July 16, 2007
Women’s Ice Hockey
BEMIDJI, Minn. - Bemidji State University head women’s
hockey coach Steve Sertich has announced
the hiring of Heather Farrell as assistant
women’s ice hockey coach. Farrell comes to BSU from
Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine where she was the women’s
hockey assistant coach for two seasons (2004-2006) and the
women's hockey interim head coach for one season (2006-07).
“Heather is going to bring WCHA experience after playing
four years of college hockey at The Ohio State University,
Sertich said. “She is a younger coach and will bring
some great enthusiasm to our program. She has great experience
in coaching as the assistant at Bowdoin College for two years
and then was the interim head coach last season, she brings
a good varied background to our team and coaching staff.”
Farrell comes to BSU after spending the 2006-07 season as
the women’s hockey interim head coach were she led the
Polar Bears to a 17-7-2 (.692) overall record and a 11-3-2
(.750) mark in the NESCAC. She also led the Polar Bears to
the NESCAC semifinals where they lost to Amherst 2-3 in overtime.
Prior to her stint as the women’s ice hockey interim
head coach, Farrell was an assistant coach at Bowdoin College
for two seasons, Farrell helped lead the Polar Bears to an
overall record of 54-21-4 (.709) and a 38-7-3 (.823) mark
in NESCAC competition. In 2004-05, her first season with the
Polar Bears, the team went 20-5-1 and 15-1-0 in conference
play.
"I am really excited to be back in the WCHA," commented
Farrell. "It is going to be great to be back in arguably
one of the best league's in the country."
In addition to women’s ice hockey interim head coaching
duties, Farrell was responsible for organizing all recruiting
efforts, was the assistant strength and conditioning coach
and was the women’s golf head coach during the 2006
season.
During the 2005 year Farrell oversaw events/game management
at Bowdoin College were she gained the opportunity to be the
NCAA Field Hockey Tournament Liaison in the fall of 2005.
Farrell also has extensive experience in coaching camps and
clinics. She has been the assistant director of the Bowdoin
Hockey Overnight Camp, the Director of the fall and spring
Bowdoin Hockey Clinic, along with working numerous ice hockey
camps and clinics over the past five years. She has worked
camps at The Ohio State University and the University of Connecticut,
along with working the Moe Tarrant’s Cutting Edge Showcase,
The Chicago Showcase and the USA Hockey New England Development
Camp.
Farrell began her coaching venture in the winter of 2003 when
she instructed mite level players in the fundamentals of hockey.
"I am looking forward to working with a coach like Steve
Sertich," said Farrell. "He has great knowledge
and experiences of the game of hockey."
Farrell is a 2004 graduate of The Ohio State University with
a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, a major in Sport
and Leisure Studies and a concentration in Sport Performance
and Coaching.
BSU’s assistant women’s hockey position was vacated
by both Jim Ingman and Sis Paulsen. Ingman left in mid-November
to take over a new women’s hockey program at Concordia
University, Wisconsin that will start in the 2007-08 season.
Paulsen left mid-June to take a assistant women’s hockey
coaching position at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Farrell will work closely with BSU’s defensemen and
will take over the strength and conditioning program for BSU’s
women’s ice hockey program.
Bemidji State is coming off a season in which it posted a
11-20-5 overall record going 9-15-4 in the WCHA to finish
sixth for the second consecutive season. The Beavers posted
22 points in conference play this last season, which is the
most points the Beavers have earned in WCHA play in its nine
year Division I era.
--bsu--
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