid-season. Prior to being named head coach, Grills was the lead assistant coach with the Gee-Gees for two seasons, with the team in postseason contention for each of her three years with the team.

Prior to her work at uOttawa, Grills was an assistant at McGill University, Amherst College, and the University of Vermont. During her NCAA playing career at St. Lawrence University, Grills amassed 169 points in 139 games and was team captain. A graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Education, Grills led the Saints to three appearances at the NCAA Frozen Four tournament. She also spent four seasons with Hockey Canada’s U22 national team program and holds a Hockey Canada Coaching Certification, High Performance 1.

In her eighth season as the head coach of the Ephs, Meghan Gillis had two players earn All-NESCAC honors and one earn the New England Hockey Writer’s DII and DIII All-Star award. In the 2018-19 season, Gillis led her team to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Division III tournament with a 21-5-3 record. Sophomore forward Meghan Halloran was named to the AHCA All-American Second Team and was also NESCAC Player of the Year. 

Meghan Gillis was named the head coach of women’s ice hockey at Williams College on May 27, 2011. In her first year at the helm of the Ephs Gillis fashioned an overall record of 11-14 nearly tripling the win total of the Ephs in 2010-11 (4-17-1).

Gillis would take the program to the next level in 2014, leading the team to the first NESCAC championship title in Eph history. The team would be crowned at home in Lansing Chapman Rink after earning the right to host the championships for the first time in the history of the tournament. The notable season would come to an end in the national quarter final game with a loss to the evental 2014 national champion, ending the Eph season with 15 wins.

Before Williams, Gillis spent two years at Pomfret School (Pomfret, CT) as an assistant director of admissions, head girls’ ice hockey coach, and assistant softball coach. Pomfret compiled a 21-16-9 record during Gillis’ tenure. In her first year as head coach, Pomfret advanced to the Division I playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Prior to Pomfret, Gillis spent one year as an assistant women’s ice hockey coach at Amherst College, where the Jeffs captured the program’s first NCAA Division III Championship. While at Amherst, Gillis received her Master’s of Science in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst Isenberg School of Management.  

A native of Whycocomagh, Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia), Gillis graduated from Bowdoin College in 2007 with a major in government and legal studies and a minor in English. A highly decorated women’s ice hockey player at Bowdoin, Gillis was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year in 2004, as her 24 goals and 19 assists left her with the highest point total both on her team and among conference rookies.

In her four years on the ice, Gillis earned three All-NESCAC Team honors and one All-America selection, graduating from Bowdoin with 154 career points, good for third on the program’s all-time scoring list.  The Polar Bears were a combined 75-26-1 (.740) during Gillis’ time, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament twice, advancing to the NESCAC finals three times and winning the conference title once.

A native of Plainville, MA, Kathy’s first coaching job was at 14 years old as an assistant for a local boys’ 12U travel soccer team.  She is currently the Head Coach of Town of Oyster Bay Hockey, Head Coach of The Green Vale School Hockey, and Head Coach of East Woods School Hockey and Softball.  Previously, she acted as a coach for the New York Junior Rangers and myriad school, community-based, and travel organizations. She holds a Level 4 USA Hockey Certification and will be completing her Level 5 this spring.

A high school league all-star in softball, recognized by King Philip High School and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a top scholar athlete, she thought her involvement in organized sports was over upon graduation.  Serendipitously, during the 2012 NHL lockout, the New York Islanders Coaches hosted lunchtime clinics for adults at her local rink and she was given a fast-track education into the fundamentals of ice hockey.  She has taken that knowledge and used it to grow the sport at the developmental levels ever since.

In her time away from the bench she is an active player on the ice participating in both competitive tournament women’s hockey and rec level coed leagues, she is a result-driven management consultant for small business owners, a goalie mom, champion of female athletes, a frequent marathon participant, fledgling nutrient dense food chef, animal rescue supporter, and admirer of Nikola Tesla. 

Kathy holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, an MBA from Hofstra University, an ERYT 500 Hour Yoga Certification, and is working towards completing a certification in Systemic Constellations.  She is dedicated to increasing opportunities for girls within hockey as well as bringing back fun and positive life lessons to youth (and adult female) sport. It’s amazing what people can achieve when they don’t know they can’t. 

Zoe Hickel is a two-time World Champion with US Women’s National Team, a former professional hockey player, and a former NCAA player and captain. After her playing career, she took an Assistant Coach position at Ohio State University with the Women’s Hockey team from 2020-2022, winning a National Championship in 2022. Following the season, she took a position in the AHL, working for the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Hockey Development for the Iceplex youth programs and Community Relations.

She enjoys developing and directing programs, inspiring others through teaching and example, from grassroots development to elite-level athletes, and coaching in a variety of sports and forums.

Sarah Hilworth is the current Head Coach for the University of New Brunswick REDS located in Fredericton, NB. A native of Vancouver, BC, Hilworth has had 10 years of professional coaching experience and has been involved in volunteer positions for over 15 years. Her current role sees her as an ambassador to the game of hockey in Fredericton, and she has brought success back to the UNB campus in a short period of time.

In 2021-22, Hilworth coached the REDS to the AUS regular season title and the league championship, the first in UNB women’s hockey history. She was named the AUS Coach of the Year, becoming the first REDS coach to earn the honour. In June of 2022, she was named the recipient of Hockey Canada’s BFL High-Performance Female Coach of the Year Award.

Hilworth led UNB’s return to Atlantic University Sport and U SPORTS competition in 2018-19, guiding the REDS to a 4th place regular season finish and a second-round playoff berth. In 2019-20, Hilworth and the REDS again finished 4th in the AUS and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

In two seasons of competition under Hilworth’s direction, the Reds are 46-23-8 in regular season play and 10-7 in post-season (AUS & U SPORTS).

She came to UNB after an extensive playing and coaching career in western Canada.

Hilworth attended the University of Alberta from 2008 through 2013, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sport, Recreation, and Tourism.
She played five seasons with the Pandas women’s hockey team, accumulating 100 points (50 goals and 50 assists) in 100 games, helped Alberta win a national championship in 2010, and captained the team in her final season. Hilworth returned to her alma mater to serve as an assistant coach with the Pandas, helping guide the team to consecutive first-place finishes and the 2015 Canada West title. Later that year, she was named the first coach of the Olds College Broncos, of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.

Hilworth spent two seasons building the Broncos. On top of coaching at Olds College, Hilworth pursued a Master of Science in Coaching Education from Ohio University and graduated from the program in 2017.

Sheri Hudspeth, a native of Aurora, Ontario, Canada, is currently the Director of Girls’ & Women’s Youth Hockey Programming for the Vegas Golden Knights. Sheri oversees the youth hockey initiatives focusing on on-ice programming, including the NHL Learn-To-Play program, Lil’ Knights, and Mites at Knight at T-Mobile Arena. When not on the ice, Sheri assists with marketing and community outreach with the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation. Sheri is the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights Girls Hockey Director and Head Coach of 12UAA and 14UAA VJGK travel teams competing in the Pacific Girls Hockey League and the National Girls Hockey League. Sheri is a Level 4 USA Hockey Coach and the Girl’s Development Representative for Nevada; she played her competitive hockey for the Toronto Jr. Aeros and accepted a full scholarship to play NCAA college hockey at Minnesota State University. Sheri resides in Summerlin with her husband, James, and two corgis, Auston and Jaxon.

Lindsay has been the Assistant Coach for the MacEwan Griffins since 2009 and is the co-owner of High Tempo Hockey Camps, an all female hockey school. Lindsay has assisted with leading the program to three Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference championships and continues to assist with the Griffins as they made their way into the U Sports league.

Prior to her coaching career, Lindsay played for the University of Alberta Pandas and MacEwan Griffins for two and three years respectively. Lindsay also played three seasons of professional hockey for the Edmonton Chimos/Alberta (WWHL).

While completing her Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Alberta, she was named an Academic All-Canadian both years she played for the Pandas. She also holds a Masters of Education in Administration and Leadership. Outside of hockey, Lindsay is a teacher, currently in an Assistant Principal role with Edmonton Public Schools.

Whitney Juskiewicz, Founder of Fire and Ice Hockey Development

Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, hockey has always been a part of Whitney Juszkiewicz’s life. She was an athlete in the first all-female Hockey Academy at St. Francis Xavier High School, a school known for its prestigious hockey development programs. Whitney played for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Hockey, and for Team Alberta Senior Women’s team in the ESSO Women’s Nationals in 2005.

Now living in Vancouver, BC, Whitney’s career has turned to training and developing athletes to advance their game. She founded Fire and Ice Hockey Development in 2015. Her experience, training, and certification have made her valuable to coaches and athletes, their development, and the game. Whitney has her HP1 Coaching certification and Hockey Canada Skills Instructor and Female Master Coach Developer training.

She was the Program of Excellence Coordinator for BC Hockey (2016-2020) and the Hockey Operations Coordinator for NVMHA (2017-2020). In that time, Whitney acted as Head Coach for several teams, including the Male U15AAA (NVMHA), Female U15AAA (PCAHA), and Female U13AAA(NSFIHA). She was also a Female Coach Mentor with the Vancouver Canucks.

Whitney has been working with Vancouver and Lower Mainland athletes for over ten years. Through her hockey academy, Fire and Ice Hockey Development, she can see a player’s potential and turn their deficiencies into strengths. Her development camps offer a direct and disciplined approach to hockey instruction, and they are a lot of fun too.

Whitney is passionate about hockey. Her goal is to see athletes improve, grow, and succeed, from beginner players to high-performance athletes.

Liz Keady Norton was named head coach of the Dartmouth women’s hockey team in May of 2021. She is the Big Green’s 11th head coach in the program’s 44-year history.

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 of 2019. Under her tutelage, seven forwards were selected as Hockey East All-Stars, five different forwards matched or exceeded their career-best point totals, and two Terriers were named top-10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

Since Keady Norton’s arrival ahead of the 2017-18 season, the Terriers went 59-39-18, with a shortened 2020-21 season affected by COVID-19. BU made it to the Hockey East quarterfinal her first year, the semifinal in 2018-19, and the quarterfinal the next two seasons. The Terriers went 8-1-1 against ECAC Hockey opponents during those four years, defeating Brown, Yale, Harvard and Union multiple times while only being stymied by Princeton.

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. During the 2015-16 season, she helped guide the Crimson to six wins over ranked opponents. Prior to entering the Division I coaching ranks, she served as head coach for the girls’ varsity hockey team at Andover High School (2012-14).

She graduated from Princeton in 2008 with a degree in psychology. A native of Braintree, Massachusetts, she ended her career with 79 points from 38 goals and 41 assists in 118 games. Named team captain for the 2007-08 season, she led the team in plus/minus (+15) in 2004-05, short-handed goals in 2006-07 and game winning goals in 2007-08.

Keady Norton was also named the team’s MVP and Most Improved Player following the 2004-05 season and earned All-ECAC Hockey Honorable Mention and All-Ivy Second Team accolades that same year. She took the 2005-06 season off from Princeton to train with the U.S. national team, appearing in 16 games during the team’s pre-Olympic tour.

Kristi Kehoe is in her fourth year as a member of the Lindenwood University Women’s ice hockey coaching staff and entering her second season as the Associate Head Coach.

Under the guidance of Kehoe, Lindenwood had their first 4-game win streak since the 2011-2012 season during the 21-22 season. With Kehoe leading the forwards, the Lions finished last season with nine players recording double-digit points, and 5 of those individuals received CHA weekly honors. She also helped guide the Lions to 100%+ increases in their offensive categories this past 21-22 season as compared to the staff’s first two seasons combined.

Throughout her career, Kehoe has held a variety of roles in the hockey world, including the director/head coach of a Jr girls program, an NCAA Division III Head Coach, and working in IIHF hockey with Hockey China. During her time with Hockey China, Kehoe helped the Chinese U18 National Team to its best finish in 6 years.

Kehoe has served as the Director of Girls’ Player Development for the New England District within USA Hockey since 2016. In this role, she is responsible for leading evaluations for players Under-18 with hopes to make the U18 Select camp or National Camps for USA Hockey. She has also served in USA Hockey camp roles, including Mentor coach for intern coaches, Asst. On-ice director, skills coach, and Coach for the U18 Select camp.

During her playing career, Kehoe was a four-year standout for Northeastern University. Their Kehoe was an All-Rookie selection, named Rookie of the year, and led her team in scoring for her first three seasons. She was also named to Northeastern’s Hockey East All-Decade team.

Jessica Knapp has recently been coaching at Wellesley High School as a volunteer Assistant Coach. The team has earned the Division 2 State Title for 2018, 2019, and 2020. Working with the Wellesley squad has allowed Jessica to continue to be involved in the game, compete, and give back to future young female leaders. She focuses on personal growth, team building, and supporting players through the recruiting process. Many of her former players have participated in National Development Camps and have gone on to play college hockey.

Jessica earned her coaching certification at age 13 to support the growth of her hometown youth organization. Boulder, Colorado, was not exactly a hockey mecca in the 1990s. Her sister and her teammates all joined in and supported a grassroots effort to grow the sport. Coaching followed her to boarding school, where she volunteered with the local hockey programs whenever possible and also worked at various clinics and camps. Following college, she helped out with the Arlington High School team and then found herself coaching club hockey for many years. She has coached females of all different ages, from 9-18.

Jessica played hockey, soccer, and lacrosse at Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA, from 1995-1999. She then played hockey at St. Lawrence University from 1999-2003, playing on the 2001 team that reached the final game at the inaugural Women’s Frozen Four. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Education at St. Lawrence. She returned to graduate school for her Master of Business Administration from Boston University in 2010. She works for Perkins Eastman, an architecture firm, as an Associate Principal focused on strategic business development.

Kelsey Koelzer enter her second season behind the bench for Arcaidia in 2022-23.

Koelzer led the team to a playoff appearance in its inaugural season as the Knights went 9-10-1 in UCHC play, earning a trip to the quarterfinals. Five players were named All-MAC, including Co-Rookie of the Year Karahkwenhawe White. Four players were also named to the UCHC All-Rookie Team following 2021-22.

A Horsham, Pa., native and graduate of Hatboro-Horsham High School, Koelzer enjoyed an illustrious Division I collegiate playing career. She was a three-time, First-team All-Ivy League honoree at Princeton University (including being named the Tigers’ first First-team All-American), and was named Ivy League Player of the Year in 2016—a season that culminated in an Ivy League Championship and a trip to the NCAA national quarterfinals in Minneapolis, Minn.  

Following the 2016 season, Koelzer was selected for the United States National Women’s Ice Hockey Under-22 team and was a United States Olympic tryout participant a year later. In 2016, the Metropolitan Riveters made Koelzer the first-overall pick in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) Draft, making Koelzer the first African American to be the top selection in the highest level of American professional hockey. During the 2018 season, Koelzer led the Riveters to the NWHL Isobel Cup Championship and was named Co-MVP of the 2018 NWHL All-Star game.  

In addition to her playing background, Koelzer brings a wealth of coaching experience, including three years with the Princeton Hockey Youth Camps and a summer with the National Collegiate Development Camp in 2017. Koelzer also serves on the NHL/NHLPA Female Hockey Advisory Committee, a group formed to accelerate the growth of female hockey in North America and ensure that girls experience all the opportunities and benefits that the sport provides.

Koelzer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Princeton. She was also featured in a November 2016 New York Times story, Two Black Women Embrace Their Chance to Be Hockey Role Models.

Allie LaCombe is the Co-Founder, Assistant Hockey Director and Head Coach for the Nashville Warriors Hockey Club in Nolensville, Tennessee. LaCombe is entering her third season as a Head Coach and Warriors Skills Coach.

Allie is a former collegiate and professional hockey player from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. During her professional playing career, LaCombe most recently signed with the Connecticut Whale in the NWHL. Previously, she played semi-professional in the European league, EWHL, for the Vienna Sabers in Austria and with Almaty Aisulu in Kazakhstan. LaCombe played four years of collegiate NCAA Division I hockey at Syracuse University in Upstate New York, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management.

LaCombe has also trained NHL, AHL, USPHL, and NCAA players in on ice skill development. Allie resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Born in Brampton, ON, Amanda began playing with the NorthWest Sports at age 3; Chinguacousy Blues at the age of 5 before switching to the Brampton Canadettes at age 7, winning multiple Ontario Provincial Championships. She won the 1992 Citizen’s Award for Sports Achievement from the City of Brampton just before her family moved to Port Moody, BC. In BC, she transitioned back to integrated PeeWee Rep at Port Moody Amateur Hockey Association (PMAHA) and was named the PMAHA Player of the year for the 1993-94 season. She then moved to Senior AAA Women’s hockey with the Killarney Knights as a 13-year-old in an 18+ division, earning spots attending multiple Sr. Women’s AAA Canadian National Championships and Hockey Canada camps, including playing with Team BC U18 at the 1999 Canada Winter Games.

Amanda earned a full scholarship to St. Lawrence University, where she and her team advanced to the Innagural NCAA Div. 1 Frozen Four Tournament in 2001. Despite a disappointing Championship loss to UMD, Amanda scored two goals and one assist in 3 games, was named to the All-Tournament Team and scored the first goal of the Championship Game. She earned other honours during her time at SLU, including SLU Rookie of the Year 1999-00, being named to the 2001-02 ECAC All-Star team (played Team USA), Lake Placid High Peak Tournament MVP, ECAC All-Academic Team and the SLU leading scorer in 2001, 2002, 2003, ECAC All-Conference Honourable Mention 2002-03, SLU All-Time leading scorer (broke previous record of 135 career points) and in 2017 she was inducted into the St. Lawrence University Hall of Fame with her 2000-01 teammates and coaches. In four years, she played 139 games and tallied 142 points (65 Goals, 77 Assists).

After finishing her B.Sc. in Psychology and Sports Exercise Sciences, minoring in Education, Amanda chose to stay at SLU to focus on her education and complete her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. She then taught high school in New Hampshire before moving back to British Columbia. She continues her career as an educator, teaching K-12 mainly as a Special Education teacher.

Amanda started coaching minor hockey with the Tri-City Female Ice Hockey Association (TCFIHA) as a Head Coach in 2016 and was named Coach of the Year in 2017. She has coached U7, U9, and U11 as Head coach and was elected to the Board of Directors for the 2020-21 season. She currently serves on the Coaching Committee for TCFIHA and represents TCFIHA on the Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association (PCAHA) Female Development Sub Committee. Amanda also has been a Head Coach with the Coquitlam Minor Hockey Association (CMHA) since 2018, coaching H1, H2, and H3 teams. During Spring hockey Amanda has coached two spring elite development programs, the BC Prospects and BC Jr. Steelers, since 2018 and has also coached numerous development programs, including Canucks Learn to Play.

Alicia MacDonald (she/her), born in Truro, NS, now resides in Port Rexton, NL, Canada, where her day job is co-owning and operating a small microbrewery in rural Newfoundland. Alicia is a devoted hockey coach, community volunteer and loving family member to her partners and their children in Port Rexton.

On the hockey side, Alicia a long time player, has won many NS provincial titles over the years and after finishing minor hockey and attending university Alicia began the pathway to coaching. Beginning with female youth, Alicia coached many years in NS both at the minor and high performance level and was included in many Atlantic Challenge Cup wins, Canada Winter Games coaching staff in 2011, and Team Atlantic staff in 2005. After a change in careers, Alicia moved to NL and continued coaching both at the minor level and high performance level.  

Currently, Alicia is the Assistant Coach of the Female U18 Team NL for the Canada Winter Games team and apprenticing with the Newfoundland Growlers, an ECHL team, for the 2022-2023 season. Alicia has been behind the bench for over 20 years with sights set on bigger things to come for 20+ more. After her first year with a high level male program in the ECHL and involved in the NHLCA female development program, Alicia is eager to develop her professional coaching career further.

Holding many non-coaching skills, Alicia is a scout for the Maritime Hockey League and competent with hockey analytics such as XOs, Steva, TPE, and Instat. Alicia also is a development coach for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, travelling to various associations coaching the coaches on the importance of skills and development in hockey players and how to teach said skills. Educationally, she has her Master’s in Nursing, previously working as a Nurse Practitioner in rural NL, and is also a trained Massage Therapist.

Alicia is also an advocate for Sport for Life and Physical Literacy for Communities. She is extremely passionate about physical literacy and mastering certain movement skills and fundamentals (including hockey), to encourage children to move confidently and be active for life. Currently the Physical Literacy for Communities mentor, Alicia strives for active life-long physical activity and improved health and well-being for all children and youth in her community. She is also in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Port Rexton Pride committee.

Amelia Matheson joined the Newcastle Northstars coaching staff in 2020, and is thriving in her first complete Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) season, making her the first woman to reach this achievement. Matheson began her coaching career in 2008 after being inspired by another female icon in Australian ice hockey, Dawn Watt. Prior to reaching the AIHL, Matheson broke ground coaching the NSW State Team in the Browns tournament. Matheson’s coaching career now spans 14 years, and has experienced many a challenge behind the bench.

Dollee Meigs enters her fourth season as Associate Coach of the Women’s Hockey program. Meigs joined the Warriors as a student-athlete in 2017-18, taking the Recreation and Sports Business program while finishing her final year of eligibility as a Warrior during the 2018-19 season.

Since coming over to join the Warriors Meigs has taken her path to become a coach very serious putting in time to earn her coaching certifications and learn coaching tactics from Coach Reagan. Meigs has worked with the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) coaching the highest achieving young female hockey players in Ontario at the Team Ontario Identification and Selection Camps for both U18 and U16 levels. She has also coached at competitions including two Summer Games and at the 2019 Nationals, where Team Ontario were National Champions.

Through this development Meigs was accepted and is going into her third year as a member of the NHLCA Female Coaches Development Program. This program consists of around 50 Female Coaches across North America. The purpose is to develop coaching, build a network and to give the group exposure to hockey and coaching at the NHL and AHL levels.

Lee-J Mirasolo was hired as an assistant coach of the Harvard women’s hockey program in June of 2015 and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in August of 2018. Mirasolo has coached the Crimson for seven seasons through 2021-22. 

The 2021-22 campaign was Mirasolo’s most successful season with the program since coming to Cambridge. With Mirasolo leading the defensive unit and penality kill, Harvard collected 22 wins, the Women’s Beanpot Championship, the Ivy League title and the ECAC Hockey Regular Season crown. Under her oversight, Harvard’s blue liners surrendered just 2.2 goals per game, while the penalty kill’s success rate of 85.6 percent was its best since 2015-16. Mirasolo helped coach co-captain Emma Buckles to spots on both ECAC Hockey’s, and the Ivy League’s, first-teams, and guided junior Kyra Willoughby to All-Ivy Honorable Mention. 

Due to COVID-19, the 2020-21 ice hockey season was canceled by the Ivy League.

During her fifth season with the Crimson in 2019-20, Mirasolo oversaw the defensive unit that backstopped Harvard to an 18-14-1 overall record and 15-6-1 ECAC Hockey mark. Under her guidance, senior, co-captain Ali Peper was named a finalist for ECAC Hockey Student Athlete of the Year, Honorable Mention All-Ivy, finished with a plus-12 rating and put up 34 blocked shots throughout the season. Peper ranked third on the team overall and third in the conference among blue liners with 14 assists. Additionally, two of Mirasolo’s blue liners, Kyra Willoughby and Kate Glover raked in 45-plus blocks during the 2019-20 campaign.

For the 2018-19 season, Mirasolo guided the offensive effort, helping the team to a 12-15-5 overall record with a 9-9-4 ECAC Hockey mark. In addition to pushing the number one team in the country to overtime in back-to-back games (Wisconsin), Mirasolo played an integral part in Harvard’s 4-1 victory over her alma mater, No. 7/7 Boston College, in the Beanpot semifinal at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. 

In 2017-18, Mirasolo helped the Crimson to a 13-16-2 overall record, with a 10-10-2 split in conference play. With eight first years and half as many seniors, multiple athletes received conference recognition. First year Becca Gilmore was named to the All-Ivy Second team, with sophomore Kat Hughes receiving All-Ivy Honorable Mention. First year blue liner Emma Buckles was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team, while 19 members of the Crimson were selected for the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team.

The 2015-16 campaign saw the Crimson post a 17-12-3 overall record, including a 12-7-3 mark in ECAC Hockey play. Playing one of the nation’s toughest schedules, Harvard tallied six wins over ranked opponents. Mirasolo worked primarily with the Crimson defense, which ended the season as the seventh-best in the country. Senior blue liner Michelle Picard anchored the group, helping lead the team to seven shutouts, while sophomore Chelsea Ziadie burst onto the scene as a top-line defensive player. Ziadie earned the Joe Bertagna Award, given annually to the program’s most improved player. The Crimson added five victories in 2017, with seniors Sydney Daniels and Briana Mastel bolstering a young roster to earn All-Ivy recognition.

Mirasolo came to Cambridge after spending four years as an assistant coach at Princeton, primarily working with the offense and the penalty-kill unit. During her tenure at Princeton, the Tigers continually improved each season and reached the ECAC Hockey Quarterfinals three times. In 2014-15, Princeton had its best season since 2010-11, finishing the year at 15-14-2. The Tigers went 13-8-1 in ECAC Hockey and 7-2-1 in Ivy League play, missing out on a shared Ancient Eight title with Harvard by one point.

Prior to her time in Princeton, Mirasolo spent one year each at UMass Boston and Phillips Academy Andover following an impressive four-year playing career at Boston College. At BC, Mirasolo was a part of two Beanpot Championships, one NCAA tournament appearance, and a Frozen Four showing in 2007. She was named the Eagles’ captain for the 2007-08 campaign, and also was honored that season as BC’s Unsung Hero. Mirasolo also took home the team’s Community Service Award in 2005-06.

A native of Wakefield, Mass., Mirasolo graduated with a degree in communications in 2008. Mirasolo and her wife, Mollie Maguire, currently reside in Woburn, Mass with their son, Gavin.

Alexis was named the Connecticut Whale new general manager ahead of the upcoming 2021-22 NWHL season.

Moed has a wealth of experience in the hockey world; she played four seasons of NCAA hockey, finishing her career at Boston College. Moed currently serves as the president and founder of the New York Islanders Girls Elite Organization and will remain in those roles in addition to serving as GM of the Whale. Created in 2016, the Islanders Elite program is committed to the support and development of girls ice hockey on Long Island and in the NY metropolitan area. Moed is also the Adult Hockey Director for the Northwell Health Ice Center.

Cara Morey is in her sixth year leading the Princeton women’s hockey program in 2022-23. Since Morey was announced as head coach on June 12, 2017, the program has won its first ECAC tournament title, won an Ivy League championship, qualified for two NCAA quarterfinals, set the program wins record, and established itself as a regular inclusion in the national top-10 rankings.

Through four seasons of competition, Morey’s teams have a 73-43-15 record overall and 52-28-8 in ECAC Hockey. During the 2022-23 season, Morey became the second-winningest coach in program history, behind only the 327 wins over 21 seasons by predecessor Jeff Kampersal ’94, under whom she served as an assistant coach for six seasons.

From 2012-17, Morey assisted the Tigers to five ECAC quarterfinal appearances and one semifinal appearance in 2017. In 2016, she was instrumental in Princeton’s run to the Ivy League championship and at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. During her time as an assistant coach, Morey had nine All-ECAC and 18 All-Ivy League selections.

In addition to her coaching at Princeton, Morey has coached with Team Canada at the 2016-17 U-18 World Championships, helping the Canadians to a silver medal, and served as an assistant coach for Canada during the Feb. 2019 installment of the Rivalry Series with Team USA. Her international experience includes a gold medal as a player with Team Canada at the 2000 Nations Cup, two years experience as a player in the national program and gold as an assistant coach with Canada’s National Women’s Development Team at the 2015 Nations Cup in Germany. Morey was also a coach at the National Development Team Camps in 2012, 2014, 2019, at the 2014 National Women’s Team Fall Festival and at the 2016 National Women’s Under 18 three-game series with the U.S.

During the summer of 2021 and 2022, Morey was the first female to be an on-ice coach with the Philadelphia Flyers as a Development Coach. She was in charge of helping develop the on-ice skills of the Flyers top draft picks and rookies working with all positions on technique and strategy, introducing them to the style of play required for the NHL.

A 2001 graduate of Brown University, Morey (nee Gardner) was a two-sport athlete playing, both hockey and field hockey. An All-ECAC and All-Ivy League defender, she helped the Bears to three AWCHA National Championship tournament appearances, including two runner-up finishes. 

She earned All-Ivy and All-America honors in both sports and was the 2001 recipient of Brown’s Bessie H. Rudd Award, which is given to the female varsity athlete that has done the most to promote female athletics through spirit, enthusiasm and leadership. She also represented Brown at the NCAA Leadership Conference in 2000.

She then played two seasons in the NWHL with the Montreal Wingstars and the Brampton Thunder.

Morey graduated from Brown with a degree in human biology and earned a Master’s of Education from Arizona State in 2010.

Candice Moxley currently serves as the Head Coach of the Western Mustangs Women’s Hockey team. She took on this position in the summer of 2018. Prior to this, spent a year coaching the Markham Thunder of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League where she helped lead the team to the Clarkson Cup.

Candice has also served as Head Coach for Buffalo State Women’s Division III hockey team from 2013 through 2017. During this tenure she transformed the program into a national caliber program. She led the Bengals to the ECAC West playoffs for the first time in six years during her first season behind the bench, and was named ECAC West Coach of the Year. Prior to Buffalo State, Moxley spent two seasons as an assistant coach at The Ohio State and two years as an assistant at Robert Morris in Pittsburgh, both division I programs. She has also worked as a video coach with Hockey Canada’s women’s development and senior teams from 2013-2015. In 2017 was an assistant coach with the Canadian National Development team.

Current Assistant Coach and Goaltending Coach for the University at Buffalo men’s hockey ACHA DI program and Goaltending Coach for the Hilbert College women’s hockey NCAA DIII program. Currently in her second year of law school at the University at Buffalo. Owner and Director of Elite Concepts Goalie Training. Professional experience playing in North America and Europe. Played her college hockey at Colby College and holds a Master of Sports Leadership from Northeastern University.

College & Professional:
In 2011 Amanda started her career at the University of Vermont. She left her career holding the most goals, assists and points in UVM’s history and captained the team in her last two years. Once she graduated, she moved to Boston to train and play for the Boston Pride in the NWHL. On June 22, 2015, Pelkey became the first player ever to sign with the Boston Pride, signing prior to the 2015-16 inaugural NWHL season. She played for the Boston Pride for three years with a gap year for the 2018 Olympics. She has played the last three seasons in the PWHPA. Amanda will return back to the PHF to further her professional career with the Metropolitan Riveters for the 2022-2023 season.

Team USA
Amanda’s USA Hockey career began when she was 15 years old. She won two gold medals and one silver with the U-18 National Team. Pelkey made her first women’s roster in 2015 for the Four Nation’s Tournament. Since then, she made every roster moving forward up to the 2018 Winter Olympics including two gold medals in the IIHF World Championships in 2016 and 2017. Amanda is a 2018 Olympic Gold medalist.

Coaching Career:
Amanda is the founder and director of AMP Hockey which is a developmental program for athletes established in 2018. Her hockey camps are spread throughout the United States in various locations including Texas, Vermont, North Carolina and Colorado. Amanda has also coached at the Junior girls level from 2016-2022 serving as both a head coach and assistant coach. She has evaluated for USA Hockey’s Under 18 National Team along with New England Development camps. Most recently she was the skill development coach for the the Okanagan Hockey Academy and the Penticton Minor Hockey Association in British Columbia, Canada.

A native of Bellingham, Wash., Katelyn Parker is returning to her home state after spending the last three seasons coaching for the Division I NCAA University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies Women’s Hockey program. Parker helped guide the Huskies to playoff appearances in all three years including the Hockey East finals and Semifinals the past two seasons. Prior to joining the Huskies, she coached two seasons as an assistant at Brown University.

Before becoming a collegiate coach, Parker was a member of the Colgate Raiders women’s hockey team, where she served as the team’s captain.

In addition to her duties with the Kraken, Parker serves as the Girls’ Hockey Ambassador for the Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association (PNAHA).

Michelle (Shelly) Picard joined the coaching staff for Princeton University Women’s Hockey team for the 2021-2022 season.

Prior to joining Princeton’s coaching staff, the former NWHL All-Star was named Deputy Commissioner/Director of Player Development for the National Women’s Hockey League in December 2019. In her role, Picard’s responsibilities included player development, free agency, game and event schedules, grassroots programs, and building on the league’s relationships with national governing bodies and collegiate hockey programs.

Picard was also the Director of Girls’ Hockey with the New Jersey Colonials and is a volunteer coach with Hockey in New Jersey, which provides children the opportunity to play hockey for free.

With the U.S. National program, Picard was a member of Team USA that captured silver at the 2014 Olympics and won gold in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2019 at the World Championships. Picard was a team captain as a junior and senior at Harvard. In her senior season, she was named All-Ivy League first team and was an ECAC defender of the year finalist.

She played three seasons in the NWHL with the Riveters, winning the Isobel Cup in 2018 and serving as team captain in 2018-19. She was also the captain of Team NWHL – a collection of top players who played the U.S. Olympic Team in two exhibition games in 2018 – and a recipient of the NWHL Foundation Award for her work in hockey at the grass-roots level.

A native of St-Albert, ON, Canada, Edith Racine enters her 14th season as a member of the Cornell coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach for ten years before being elevated to associate head coach in 2018. In addition to working with the goalies, Racine is also responsible for the recruitment, defenseman, and penalty kill for the Big Red. Cornell advanced to the national title game in her first season, starting a run of three consecutive NCAA Frozen Four appearances (2010, 2011, and 2012), in addition to another appearance in the national semifinals in 2019 and being ranked #1 in 2020 as the COVID-19 Pandemic began. The Big Red has won seven Ivy League titles, five ECAC Hockey regular season crowns, and four ECAC Hockey tournament championships in Racine’s 13 years on East Hill.

Racine graduated from Elmira College with a degree in business. She is a four-year member of the Soaring Eagles, backstopping them to a pair of national titles, and has been instrumental in the continual development of the Big Red’s netminders.

Internationally, Racine was invited to Team Canada’s U-18 summer camp as a developmental coach this past summer.

Alex recently finished her playing career where she split her time between Plymouth State University in the NCAA and the University of Regina within U Sports. She graduated with a bachelors of Kinesiology with a Human Kinetics major in the spring of 2022.

Growing up in Windsor, Ontario she has been coaching with Prospects Goaltending & Athletics since she was 16 years of age and more recently other goaltending and player development programs in Saskatchewan. While in university she found a love for coaching, where she was fortunate enough to be an Assistant Coach of the U13 and U15 Regina Rebels teams as well as the Regina Colts program.

Since graduating she has been the goaltending coach for a A21 Prep Academy as well as instructing goaltenders on-ice and training athletes and teams off-ice at Prospects.

A native of Bowmanville, ON Canada, Karen Rickard played competitive youth hockey with the Toronto Aeros before accepting a full scholarship to the University of Wisconsin (2004). While at Wisconsin, Rickard received the prestigious Jeff Sauer Award, WCHA Player of the Week (twice), WCHA All-Second Team, Big Ten scholar-athlete, and WCHA All Academic team. She began her coaching career in Dallas, TX with the Dallas Stars Elite while working full time with the Dallas Mavericks (NBA). In 2015 she moved to Denver serving as the Assistant Director and 19U Head Coach for the Colorado Select. Rickard joined Team Colorado in 2017 serving as the Head Coach for the 16U AAA team and the 14U AAA tournament team. A USA Hockey Level 4 certified coach, she has worked at multiple USA Hockey Player Development camps. Along with her degree from Wisconsin, Rickard earned a Masters degree in Business Administration and a Masters degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University.

Nina Rodgers is an Assistant Coach for the Women’s Hockey Team at Dartmouth College and is the first Black female coach in Division 1 history. She has previously been the coach of the Upper Midwest High School Hockey Elite League and the head on-ice instructor at OS Hockey Training.

Rodgers played professionally in the NWHL since she graduated in 2018, playing one season with Connecticut before heading back home to play for Minnesota. She began her college career at Minnesota, winning two national championships before transferring to Boston University

Rodgers started her collegiate career at Minnesota, winning two national championships while there before transferring to Boston University, where she played for then-assistant coach Keady Norton as a senior. She graduated from BU in 2018 with a degree in health sciences and ended her four-year playing career with 56 points (26-30-56) and a +33.

Meredith Roth enters her fourth season as the associate head coach of the Holy Cross women’s ice hockey team in 2021-22. She recently served as an assistant coach for the U818 US Women’s National Team, winning a gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Roth came to Holy Cross after serving as the head coach of St. Norbert College’s NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey program for the last four years. She guided the Green Knights to an appearance in the NCHA Championship game in 2016.She also served as a Western Region Representative for the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Regional Advisory Committee as well as on the American Hockey Coaches Association’s National Issues Committee.

Prior to her time at St. Norbert, Roth had two stints as an assistant coach at Providence College, first from 2006-2010 and then again from 2012-2015. She helped lead the Friars to a Hockey East Regular Season Championship in 2010. Roth also spent time as an assistant coach at Cornell University from 2010-2012 and helped lead the team to two Frozen Four appearances. She got her first coaching job as the head coach of the Shattuck St. Mary’s School’s U16 team in 2004.

Roth first coached at USA Hockey Player Development camps in 2006 and has been involved in numerous camps ever since. She coached at the U18 Select Camp and served as a U18 Women’s National Team assistant coach for the 2019-2020 season, which culminated in the IIHF World Championship in January 2020.

As a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, Roth played with the U22 team as well as at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships in China in 2003.

Roth is a graduate of Providence College, earning a bachelor’s degree in social science.  She helped the Friars wi an ECAC East Tournament Championship in 2002 and two Hockey East Tournament Championships in 2003 and 2004.She served as an assistant captain and co-captain during her junior and senior seasons.

Melanie Ruzzi is in her second season at the helm of the Bears, after being named head coach of the Brown women’s hockey program on May 20, 2021.

In her first year as a collegiate head coach in 2021-22, Ruzzi guided the Bears to their best overall record in five years, and their most ECAC wins since the 2008-09 season, giving them their highest finish in the ECAC standings in a decade. The team went unbeaten in seven of its final nine games, which included a pair of wins over nationally ranked opponents in No. 9 Quinnipiac and No. 7 Yale, an eventual national semifinalist. Brown’s turnaround in 2021-22 also saw the team score 0.7 more goals per game and allow exactly one fewer goal per game from the previous season.

Her efforts earned her the honor of being one of three finalists for the ECAC Coach of the Year award.

Ruzzi came to College Hill after a successful two-year stint as an assistant coach at Princeton. In her time with the Tigers, Princeton set a program record with 26 wins, reached the ECAC tournament final for the first time and won the ECAC tournament title for the first time in 2019-20. Princeton finished the season with three players ranked in the top 12 in the nation in goals and points per game. The ECAC recognized Princeton’s success with both Carly Bullock and Sarah Fillier as Best Forward top-three finalists, with Fillier additionally a top-three finalist for Player of the Year. The team qualified for the NCAA quarterfinals, but the event was canceled by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 virus.

Ruzzi began her coaching career at Division III Amherst College in 2005, where she acted as an assistant coach for two seasons. From 2007-11 she was an assistant coach at Harvard before returning to her alma mater Providence College for six years as associate head coach. She then spent one season as an assistant at Yale during the 2018-19 season.

Ruzzi was critical to the turn-around of the Friars program that saw the program return to the national rankings and be one of the most competitive teams in Hockey East. She helped transform the defense from 136 goals allowed to 80 in just two seasons, while also improving the penalty kill from 78.1 percent to 87.1 percent – eighth best in the nation in her final year with Providence College (2017-18). In addition, she coached defender, Whitney Dove, to the Hockey East Rookie of the Year award in 2017.

Her involvement in hockey exceeds the collegiate ranks. She has been involved with USA Hockey since 2006, and served as an assistant coach for the Team USA U18 National Team that won the silver medal at the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships. In addition, Ruzzi has held various roles at National Development and District Camps, including as Director of the Rocky Mountain and Pacific District Development Programs.

A 2003 graduate of Providence College with a degree in finance, Ruzzi was team captain in 2002-03 and captured Hockey East Honorable Mention honors as well as national all-academic accolades. One of the most successful defensemen in program history, she helped the Friars to the ECAC Eastern title as a junior and the inaugural Hockey East title in 2003. She later earned a master’s in sports management from UMass in 2007.

Melissa Samoskevich is a native from Sandy Hook, Connecticut. She spent her high school days playing for Shattuck St. Mary’s. Following high school, she played her college career at Quinnipiac University from 2015-2019. In 2020, she began her time at Penn State University as an assistant coach of the women’s ice hockey team. In August of 2022, she came back to CT to serve as the Director of Player Development and Operations of the Quinnipiac Women’s Ice Hockey team while playing for the Connecticut Whale in the PHF.

Harper is from Minnetonka, Minnesota, she is currently in between coaching positions. She started her coaching career as a student coach in Minnesota. She was a member of the Montclair State University Women’s Ice Hockey Team. While on the MSU team she assisted in her team making it to the national championships for the first time. In 2019 Harper started to work with the New York Rangers youth programs. Here she was a head coach for the newly formed all girls league. As well as a coach for the Learn to Play and Rookie League programs. In 2021 she started coaching with the Peabody Youth Hockey Association as an assistant coach for their Squirt B team. In her time off the ice she works with 3d Lacrosse and 3Step Sports. 

Assistant coach Laura Schuler will begin her second consecutive season with the Bulldogs in 2022-23 after her triumphant return to UMD resulted in an NCAA championship title game appearance in 2021-22.

Schuler, who has now been a part of four NCAA Tournament teams with the Bulldogs, including three NCAA Frozen Fours and an NCAA championship in 2010, joined UMD after she was an advisor to the Quinnipiac University women’s hockey coaching staff during the 2020-21 season.  Schuler brought with with her an extensive resume of coaching and playing experience with Hockey Canada, as well as a college coaching career that had spanned over two decades.

As a player, Schuler competed for Hockey Canada after her collegiate career at Northeastern. She won three gold medals at the World Championships in 1990, 1992 and 1997, two gold medals at the Pacific Rim Championships in 1995 and 1996 and two gold and a silver at the Three Nations Cup in 1996, 1997 and 1999. She was also a member of the 1998 Canadian Olympic team and won a silver medal at the Winter Games. 

She began her coaching career in 2001 as the head coach of UMass Boston and later at her alma mater of Northeastern from 2004-2008.  Schuler became an assistant coach for the Bulldogs in 2008 and, over seven seasons, helped lead UMD to three NCAA Tournament berths, as well as an NCAA title in 2010. She then spent three seasons at the helm of Dartmouth College (2016-2020), with a one-year sabbatical during her tenure to guide the Canadian national team in the 2018 Olympics.

Schuler was named the head coach of the Canadian National Women’s Hockey team during the 2015-16 season and again for the 2016-17 season. She would later lead the national women’s team to the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang. Schuler and Team Canada went on to face the United States in the gold medal game; the U.S. would capture the gold medal in a thrilling 3-2 shootout win, and Canada took home the silver medal.

The Scarborough, Ontario native was also a Development Camp coach for Hockey Canada for five years (2008-13), an assistant with the National Women’s Team (2010-11), head coach of the U22 National Women’s Team (2011-12), assistant of the U18 National Team (2012-13) and head coach of the U18 National Team (2013-14).

Jessica Scott was promoted to assistant coach in September 2022 after joining the Gopher women’s hockey staff as the program’s director of operations in July 2019.

Scott joined Gopher Athletics after most recently spending three years as the head coach of the girls’ hockey program at Wayzata High School. She was named the Class AA head coach of the year in 2018 and received back-to-back Section 6AA coach of the year honors in 2018 and 2019. She was elected as president of the Minnesota Girls Hockey Coaches Association in February 2014 and served in the role until May 2018. After joining the Gophers, Scott served as the Director of Hockey Operations for the United States’ Silver medal-winning U18 Women’s National Team at the 2022 IIHF World Championships.

Prior to her time with the Trojans, Scott served as the girls’ hockey head coach at her alma mater Coon Rapids High School for five years. Her coaching experience also includes four years as an assistant coach at the University of St. Thomas, her collegiate alma mater.

Scott brings over 15 years of experience in athletic administration to her role at the University of Minnesota. She served as the program director for Minnesota Youth Athletic Services for over seven years where she honed skills in event planning, communication and conflict resolution, marketing, and fundraising. Scott’s high school coaching roles included planning games, practices, travel, meetings, and fundraising; maintaining community involvement with area youth hockey programs and schools; and implementing programs to build and grow youth hockey.

In addition, Scott’s previous experience includes serving as a consultant for Showcase Hockey in St. Louis Park, Minn., where she served as the director for the Dynamo Prep League and was the coach and administrator for U19 teams and tours to Europe. Her experience also includes a stint at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn., where she worked in ice sports programming.

A native of Coon Rapids, Minn., Scott graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in sociology in 2004 and added a Master of Education in Sport Management from the University of Minnesota in 2022. She played hockey for the Tommies in 2000-01, where she was All-MIAC and the leading scorer, before suffering a career-ending injury; a two-sport student-athlete, Scott was a three-time All-MIAC and two-time all-region goalkeeper in soccer for UST as well.

Kahlie Singletary is the head coach for the Nashville Jr. Predators U19 team and Assistant Coach for the Father Ryan Boys Varsity team. The 2021-2022 season marks Kahlie’s sixteenth year coaching at the U19 level.

Kahlie’s passion is giving girls an opportunity to train at an elite level while developing female leaders for collegiate hockey and life beyond. Her in-season curriculum goes beyond the x’s and o’s of hockey, implementing leadership and mentorship training programs and a coaching mentorship program. She also serves as the Girls/Women’s Committee chair for the Southern Amateur Hockey Association, covering six states. Her mission is to help programs create more opportunities for girls to participate in the sport. After an unprecedented number of families were leaving the affiliate to play Tier 1 as a means to play college hockey, Kahlie started a team in 2016 with a 7-year strategic plan to allow girls to stay home and achieve their long-term goals. In just six years, eleven seniors have committed to NCAA D1 + D3 programs, and ten have committed to play ACHA.

Along with being a level 4 USA Hockey Coach and Certified Functional Strength Coach, Kahlie holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business. She is pursuing her Master’s degree in Agricultural Leadership and Education.

Kahlie is a native of Farmington, MN, and resides in Lebanon, TN, with her husband, Josh.

A member of Canada’s national women’s hockey program from 1989-2008, Sunohara became the head coach of U of T’s women’s hockey program in 2011-12 after serving two years as the director of women’s hockey at The Hill Academy in Vaughan, Ont. She was previously an assistant coach with the Blues in 2004-05, as well as a camp coach with Hockey Canada’s under-18 and -19 women’s programs.

Sunohara guided the Blues to the 2019-20 OUA McCaw Cup – the program’s first provincial title since 2002-03. She was named both the OUA and U SPORTS coach of the year that season while also earning OUA female coach of the year honours across all sports.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist served as an assistant captain for seven years with Team Canada before retiring from an international competition in 2008. In addition to the 1998, 2002, and 2006 Winter Olympics, Sunohara has represented Canada in several international ice hockey competitions. In total, she won 15 gold and three silver medals as a member of Canada’s national team, finishing her career with 118 points (56 goals and 62 assists) in 164 games.

Sunohara also served as team captain for ten seasons with the Brampton Canadette-Thunder in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL), leading her team to two provincial and one national title.

Sunohara is no stranger to the University of Toronto. After attending Northeastern University on a full athletic scholarship from 1988-90, she played two seasons with the Blues, winning two Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Association (OWIAA) championship titles and earning rookie of the year honours in 1990-91. Following the conclusion of her hockey career, Sunohara returned to U of T and completed her bachelor’s degree in physical health education.

Miriam Thimm is currently the Head Coach for EC Bergkamen of the DFEL. In her first season behind the bench, she guided them to a fifth place finish. She also sits on the Ombudsperson in the DEL and DEL 2, an independent arbitration panel for cases of racism and sexism.

Thimm was the former Head Coach of the Women’s Bundesliga Team Düsseldorfer EG and a former German National Team player becoming the first black women to play for the National team. She previously served as part of the Coaching Staff for the professional men’s team in Germany Duisburger Füchse. In August 2021, Miriam was part of the Coaching staff as Hockey is Diversity Delegate to participate in the DEL Future Camp for U13 and U15 players. 

Miriam is a sport scientist with a specialty in Kinesiology and works as a history and physical education teacher at a high-school in Germany.

Lindsay Tilley is the founder and owner of Hockey Edge Agility Training – HEAT, which operates out of Morris County, NJ providing individual and team development opportunities year round. As a USFS Triple Gold Medalist, her focus is improving the technical aspect of each player’s skating game to include proper skating technique, maximum power, on-ice agility, and edge control. She believes that setting the foundation of good skating will increase the efficiency and effectiveness in a player’s game. She also works alongside two other HEAT instructors, Emily Janiga and Kristen Barbara of the PHF, to offer a full combination of skating and skill work for their clients. She is currently the power skating instructor for the Colonial Youth Boys and Girls Organization, the Morris County Kings Organization, and was formally the skating consultant for the Metropolitan Riveters Organization of the PHF.

Cassandra Turner enters her eighth season as the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey head coach and 14th with the program in the 2022-23 year.

In her first season as head coach, she enjoyed the best season in Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey history, leading the Bobcats to the program’s first ECAC Hockey Regular Season and Tournament Championships. Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey also hosted the first NCAA Tournament Home Game in school history and won 30 games for the first time in program history.

In 2014-15, Turner completed her seventh season as a member of the Bobcats’ coaching staff and fourth in the role of Associate Head Coach. During the 2014-15 season she concurrently served as the Head Coach of Canada’s U18 National Women’s Team through the World Championship. Her success in the game — as a recruiter, teacher of defensive skills, and role model for the highly motivated female athlete — has affirmed her place among the elite young coaches in the women’s game.

Her leadership, championship playing experience, international coaching experience and innovative approach to development have played a vital role in the resurgence of the Quinnipiac program.

Since her arrival at Quinnipiac in 2008, Quinnipiac has won 182 games, with 19 or more in each of her last eight seasons as an assistant coach, associate head coach, and now head coach. The program’s 119 wins and 45 losses, are the fifth most wins and fifth fewest losses in Division I women’s college hockey over the last five years.

As the program’s recruiting coordinator, Turner consistently demonstrated the ability to recruit elite level student-athletes and prepare them to succeed. Over the last nine years, Turner has helped identify and attract 17 All-ECAC Hockey selections, including five First Team honorees and six all-rookie selections.

Off the ice, Coach Turner led efforts to mentor and push team members in the daily pursuit of excellence. She structured the academic guidance program, created regular goal setting sessions, and consistently worked to enhance mental skills opportunities for Bobcat student-athletes. As a reflection of those efforts, 132 women’s ice hockey student-athletes have been named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team during the past 9 years, highlighted by a program record 22 in 2016-17.

In addition to her role with the Bobcats, Turner has been a longtime fixture within Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Programs as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. During her playing career, she represented Canada three times on the U-22 National Team from 2001-2003, highlighted by a Gold Medal finish at the 2003 Air Canada Cup. In 2014-15, she served as the Head Coach of Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team through selection, training, and the World Championship. She previously represented her home country as an assistant with the U-18 National Team at the 2011 and 2014 IIHF Women’s U-18 World Championships and with the Women’s Development Team in 2013.

As Team Canada’s U18 Head Coach, Turner led the team to the silver medal at the 2015 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Buffalo, New York with current assistant coach Amanda Mazzotta serving as the Goaltending Coach. Canada fell to the current Bobcat junior, Captain Melissa Samoskevich and the United States, 3-2, in the gold medal game.

Turner’s crowning achievement comes on the heels of her gold medal run in the 2014 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Budapest where she helped guide Canada’s U-18 Team to the world title in April 2014. Much of Turner’s success in coaching reflects her ability to share many of the valuable lessons learned during a playing career where she excelled at the club, university, and international level. She served as an assistant captain for Team Ontario’s gold medal winning 1999 Canada Games team.

Turner put together a decorated playing career at Brown University where she was a two-time captain. Brown was 83-33-12 during her four year career.

A steady, disciplined defenseman she played a key role in some of the most successful seasons in Brown Women’s Hockey history. During her four-year career, she led the Bears to two Ivy League and two ECAC Hockey Championships, as well as two appearances in the National Championship final. ECAC Coaches voted her to All-League Teams twice (First Team 2002, Second Team 2003). The New England Hockey Writers named her to their Division I All-Star team following the 2001-2002 season. She also earned First Team All-Ivy honors in 2002.

After Brown, she played two seasons in the NWHL for the Toronto Aeros Sr. Women’s Hockey Team. In 2003-2004, Turner helped lead the Aeros to the NWHL Regular Season Championship and the ESSO Women’s National Championship. The Aeros repeated their success at the 2005 ESSO Championship with Turner being named the event’s Most Sportsmanlike Player. Turner graduated from Brown University in 2003 with a degree in psychology, and earned a master’s degree in education from Elmira College in 2007. She lives in Wallingford, Conn. with her husband Paul, their son, Blake and their daughter, Adilee.

Ashley is in her tenth season as the Head Coach of the Winnipeg Avros and her eighteenth season as a head coach in Manitoba. She was also just recognized as the 2019-2020 BFL and Hockey Canada High Performance Coach of the Year for Manitoba. Ashley’s coaching career started after she had finished four years (2000-2004) with the University of Manitoba Bison Women’s Hockey Team .

From there, a passionate and driven Ashley entered the MWJHL (Manitoba Women’s Junior Hockey League) where she was the head coach for the Polar Ice for seven years. After several successful seasons, head coach of many All Star Games and two Provincial Championships with the MWJHL, Ashley made the jump and moved into the Provincial U18 AAA program in Winnipeg. Completing her education degree in 2007, Ashley has also spent time coaching in the WWHSHL (Winnipeg Women’s High School Hockey League).

Ashley also joined the U18 Team Manitoba staff as an assistant coach for the squad that traveled to Napanee in 2008 (bronze medal) and Halifax for the Canada Games in 2010. Showing her dedication to the female game in Manitoba, Ashley was selected as the Head Coach for the U18 Provincial Team that travelled to Dawson Creek, B.C. in November of 2012 where they captured silver after losing to Team Ontario in the finals. She is also the first coach in Manitoba selected to head coach the U18 Provincial team three times as she was on the bench with the squad at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C. and also competed at the U18 Nationals championships in Quebec City in November of 2017.

It was this commitment to hockey, her own personal successes in sport plus her dedication to her students and time spent coaching High School Athletics (Varsity Basketball, Badminton, Track & Field and Soccer) that won her two nominations for the Manitoba Women of Distinction Award.

Chelsea Walkland is entering her fourth season as an assistant coach for the Colgate University NCAA DI women’s hockey team and her twelfth season of coaching at the NCAA level.

During the 2021-22 season, Walkland helped lead the Raiders to their second consecutive ECAC Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Colgate claimed the ECAC Regular Season Championship and its first ECAC Conference Championship in program history during the 2020-21 season.

Walkland has served many roles within USA Hockey throughout her career and, most recently, in May 2020, was named to the USA Hockey U18 staff for the 2021 U18 World Championships. The tournament was postponed and was held in June of 2022, where Walkland helped guide the team to a silver medal.

Prior to Colgate, Walkland spent five years at Robert Morris University as an assistant coach. With her leadership at RMU, the Colonials were three-time defending College Hockey America Regular Season Champions and made an NCAA Final Eight appearance in the 2016-17 campaign.

Walkland spent the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons as an assistant coach at the State University of New York at Oswego. She helped Oswego State reach new heights as a program, breaking the school record for wins in a season with 12 in 2012-13 and 17 in 2013-14. The Lakers also finished third in the ECAC West in the 2013-14 season, which marked their highest finish ever in conference play.

Walkland began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant with the Rochester Institute of Technology, helping the Tigers to a 28-1-1 record and Division III national championship in 2011-12.

Walkland played forward for the Robert Morris University Colonials from 2006-2010 and served as an assistant captain during both her junior and senior seasons. She was a three-time College Hockey America (CHA) All-Academic Team honoree and was named the team’s “Players’ Player” award three times. Walkland graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Robert Morris University in 2010 and a master’s degree in instructional leadership from Robert Morris University in 2011.

A native of Rochester, NY, Walkland grew up playing for the Rochester Americans and Rochester Edge hockey programs. She and her wife, Cobina, reside in Hamilton, NY, with their sons, Calder and Corson, and daughter Campbell.

Maryland native Kim Weiss is the first ever female coach of a North American Junior Hockey team. Kim comes to the Black Bears after nine seasons with The Washington Pride, one of the most respected AAA girls hockey programs in the U.S. Additionally, Coach Weiss is a member of the National Hockey League Coaches Association Female Coaches Program and has been a featured speaker in their Mentorship program.

Kim had a decorated college hockey career at Trinity College in Hartford, CT including being recognized with 1st Team All-American and NESCAC Player of the Year awards in 2011. Serving as team captain her junior and senior years, Kim led her team to the NESCAC finals and an NCAA tournament bid for the first time in program history. She was a four-time All-NESCAC recipient, and is currently the program’s all time leading scorer. Kim was also a finalist for the Laura Hurd Award as Div. III Player of the Year. Additionally, she was awarded the Trinity Club of Hartford Award, given annually to the top senior female athlete of the college voted on by her fellow athletes.

Coach Weiss is involved with USA Hockey’s Player Development Camps in the summer as well as their Coaching Education Program. Kim is a USA Hockey Level 5 certified coach and graduated from Georgetown Visitation School in Washington, DC.

Carolyn is a girls youth ice hockey coach with the Chicago Hawks Hockey Club in Illinois. Formerly, she worked with Oakland Bears Ice Hockey in California helping develop their girls hockey program as well as coaching the Sharks Special Hockey team. She is passionate about the growth and development of women’s and girls ice hockey. Carolyn believe in the importance of coaching both the mental and physical game, with the goal of developing my players into healthy, lifelong athletes.

Jenn Wood is the President of the Washington Wild Female Hockey Association in Seattle Washington, which serves over 150 girls from ages 4-19 at both the recreational and rep levels. She has been coaching for 13 years at all levels from beginners to High School, and is passionate about her mission of growing hockey for all girls in the Pacific Northwest. Jenn is currently coaching 12UAA, and is having a blast! 

Sarah Zacharias is entering her fifth season as Director of Hockey and Head Coach of the Blazers. In 2019, Sarah led the Blazers to their first JWHL Championship in program history. Prior to taking the lead of the program, Sarah spent three seasons as the Blazers Assistant Coach and is also a former member of the Prep Program. After graduating from BH in 2008, Sarah took her academic and athletic abilities to play NCAA Division I hockey for the Niagara University Purple Eagles in the CHA’s.

After returning to Winnipeg, Sarah began working with the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Academy, a non-for-profit organization that teaches fundamental and development hockey to students ages 7-14. Sarah also joined the coaching staff of the MFMHL AAA Winnipeg Ice as the Assistant Coach. Sarah worked with the Ice for two seasons before coming back to her alma mater.

Sarah has worked with the U18 Team Manitoba for multiple seasons (2015,2016,2019). In 2015, Sarah helped guide the team to an impressive showing at the National tournament where they captured a silver medal in Huntsville, ON. Sarah was also on the bench as an Assistant Coach with the team in the 2019 Winter Canada Games in Red Deer, Alberta.

In 2019, Sarah was selected to be one of 30 women in Canada to represent Hockey Canada as part of the Women Master Coach Developer program. The We Are Coaches program is designed to increase the number of trained women coaches in Canada to provide women mentors and role models for young participants.