New Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockey

Pre-Varsity Club Seasons Women's hockey started as a club team at UNH in 1975. Of the original nine ECAC Division I teams, UNH and Dartmouth were the fifth and sixth universities to form club teams, preceded only by Brown University (then Pembroke College; 1963), Cornell University (1970), Providence College (1973), and Princeton University (1974). Varsity Team Inaugural Varsity Season (1977-1978) The women's team was first granted varsity status in 1977. UNH's inaugural team went undefeated in the 1977–78 season, finishing with a 15–0-0 record. On January 15, 2000, Carisa Zaban recorded her second straight hat trick (including her 100th career goal), while Samantha Holmes scored one goal and five assists. The Wildcats defeated Northeastern by a score of 9–1. 2006 to 2008 From 2005–06 to 2007–08, the Wildcats set school records with 33 wins in 2006 and 2008. The 2006 team broke seven team and three individual UNH records as well as four team and one individual NCAA records, and 14 team and five individual Hockey East records. In addition, the club had its first perfect season at the Whittemore Center in 2006 (17–0–0). In 2006–07, the club was ranked No. 1 in the nation during the 2007 season (ended at No. 4). The club's 28 wins in 2007 ranks fourth on program's single-season list. The following year, in 2007–08, New Hampshire was ranked No. 1 in the nation for eight weeks. The Wildcats ended the year #1 in the nation in penalty kill, #2 in offense, #2 in defense and #2 in power play. The 2008 Wildcats broke six Hockey East team records and tied two others en route to the league's first undefeated season. During the 2007–08 season, Sam Faber of New Hampshire set an NCAA record (since tied) for most game winning goals in one season with 13. ==Current Roster==

2022–23 Wildcats As of September 9, 2022. == Coaches ==

Head Coaches Russ McCurdy Russ McCurdy was the varsity team's first head coach. He coached the team for 15 seasons from 1977 to 1992, guiding the Wildcats to four EIAIW titles, eight ECAC championship games, and four ECAC championship titles. He left the program with an overall record of 264-36-10. 1992 IIHF Women's World Championship In April 1992, shortly after his final season at UNH, McCurdy served as Head Coach for the US women's hockey team at the IIHF Women's World Championship in Tampere, Finland. Six of the team's thirty players were from UNH including Ellen Weinberg, Karyn Bye, Sue Merz, Colleen Coyne, and Erin Whitten. The team brought home silver. Russell J. McCurdy Gallery In 2006, the University of New Hampshire athletic department dedicated a wall in the Whittemore Center to Russ McCurdy. The wall is officially called the Russell J. McCurdy Gallery and displays the women's teams photos and headshots. Karen Kay Karen Kay, former hockey player at Providence College, took over as head coach in the 1992-1993 season. She coached the team for 10 seasons between 1992 and 2001. Her record as head coach was 215-90-25. In 2012, she was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame. 1993 IIHF Women's World Championship Kay served as the US women's hockey team's head coach during the 1994 IIHF Women's World Championship in Lake Placid, New York, USA. The team include four former UNH players - Colleen Coyne, Erin Whitten, Karyn Bye, and Sue Merz. The team won silver. Brian McCloskey Brian McCloskey, former assistant coach for the UNH men's hockey team, took over as head coach in the 2002-2003 season. He led the team to six Hockey East champion tournaments, four of which they won (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). McCloskey was fired midway After leaving UNH, he served as the Head Coach for the Worcester Blades in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) during the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons. Assistant and Associate Coaches Ellen Weinberg Ellen Weinberg, former defense at UNH, served as an assistant coach while completing a graduate degree at UNH. She played on the US women's hockey team for the 1992 Women's World Championship and was named to the all star team. In 2026, she made headlines for serving as a player development consultant for the gold-winning US Women's Ice Hockey national team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She made headlines for helping the US women win gold while two of her sons were on the US Men's Ice Hockey national team who also won gold. Erin Whitten Erin Whitten, former UNH goaltender, joined the UNH women's ice hockey staff on July 17, 2000. On July 27, 2006, she was promoted to the position of associate head coach. Prior to coaching, Hamlen was the starting goaltender for the US women's hockey team from 1992 to 1997. She also played on the team in 1999 and 2001. Later, Whitten was the first head coach for the Worcester Blades in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). ==First Outdoor Game==

• The Northeastern University women's hockey team faced off against New Hampshire at Fenway Park on Jan. 8, 2010, in the first outdoor women's college hockey game ever played. The Wildcats came from behind to win the game by a score of 5–3, with a four goal rally in the third period. The 4 p.m. game played between the Huskies and Wildcats was the first game of a Hockey East Doubleheader. The men's teams at Boston College and Boston University played at 7:30 p.m. It was the 110th all-time matchup between the Huskies and the Wildcats. In the prior 109 matches, New Hampshire had a 73–28–7 record vs. the Huskies. ==Notable players==

• Jonna Albers • Kacey Bellamy • Courtney Bichard • Ava Boutilier • Winnie Brodt-Brown • Brianna Brooks • Karyn Bye • Kathy Bryant (Finished the 1979 season with 43 assists, the program's single-season record) • Colleen Coyne • Tricia Dunn • Samantha "Sam" Faber • Brandy Fisher • Gail Griffith (Scored the fastest goal in UNH history after giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead seven seconds into the game in 1979) • Samantha Holmes • Andria Hunter • Nicoline Jensen • Micaela Long • Cindy MacKay (Holds the school record by a defenseman at 108 points) • Julia Marty • Stefanie Marty • Meghara McManus • Sue Merz • Kelly Paton • Marie-Jo Pelletier • Katey Stone • Carlee Turner • Vilma Vaattovaara • Jenn Wakefield • Ellen Weinberg-Hughes • Taylor Wenczkowski • Erin Whitten (Four-year varsity goaltender at New Hampshire from 1989–93) • Carisa Zaban (former head coach for Brown women's ice hockey) ==Championships and accolades==

• UNH's history includes four consecutive EAIAW (Eastern Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) titles from 1980–83 and five ECAC titles (1986-87-90-91-96). • In 1998, New Hampshire won the inaugural women's ice hockey championship (sponsored by the American Women's College Hockey Alliance) in 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston. In that 1998 season, Brandy Fisher won the inaugural Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top women's collegiate player. Four Wildcats were also members of the 1998 gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic team. • ECAC titles (1990, 1991) • ECAC runner-up (1992, 1993) • Appeared in the Frozen Four in 2006 and 2008 • Hockey East regular-season champions in ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 • Hockey East Tournament champions in ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ==Awards and honors==

National Awards and Honors • Courtney Birchard, 2010 Women's RBK Hockey Division I All-America Second Team • Erin Whitten, USA Hockey Women's Player of the Year (1994 • Ava Boutilier, New Hampshire, Women's Hockey Commissioners Association Goaltender of the Month February 2020 Patty Kazmaier Award • Brandy Fisher was the inaugural Patty Kazmaier Award winner in 1998. • Finalists: Nicki Luongo in 1999, Carisa Zaban in 2000 and Kelly Paton in 2010 • Martine Garland, Top 10 Finalist for 2007 Patty Kazmaier Award • Kira Misikowetz, Top 10 Finalist for 2002 Patty Kazmaier Award Conference Awards All Rookie Team • Kira Juodikis, 2022 • Nicole Kelly, 2021 • Kristina Lavoie, 2010 WHEA All Star Team • Courtney Birchard, 2010 WHEA First-Team All-Star • Kira Juodikis, 2023, 2024, 2025 Third-Team All-Star • Micaela Long, 2010 WHEA First-Team All-Star • Kelly Paton, 2010 WHEA First-Team All-Star • Kristina Lavoie, 2010 WHEA Honorable Mention All-Star • Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, ECAC Division I (1991) • Erin Whitten, ECAC First Team (1992 and 1993) • Erin Whitten, ECAC All-Star Selection (equivalent to First Team status) in 1990 and 1991 Player of the Year • Kelly Paton, 2010 Hockey East Co-Player of the Year • Carolyn Gordon, 2003–04 Hockey East Player of the Year Rookie of the Year • Kristina Lavoie, 2010 Hockey East Rookie of the Year Goaltender of the Year • Erin Whitten, ECAC Goaltender of the Year (1992) Other Awards • Winny Brodt, 1998 AWCHA Tournament Most Outstanding player • Lindsey Dumond, New Hampshire, 2021 Hockey East Best Defensive Forward Award • Tricia Dunn, Forward, New Hampshire; 1996 ECAC All-Tournament Team • Brandy Fisher, F, 1996 ECAC Tournament most valuable player • Samantha Holmes, 1999–2000 New England Hockey Writers Association Women's Division I All-Star Team • Jen Huggon, All-America honors in 2003 • Carrie Jokiel, 2000 Sarah Devens Award • Micaela Long, 2010 Hockey East Scoring Champion • Nicki Luongo, 1999 American Women's College Hockey Alliance All-Americans, First Team • Kerry Maher, 1999–2000 New England Hockey Writers Association Women's Division I All-Star Team • Kira Misikowetz, Forward, 2001–02 New England Hockey Writers Women's Division I All-Star Team • Kelly Paton, Runner Up, 2010 Hockey East Scoring Champion • Kelly Paton, 2010 Frozen Four Skills Competition participant • Kelly Paton, 2010 Women's RBK Hockey Division I All-America First Team • Heather Reinke, Defense, 1996 All-ECAC Team • Heather Reinke, Defense, 1996 ECAC All-Tournament Team • Dina Solimini, Goaltender, 1996 ECAC All-Tournament Team • Dina Solimini, 1996 ECAC Honor Roll • Erin Whitten, UNH Department of Women's Athletics Athlete of the Year (1993) • Carisa Zaban, 1996 ECAC Honor Roll • Carisa Zaban, 1999 American Women's College Hockey Alliance All-Americans, Second Team • Carisa Zaban, 1999–2000 New England Hockey Writers Association Women's Division I All-Star Team • Carisa Zaban, 1999–2000 All-America selection ==Team Scoring Champions==

==Wildcats in professional hockey==