Northeastern Huskies women's ice hockey | |
---|---|
Current season | |
University | Northeastern University |
Conference | Hockey East |
Head coach | Dave Flint 3rd year, 29–29–10 |
Arena |
Matthews Arena Capacity: 4,666 |
Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
Colors | Red and Black |
Conference Tournament Champions | |
ECAC: 1988, 1989, 1997 | |
Conference Regular Season Champions | |
HEA: 2012 |
The Northeastern women's ice hockey team represents Northeastern University. The Huskies play in the Hockey East conference.
The women's varsity hockey program started in 1980, and under former World Hockey Association all-star goaltender Don McLeod, who was named the coach the following season and led the program for ten seasons, became the first national power in collegiate women's hockey. Starting in the 1982–83 season, the lady Huskies had thirteen consecutive winning seasons, including six straight seasons of twenty or more wins between 1986–87 and 1991–92.
The program's best record was in 1987–88, when the undefeated squad finished 26–0–1, winning its first of three ECAC titles (the others coming in 1989 and 1997), at the time the effective national women's college championship. Northeastern has also been the ECAC finalist seven times, as well as winning fourteen women's Beanpot tournaments, including nine straight between 1984 and 1991–92. The Huskies' all-time best mark for wins was in 1996–97 with 27, a total equaled in 2001–02.
The program's career scoring leader is Hillary Witt with 113 goals and 95 assists for 208 points, while Fiona Rice is the career assists leader with 118. The single-season goal and points leader is Vicky Sunohara, with 51 goals and 78 points in 1988-89.
The Northeastern women have historically found success in the Beanpot, winning 17 of 36 tournaments and compiling a 48-23-1 record through 2014. The Huskies appeared in 16 straight finals, from 1983 to 1998, winning 13 of those tournaments, including 9 straight. The Huskies have qualified for the Beanpot finals 25 times through 2014:
Among notable players for Northeastern have been former Canadian national team captain Vicky Sunohara, United States national team goaltender Kelly Dyer who was also notably the second woman to play professional ice hockey in North America, United States national team goaltender Chanda Gunn, ten-time United States national team member Shelley Looney, 2002 collegiate women's player of the year Brooke Whitney, and long time Canadian national team member and Olympic medalist Laura Schuler.