Turner Named Assistant Coach at Colgate

HAMILTON, N.Y. - Colgate head coach Scott Wiley has announced the hiring of Cassandra Turner as an assistant coach.

"I'm excited to have Cassandra on board as we enter into an exciting time in Colgate women's ice hockey," said Wiley. "With her of level experience, I am certain that she will not only help our program continue to grow but will accelerate our progress. She adds a fresh perspective to our staff, and our program will benefit from her knowledge and enthusiasm for the game."

"I'm honored to join the Colgate women's hockey staff and know it will be an outstanding professional opportunity," said Turner. "The program reached many exciting milestones in 2006-07, competing in the ECACHL semifinals for the first time in program history and posting the most successful season to date. The enthusiasm and support on campus is overwhelming and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to help these talented student-athletes reach their goal of becoming a name synonymous with ECAC Hockey."

A 2003 graduate of Brown University, Turner was a four-year letterwinner on the Bears women's ice hockey team as a defenseman.  A two-time captain, Turner played in two national championship games and helped Brown to two ECAC league titles in 2000 and 2002.

During her first year, the Bears were crowned ECAC champions and were national runners-up in the American Women's Hockey Coaches Association (AWHCA) National Championship. In 2001-02, Turner garnered first-team all-ECAC and first-team all-Ivy accolades as Brown captured the ECAC title. The Bears reached the NCAA Frozen Four Championship game but fell to Minnesota Duluth, 3-2. In her final season, Turner was named second-team all-ECAC and all-Ivy.

A native of Campbellford, Ont., Turner was a member of three Canadian National U-22 Teams, and won three Air Canada Cups with the squad.  In 2002 she was selected to attend the Canadian National Team Development Camp.

In 2003, Turner joined the Toronto Aeros of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) and won two ESSO national championships.

In 2005, Turned was hired at Elmira College to work with both the varsity and junior varsity women's ice hockey team while enrolled in the graduate program. For two years, Turner was an assistant with the varsity team and head coach of the JV team.

Two-time national champions, the Soaring Eagles were selected to the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2005-06, but bowed out to Plattsburgh in the quarterfinals. The following year Elmira ranked No. 5 in the final national poll but had its season ended again by national champion Plattsburgh in the ECAC West Championship. The Soaring Eagles excelled in special teams play, with the No. 1 penalty kill in the nation (94%) and the third best power play (25.6%) in the nation.

Turner received her master's degree in education from Elmira in the spring of 2007.

She begins her duties at Colgate on June 18.