Season Outlook: Clarkson Looks to Challenge for Supremacy
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The following 2008-09 season outlook appeared September 17
on the Clarkson Web site.
With a new coaching staff, numerous veterans returning, and a
promising incoming class, there is plenty of anticipation for the
start of the 2008-09 campaign of Clarkson University Women’s
Hockey as the Golden Knights have high hopes of surpassing last
year’s success. Guiding the Green and Gold into their sixth
season of NCAA competition are first-year co-head coaches Shannon
and Matt Desrosiers, who played a key part in Clarkson’s rise
into an elite ECAC Hockey program serving in their roles as
assistant coaches with the team the past five and two years,
respectively. Joining the Desrosiers’ in guiding the Knights
are first-year assistant coach Matt Kelly, who comes over from
Quinnipiac, and former Clarkson standout Lindsay Williams, who will
act as a volunteer coach while pursuing her MBA at the
university.
Clarkson’s coaching staff will have a solid core to work
with as 15 letterwinners return from last year’s team, which
posted the program’s best record. Add in the promising group
of nine newcomers, and the Green and Gold should once again
challenge for one of the top spots in ECAC Hockey along with
pursuing their inaugural berth in the NCAA Tournament. Last season,
the Knights skated to a program-best 24-9-5 overall record,
including a fourth-place 13-6-3 ECAC slate. Clarkson finished
eighth in the final 2008 USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national
poll.
Senior defenseman Kimberly McKenney (Smiths Falls, ONT) and senior
assistant captains, defenseman Courtney O’Connor (Chicago,
IL) and forward Marie-Jo Gaudet (Sherbrooke, QUE) will lead a deep
and balanced Clarkson squad. The Knights should be strong in all
three areas of the ice with last year’s four top forwards
returning, an ECAC All-Star headlining the blueline, and with
perhaps the best goaltending tandem in the country manning the
crease.
Complete article can be accessed via the Clarkson Web site by clicking here.
