RIT Tigers women's ice hockey
College ice hockey team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The RIT Tigers women's ice hockey team is one of two college ice hockey teams representing Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) conference of NCAA Division I. The team plays in suburban Rochester, New York at the Gene Polisseni Center. RIT alumna and former Tigers captain Celeste Brown has served as the Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach since July 2020.
5th season, 20–87–9[1][2]
| RIT Tigers women's ice hockey | |
|---|---|
 Current season | |
| |
| University | Rochester Institute of Technology |
| Conference | AHA |
| Head coach | Celeste Brown 5th season, 20–87–9[1][2] |
| Arena | Gene Polisseni Center Henrietta, New York |
| Student section | RIT Corner Crew |
| Colors | Orange, white, and black[3] |
| NCAA tournament champions | |
| Division III: 2012 | |
| NCAA tournament Frozen Four | |
| Division III: 2011, 2012 | |
| NCAA tournament appearances | |
| Division III: 2007, 2011, 2012 Division I: 2015 | |
| Conference tournament champions | |
| ECAC West: 2011, 2012 CHA: 2014, 2015 | |
| Conference regular season champions | |
| ECAC West: 2011, 2012 | |
The Tigers moved to NCAA Division I women's ice hockey as a member of College Hockey America (CHA) for the 2012–13 season, after many years at Division III as part of the ECAC West conference. The team's conference affiliation was transferred to Atlantic Hockey America following the merger of CHA and Atlantic Hockey in April 2024.[4]
History
RIT added women's varsity ice hockey for the 1975–1976 season. After many years in the ECAC East, RIT moved to the ECAC West league for the 2007–08 season. The team made three NCAA tournament appearances at the Division III level, in 2007, 2011, and 2012, with a record of 5–2 in tournament games. They lost their lone game in the 2007 campaign to Amherst College. In their 2011 campaign, the lady Tigers lost at home, in the Frozen Four final, to Norwich University.
In 2012, the Tigers won their first national championship, on home ice, against Norwich University. It was the third-ever national championship for RIT's athletic program and first in women's sports.[5][6]
On March 20, 2012, RIT announced that the women's team would move up to Division I for the 2012–13 season, as the men's team had six years prior, and join the College Hockey America conference.[7][8]
After a successful first season at the Division I level in which the team went 16–16–5, even after losing their first DI game 6–2 to the Mercyhurst Lakers, the Tigers advanced to the CHA semifinals where they fell to the Syracuse Orange, 2–1 in overtime.
The next season was yet another season to remember. The Tigers participated in the Frozen Frontier, a ten-day hockey festival at Rochester's Frontier Field. The Tigers fell 2–6 to the Clarkson Golden Kights. The Tigers went on to win eleven out of their last eighteen games and won the CHA championship 2–1 in double overtime against the team that defeated them in their first ever Division I game, the Mercyhurst Lakers.
In 2014–15, their first season at the 4,300-seat Gene Polisseni Center, the Tigers went 15–19–5 and finished in last place in the CHA. But they won every game in the 2015 CHA Tournament, beating Robert Morris and Mercyhurst in the leadup to their 2–1 victory over Syracuse in double overtime, to capture their second straight CHA championship. The trophy this year came with the CHA's first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, where the Tigers fell 2–6 to the eventual champions, #2 Minnesota.
In 2015, Bruce Bates, an MIT trustee emeritus and women's ice hockey season ticket holder, donated RIT's first athletic endowment to the women's ice hockey team, to support the head coach position.[9]
On July 10, 2018, it was announced that long-time head coach Scott McDonald would be stepping down as head coach of the women's hockey team. He left as the all-time victory leader for the women's team, compiling a 205-154-29 record in 12 seasons.[10] Chad Davis was announced as his replacement on August 22, 2018[11] with former Buffalo Beauts player Hannah McGowan being hired as assistant coach.[12]
On April 30, 2020, it was reported that RIT parted ways with Davis and McGowan as coaches. Davis compiled a 24-37-9 record in two seasons as head coach.[13]
On July 17, 2020, former RIT hockey player and captain Celeste Brown was named the next head coach of the program.[14][15]
Season-by-season results
| Won Championship | Lost Championship | Conference Champions | League Leader |
| Year | Coach | W | L | T | Conference | Conf. W |
Conf. L |
Conf. T |
Finish | Conference Playoffs | NCAA Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Celeste Brown | 16 | 18 | 0 | AHA | 11 | 13 | 0 | 4th AHA | Lost Quarterfinals vs. Syracuse (3–4 2OT) | Did not qualify |
| 2024–25 | Celeste Brown | 16 | 17 | 4 | AHA | 8 | 10 | 2 | 4th AHA | Won Quarterfinals vs. Lindenwood (4-0) Lost Semifinals vs. Penn State (2-3, 0-4) |
Did not qualify |
| 2023–24 | Celeste Brown | 13 | 19 | 3 | CHA | 7 | 12 | 1 | 4th CHA[16] | Lost Semifinals vs. Penn State (1–2, 0–4) | Did not qualify |
| 2022–23 | Celeste Brown | 4 | 26 | 2 | CHA | 1 | 13 | 2 | 5th CHA | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2021–22 | Celeste Brown | 2 | 27 | 4 | CHA | 1 | 12 | 3 | 5th CHA | Won First Round vs. Lindenwood (6-4) Lost Semifinals vs. Syracuse (3-2) |
Did not qualify |
| 2020–21 | Celeste Brown | 1 | 15 | 0 | CHA | 1 | 14 | 0 | 5th CHA | Lost First Round vs. Robert Morris (0–4) | Did not qualify |
| 2019–20 | Chad Davis | 12 | 19 | 4 | CHA | 5 | 13 | 2 | 5th CHA | Lost First Round vs. Penn State (1–4) | Did not qualify |
| 2018–19 | Chad Davis | 12 | 18 | 5 | CHA | 8 | 11 | 1 | 5th CHA | Lost First Round vs. Penn State (1–4) | Did not qualify |
| 2017–18 | Scott McDonald | 4 | 28 | 3 | CHA | 1 | 19 | 0 | 6th CHA | Lost First Round vs. Syracuse (1–5) | Did not qualify |
| 2016–17 | Scott McDonald | 7 | 27 | 2 | CHA | 4 | 14 | 2 | 6th CHA | Won First Round vs. Penn State (2–1) Lost Semifinals vs. Syracuse (0-4) | Did not qualify |
| 2015–16 | Scott McDonald | 8 | 27 | 1 | CHA | 4 | 15 | 1 | 6th CHA | Lost First Round vs. Penn State (0-2, 2–3) | Did not qualify |
| 2014–15 | Scott McDonald | 15 | 19 | 5 | CHA | 5 | 12 | 3 | 6th CHA | Won First Round vs. Robert Morris (3–1, 1–0) Won Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst (4–1) Won Championship vs. Syracuse (2–1 2OT) | Lost in First Round vs. Minnesota (2–6) |
| 2013–14 | Scott McDonald | 20 | 15 | 3 | CHA | 11 | 7 | 2 | 3rd CHA | Won First Round vs. Penn State (3–2 OT, 2–0) Won Semifinals vs. Robert Morris (4–1) Won Championship vs. Mercyhurst (2–1 2OT) | Ineligible (transition year) |
| 2012–13 | Scott McDonald | 16 | 16 | 5 | CHA | 7 | 8 | 5 | 3rd CHA | Won First Round vs. Penn State (1–0, 3–2 OT) Lost Semifinals vs. Syracuse (1–2 OT) | Ineligible (transition year) |
| 2011–12 | Scott McDonald | 28 | 1 | 1 | D-III ECAC West | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1st ECAC West | Won in Semifinal vs. Potsdam (6–1) Won Championship vs. Plattsburgh (5–1) | Won in First Round vs. Concordia (Minn.) (5–2) Won in Frozen Four vs. Plattsburgh (2–1 OT) Won Championship vs. Norwich (4–1) |
| 2010–11 | Scott McDonald | 26 | 2 | 2 | D-III ECAC West | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1st ECAC West | Won in Semifinal vs. Utica (2–0) Won Championship vs. Plattsburgh (2–1) | Won in First Round vs. Adrian (10–1) Won in Frozen Four vs. Middlebury (5–2) Lost in Championship vs. Norwich (2–5) |
| 2009–10 | Scott McDonald | 19 | 5 | 3 | D-III ECAC West | 13 | 3 | 2 | 3rd ECAC West | Won in First Round vs. Potsdam (5–0) Lost in Semifinals vs. Elmira (1–2 OT) | Did not qualify |
Current roster
- As of October 9, 2024[17]
| No. | Nat. | Player | Class | Pos | Height | DoB | Hometown | Previous team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Bailey Kehl | Senior | D | 5' 3" (1.6 m) | 2002-03-06 | Quincy, Washington | Okanagan Hockey Academy (CSSHL) | |
| 4 | Jessie Burks | Senior | D | 5' 4" (1.63 m) | 2003-02-28 | Sun Valley, Idaho | Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna (CSSHL) | |
| 5 | Bronwyn Khangsar | Senior | D | 5' 6" (1.68 m) | 2003-03-05 | Lewisville, Texas | Dallas Stars Elite (19U AAA) | |
| 6 | Athena Vasdani | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 2003-09-01 | Oakville, Ontario | Burlington Jr. Barracudas (OWHL) | |
| 7 | Kyla Bear | Senior | D | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 2003-07-05 | Ochapowace, Saskatchewan[18] | Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna (CSSHL) | |
| 8 | Kailey Favro | Freshman | F | 5' 2" (1.57 m) | 2006-05-23 | Danville, California | St. Mary's High School (US-HS) | |
| 9 | Jordyn Bear | Senior | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 2003-07-05 | Ochapowace, Saskatchewan[18] | Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna (CSSHL) | |
| 10 | Zoe Ziotas | Freshman | F | 5' 2" (1.57 m) | 2006-04-18 | Markham, Ontario | Durham West Jr. Lightning (OWHL) | |
| 11 | Brac Kelley | Freshman | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania | Northwood School (JWHL) | ||
| 13 | Addie Alvarez | Sophomore | F | 5' 5" (1.65 m) | 2005-06-30 | Rochester, New York | Syracuse Valley Eagles (19U AAA) | |
| 14 | Annie Burks | Senior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 2003-02-28 | Sun Valley, Idaho | Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna (CSSHL) | |
| 15 | Jaiden Fahrny | Junior | F | 5' 3" (1.6 m) | 2004-01-27 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Clarkson Golden Knights (ECAC) | |
| 16 | Megan McCormick (C) | Senior | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 2002-11-02 | Clarendon Hills, Illinois | Team Illinois (HPHL) | |
| 17 | Ireland Stein | Freshman | F | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 2006-12-15 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Saskatoon Stars (SFU18AAAHL) | |
| 18 | Lexi Sung | Junior | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 2004-09-03 | Great Falls, Virginia | Washington Pride (JWHL) | |
| 20 | Karly Kolssak | Junior | F | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | Wheeling, Illinois | Chicago Young Americans (19U AAA) | ||
| 21 | Camryn Brownschidle | Junior | D | 5' 6" (1.68 m) | 2004-01-12 | Clarence, New York | Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres (OWHL) | |
| 22 | Emma Pickering (A) | Sophomore | D | 5' 4" (1.63 m) | 2004-11-01 | Fishers, Indiana | Gilmour Academy (US-HS) | |
| 23 | Kylie Aquaro | Senior | F | 5' 4" (1.63 m) | Yardley, Pennsylvania | Philadelphia Jr. Flyers (19U AAA) | ||
| 24 | Lisa Rulle | Sophomore | F | 5' 4" (1.63 m) | 2005-01-24 | Pāle, Latvia | Luleå HF (NDHL) | |
| 25 | Addie Carr | Senior | D | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | 2003-08-03 | Glenview, Illinois | Chicago Young Americans (19U AAA) | |
| 26 | Nicole Ness | Graduate | F | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 2002-04-06 | Anchorage, Alaska | St. Cloud State Huskies (WCHA) | |
| 27 | Logan Marchese | Sophomore | F | 5' 3" (1.6 m) | 2005-06-15 | Mississauga, Ontario | Oakville Jr. Hornets (OWHL) | |
| 28 | Mia Tsilemos (C) | Graduate | D | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 2002-04-21 | Ottawa, Ontario | Nepean Jr. Wildcats (OWHL) | |
| 29 | Sophia Bellina | Junior | G | 5' 7" (1.7 m) | 2003-07-17 | Cleveland, Ohio | Culver Academy (US-HS) | |
| 30 | Sarah Coe | Senior | G | 5' 8" (1.73 m) | 2003-02-04 | Brooklin, Ontario | Whitby Jr. Wolves (OWHL) | |
| 40 | Brenna McNamara | Freshman | G | 5' 9" (1.75 m) | Keswick, Ontario | North York Storm (OWHL) | ||
| 43 | Madison Buziak | Freshman | D | 5' 4" (1.63 m) | 2006-02-26 | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Saskatoon Stars (SFU18AAAHL) |
Award winners
NCAA
Laura Hurd Award
The Laura Hurd Award is awarded annually to the national player of the year in NCAA Division III women's ice hockey.
- 2010–11: Sarah Dagg '11
Division III All-Americans
|
First Team
|
Second Team
|
ECAC West
Coach of the Year
- 2004–05: Mike Grainsky (co-winner)
- 2008–09: Scott McDonald (co-winner with Greg Fargo of Elmira College)[19]
- 2010–11: Scott McDonald
Player of the Year
- 2010–11: Sarah Dagg[20]
Rookie of the Year
Tournament MVP
- 2011: Kourtney Kunichika
All-Tournament Team
- 2011: Laura Chamberlain (G), Traci Galbraith (D), Kourtney Kunichika (F), Ariane Yokoyama (F)
- 2012: Laura Chamberlain (G), Kourtney Kunichika (F), Kolbee McCrea (F), Danielle Read (D), Kim Schlattman (F)
Atlantic Hockey America
The College Hockey America (CHA) conference merged with Atlantic Hockey to form Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) in 2024. Award history was carried over in the merge, i.e. CHA awards were integrated into the history of the AHA.
Player of the Year
- 2018–19: Terra Lanteigne (G)[23]
Best Defensive Forward
- 2014–15: Lindsay Grigg[24]
- 2016–17: Mackenzie Stone[25]
Individual Sportsmanship Award
Coach of the Year
- 2018–19: Chad Davis[23]
Goaltending Champion
The goaltending champion title is awarded to the goaltender with the best goals against average (GAA) in CHA play (only in-conference statistics are included). It should not be confused with the Goaltender of the Year award, which was introduced in the 2020–21 season.
- 2013–14: Ali Binnington (1.35 GAA)[23]
All-CHA
All-Rookie Team
Tournament MVP
All-Tournament Team
Weekly Honors
- Cassie Clayton, CHA Player of the Week (Week of March 9, 2015)[32]
- Ali Binnington, CHA Goaltender of the Week (Week of March 9, 2015)
Player histories
Sarah Dagg was recognized as the 2011 ECAC West Player of the Year after contributing to the Tigers program-record 26 wins. In addition, she helped the Tigers to their first conference regular season and post-season championships. Her points total for the season was 18 goals and 24 assists in 30 games.
In her senior season, Dagg advanced to the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship game. In her four seasons at RIT, the Tigers accumulated a won-loss record of 85–17–7, while finishing as the Tigers all-time leading scorer. Her career totals stand at 63 goals and 91 assists, while competing in 109 games. She is the Tigers all-time assists leader while recording three consecutive forty point seasons. In addition, she is second all-time at RIT with 20 power-play goals, while she stands tied at first place in shorthanded goals with nine.
Tigers in professional hockey
| = CWHL All-Star | = PHF All-Star | = Clarkson Cup Champion | = Isobel Cup Champion |
| Player | Position | Team(s) | League(s) | Years | Clarkson Cup | Isobel Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooke Baker[33] | Forward | Metropolitan Riveters | PHF | 1 | ||
| Celeste Brown[34] | Forward | New York Riveters Connecticut Whale |
PHF | 2 | ||
| Sarah Coe[35] | Goaltender | Ottawa Charge | PWHL | |||
| Kendall Cornine[36] | Forward | Metropolitan Riveters | PHF | 2 | ||
| Sarah Dagg[37] | Forward | Burlington Barracudas Brampton Thunder |
CWHL | 2 | ||
| Brinna Dochniak[38] | Defense | Connecticut Whale | PHF | 1 | ||
| Lindsay Grigg[39] | Forward | Buffalo Beauts HV71 Jönköping Markham Thunder |
PHF SDHL CWHL |
3 | 1 (2018) | |
| Kourtney Kunichika[40] | Forward | Buffalo Beauts | PHF | 3 | 1 (2017) | |
| Logan Land[41] | Defense | PWHPA | 1 | |||
| Terra Lanteigne[42] | Goaltender | PWHPA | 1 | |||
| Jetta Rackleff[43] | Goaltender | Worcester Blades Team New England |
CWHL PWHPA |
3 | ||
| Mallory Rushton[44] | Forward | Metropolitan Riveters | PHF | 2 | ||
| Kandice Sheriff[45] | Forward | Buffalo Beauts | PHF | 1 | ||
| Erin Zach[46] | Forward | Buffalo Beauts Toronto Furies |
PHF CWHL |
2 |
CWHL Draft picks
| Player | Draft year | Selection | Team |
| Sarah Dagg[47] | 2011 CWHL Draft | 16 | Burlington Barracudas |
| Katie Stack[47] | 2011 CWHL Draft | 23 | Toronto Furies |
| Erin Zach[48] | 2016 CWHL Draft | 32 | Toronto Furies |
| Jetta Rackleff[48] | 2016 CWHL Draft | 52 | Brampton Thunder |
PHF Draft picks
| Player | Draft year | Selection | Team |
| Kendall Cornine[49] | 2018 NWHL Draft | 6 | Metropolitan Riveters |
| Logan Land[50] | 2020 NWHL Draft | 26 | Buffalo Beauts |