Northeastern Huskies women's ice hockey


The Northeastern women's ice hockey team represents Northeastern University. The Huskies play in the Hockey East conference.

History

The women's varsity hockey program started in 1980, and under Don MacLeod, 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. MacLeod was a former Massachusetts High School hockey coach at both Georgetown Junior-Senior High School and Saugus High School. 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, 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.

Year by year

YearCoachWLTConferenceConf.
W		Conf.
L		Conf.
T		FinishConference TournamentNCAA Tournament
2019-20Dave Flint3242Hockey East24301st HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Vermont
Won Semifinals vs. Maine
Won Championship vs. Connecticut 		Cancelled due to the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic in the United States
2018–19Dave Flint2755Hockey East21331st HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Vermont
Won Semifinals vs. Providence
Won Championship vs. Boston College 		Lost Quarterfinals vs. Cornell
2017–18Dave Flint19173Hockey East111124th HEWon Quarterfinals vs. New Hampshire
Won Semifinals vs. Maine
Won Championship vs. Boston College 		Lost Quarterfinals vs. Colgate
2016–17Dave Flint22123Hockey East14822nd HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Connecticut
Won Semifinals vs. Boston University
Lost Championship vs. Boston College 		Did not qualify
2015–16Dave Flint2891Hockey East20402nd HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Providence
Lost Semifinals vs. Boston University 		Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College
2014–15Dave Flint14175Hockey East11823rd HEWon Quarterfinals vs. New Hampshire
Lost Semifinals vs. Boston University 		Did not qualify
2013–14Dave Flint19142Hockey East13623rd HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Connecticut
Lost Semifinals vs. Boston University 		Did not qualify
2012–13Dave Flint23112Hockey East13713rd HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Vermont
Won Semifinals vs. Boston College
Lost Championship vs. Boston University 		Did not qualify
2011–12Dave Flint2274Hockey East15331st HELost Semifinals vs. Providence Did not qualify
2010–11Dave Flint16138Hockey East61055th HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Connecticut
Won Semifinals vs. Boston University
Lost Championship vs. Boston College 		Did not qualify
2009–10Dave Flint1797Hockey East9664th HELost Quarterfinals vs. Connecticut Did not qualify
2008-09Dave Flint12203Hockey East71316th HELost Quarterfinals vs. Boston University Did not qualify
2007-08Laura Schuler7243Hockey East61416th HEDid not qualifyDid not qualify
2006-07Laura Schuler5262Hockey East41527th HEDid not qualifyDid not qualify
2005-06Laura Schuler8241Hockey East61417th HEDid not qualifyDid not qualify
2004-05Laura Schuler3254Hockey East21536th HEDid not qualifyDid not qualify
2003–04Joy Woog13138Hockey East7944th HELost Semifinals vs. New Hampshire Did not qualify
2002–03Joy Woog9184Hockey East41015th HEDid not qualifyDid not qualify
2001–02Joy Woog2771ECAC Eastern15512nd ECAC E.Won Quarterfinals vs. Boston College
Won Semifinals vs. New Hampshire
Lost Championship vs. Providence 		Did not qualify
2000–01Joy Woog16151ECAC131015th ECACLost Quarterfinals vs. Brown Did not qualify
1999–2000Heather Lindstad2293ECAC15637th ECACWon Quarterfinals vs. New Hampshire
Lost Semifinals vs. Brown 		Did not qualify
1998–99Heather Lindstad2273ECAC18534th ECACWon Quarterfinals vs. Providence
Lost Semifinals vs. New Hampshire 		Did not qualify

Beanpot

The Northeastern women have historically found success in the Beanpot, winning 18 of 44 tournaments and compiling a 50-30-5 record through 2020. 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 28 times through 2020:
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. Chelsey Goldberg is now a professional ice hockey player.
In addition, the following Huskies have played on the United States national team: Tina Cardinale, Kendall Coyne, Kim Haman, Erika Silva, Jeanine Sobek, Brooke White, Hillary Witt. Additionally, current Husky Florence Schelling has been the goaltender of the Switzerland national team since 2004.
Hilary Witt
Witt came to Northeastern University in 1996 from Canton High School in Canton, Massachusetts. In hockey she played on the Assabet Valley Club team for four years while they won two National Championships. In her freshman year, she helped the Huskies to a 27-9 season and the 1997 ECAC Championship. Witt scored two goals, including the game winner, in the 3–2 title win over New Hampshire and as a rookie was named the tournament MVP. She led the team in scoring that season with 24 goals.
In Witt's sophomore season she led the team in scoring once again with 32 goals, and her 58 points. She was a nominee for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She was also voted All-ECAC. The team went 26-6-5 and qualified for the ECAC Tournament and the semifinals of the first ever women's hockey National Championship.
As a junior, Witt led NU with 27 goals, and was in the nation's top 10 in scoring. Once again, she was a Kazmaier nominee. The team went 25-7-3 and went on to the ECAC Tournament. Witt captained Northeastern's 1999–2000 team to a 22-9-3 season and another post-season appearance. She led NU in scoring with 30 goals for the fourth consecutive year. In terms of scoring, was in the nation's top 10, and was voted All-ECAC. Also, for the third year in a row she was a Kazmaier candidate. On February 10, 2010, she was inducted into the Women's Beanpot Hall of Fame. The induction honors her performance as a player for Northeastern in the annual tournament featuring the four Boston-area women's hockey teams. The ceremony was held prior to the Beanpot Championship game at Harvard's Bright Center.

Olympians

PlayerPositionNationalityEventResult
Kendall CoyneForward2018 Winter OlympicsGold
Kendall CoyneForward2014 Winter OlympicsSilver
Chanda GunnGoaltender2006 Winter OlympicsBronze
Julia MartyForward2006 Winter Olympics7th
Julia MartyForward2010 Winter Olympics5th
Alina MullerForward2018 Winter Olympics5th
Alina MullerForward2014 Winter OlympicsBronze
Karen NystromForward1998 Winter OlympicsSilver
Florence SchellingGoaltender2006 Winter Olympics7th
Florence SchellingGoaltender2010 Winter Olympics5th
Florence SchellingGoaltender2014 Winter OlympicsBronze
Florence SchellingGoaltender2018 Winter Olympics5th
Laura SchulerForward1998 Winter OlympicsSilver
Vicky SunoharaForward1998 Winter OlympicsSilver
Vicky SunoharaForward2002 Winter OlympicsGold
Vicky SunoharaForward2006 Winter OlympicsGold

Award Winners and Honorees

Patty Kazmaier Award
Division I All-American
Humanitarian Award
NCAA Sportsmanship Award
NCAA Today's Top 10 Award
Honda Inspiration Award
Conference Coach of the Year
Conference Player of the Year
Conference Rookie of the Year
Conference Goalie of the Year
Conference Defenseman of the Year
Bauer Goaltending Champion
Conference Tournament MVP
"Three-Stars" Award
All-Hockey East
All-ECAC Eastern
All-ECAC
Northeastern Hall of Fame
Most Valuable Player award
Bertagna Award
Hall of Fame