The New Hampshire Wildcats represent the

University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant college in Hanover in connection with Dartmouth College, mo ...

. They have won five ECAC championships between 1986 and 1996. When the Wildcats joined Hockey East, they won four Hockey East titles from 2006 to 2009. The Wildcats have more wins than any other women's ice hockey program at 668 in its first 32 years. The Wildcats went undefeated in their initial 74 games (73-0-1) spanning the 1978 through 1982 seasons. A UNH goaltender has been declared Hockey East Goaltending Champion in the first six years of the league's existence. From 2007 to 2009, UNH hosted NCAA Tournament Regional home games.

Year by year

History

The Wildcats competed in the first AWCHA Division I National Ice Hockey Championship. Contested in March 1998, the Wildcats defeated the Brown Bears by a 4-1 score, to become the first recognized national champion in women's college ice hockey. 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 Samantha Faber (born May 8, 1987) is an American ice hockey player. Faber competed for the New Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockey program in Hockey East. During the 2007–08 season, Faber set an NCAA record (since tied) for most game-winning ...

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.

Erin Whitten

Erin Whitten shut out Dartmouth College in her collegiate debut. She began her coaching career when she 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 on July 27, 2006.

First Outdoor Game

*The Northeastern University women's hockey team faced off against New Hampshire at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...

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

Kacey Bellamy Kacey Lee Bellamy (born April 22, 1987) is an American ice hockey defender for the Calgary section of the PWHPA, an Olympic Silver medalist, and seven-time IIHF World Women's Championship winner. She currently plays for the Boston Pride in the ...

Karyn Bye Karyn Lynn Bye-Dietz (born May 18, 1971) is a retired ice hockey player. She was the alternate captain of the 1998 Winter Olympics gold-medal winning United States Women's Hockey Team. In 1998, she was featured on a Wheaties box. She entered t ...

* Colleen Coyne * Tricia Dunn * Samantha "Sam" Faber (born 1987) * Samantha Holmes * Sue Merz * Kelly Paton *

Erin Whitten Erin Hamlen (born October 26, 1971) is an American retired ice hockey goaltender and the current head coach of the Merrimack Warriors women's ice hockey program in the Hockey East (HEA) conference of the NCAA Division I. She was among the first ...

(Four-year varsity goaltender at New Hampshire from 1989–93) *Carisa Zaban *In the 2009-10 season, Kelly Paton ranked near the top in several scoring categories in the NCAA. She ranked fourth in assists per game (1.00), fifth in points per game (1.59) and tied for sixth in points (51). She led the Wildcats in points (51), goals (19) and plus/minus (plus-16). Paton was named Hockey East co-Player of the Year and won the Hockey East Three Stars Award. In addition, Paton was a unanimous All-Hockey East First Team selection, three-time Hockey East Player of the Month and three-time Hockey East Player of the Week.

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 The American Women's College Hockey Alliance debuted in 1997-98. It was a program funded through the United States Olympic Committee/NCAA Conference Grant Program. The AWCHA organized and developed activities with collegiate women's varsity ice hock ...

) in 1998 at the FleetCenter in Boston. In that 1998 season, Brandy Fisher won the inaugural

Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is given to the top female college ice hockey player in the United States. The award is presented during the women's annual ice hockey championship, the Frozen Four. The award was first presented in 1998. The awa ...

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 *

, 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 The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is given to the top female college ice hockey player in the United States. The award is presented during the women's annual ice hockey championship, the Frozen Four. The award was first presented in 1998. The awa ...

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

*Nicole Kelly, 2020-21 Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team * Kristina Lavoie, 2010 WHEA All-Rookie Team

All Star Team

Courtney Birchard Courtney Birchard (born July 14, 1989) competes for the Canadian national women's ice hockey team. She made her debut for Team Canada in the 2010 Four Nations Cup. She was drafted 6th overall by the Brampton Thunder in the 2011 CWHL Draft. Bircha ...

, 2010 WHEA First-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 * 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)

Hockey East Monthly Awards

* Kelly Paton – New Hampshire, WHEA Player of the Month, October 2009 * Kelly Paton – New Hampshire, WHEA Player of the Month, November 2009 * Kelly Paton – New Hampshire, WHEA Player of the Month, February 2010

Other Awards

Winny Brodt Winny Brodt-Brown (born February 18, 1978) is an American former ice hockey player. She was the first winner of the Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award in 1996. She won a silver medal at the 2000 and 2001 IIHF Women's World ice hockey championships. She ...

, 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 Brandy Fisher (born October 28, 1975) is an American former ice hockey forward. She played for the New Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockey program and was the first ever winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award, awarded to the top female ice hockey p ...

, 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 The Sarah Devens Award is given as a joint award between the ECAC Hockey and Hockey East conferences to a women's ice hockey player. The criteria for the Devens Award is for a player who demonstrates leadership and commitment both on and off the ice ...

* 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

References

{{New Hampshire Sports Ice hockey teams in New Hampshire