University Brown University Arena/Stadium Meehan Auditorium League Division I (NCAA) | Head coach Robert Keneally Conference ECAC Hockey | |
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Location Providence, Rhode Island Colors Seal Brown, White, and Cardinal | ||
The Brown Bears women’s ice hockey program is a NCAA Division I ice hockey team that represents Brown University. The Bears play at the Meehan Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown women's hockey is the oldest women's hockey program in the United States. It was the first collegiate women's ice hockey program in the United States, started in 1964. The team was led from 1989 to 2011 by Head Coach Margaret ("Digit") Murphy, who became the winningest coach in Division I women's ice hockey history during her 18th season at Brown (2006–2007).
Contents
History
Brown University Women's Ice Hockey is widely regarded as being one of the premier collegiate programs globally. Several former players are Olympic medal winners.
In 1964, the Brown Bears men's coach Jim Fullerton arranged for Nancy Schieffelin to attend a team practice. She was an experienced player and came to the practice disguised in full uniform. A year later, Brown University would have the first women’s ice hockey program. The team was known as the Pembroke Pandas. The Pandas would have to borrow equipment, and sell hockey rule sheets at the Bears men's games to raise money for equipment. In February 1966, the Pandas (Brown Bears) women’s ice hockey team played their first game. Against the Walpole Brooms, the club lost by a 4–1 score.
In 1976, Brown would host the first ever Ivy League women's ice hockey tournament. The other competing schools were Cornell, Princeton and Yale. The Big Red would win the tournament.
Between 1994 and 1997, the Bears won three consecutive ECAC regular season championships. During that time span, the Bears were undefeated in the league during the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. The undefeated streak spanned 49 ECAC games. The Bears competed in the first AWCHA Division I National Ice Hockey Championship. Contested in March 1998, the Bears were defeated by the New Hampshire Wildcats by a 4–1 score.
In 1999–2000, Brown reach its second national championship final in three years. Coach Digit Murphy, who has been building the program since 1988, used virtually every player on her bench and eventually wore out opponents. She even went so far as to take the advice of a volunteer assistant coach by allowing her centers to take turns choosing the wings on their lines. The team withstood a season-ending ACL injury to its best player, U.S. Olympic defenseman Tara Mounsey, and went on to win nine straight games entering the 2000 national championship game.
Ali Brewer holds every Brown goaltending record for a season or a career. In her four seasons with the Bears, she posted a 1.37 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. In addition, she had 2,490 saves and posting 39 shutouts. Numerous records were set by Brewer including, a 0.94 GAA and .957 save percentage in her freshman season, 13 shutouts in her junior season, and 25 wins in her senior campaign. Another record that she holds is five consecutive shutouts, set her junior season, in which she blanked Cornell (3–0), St. Lawrence (5–0), Niagara twice (6–0 both games), and Colby (9–0).
During Brewer’s four seasons, the Bears never won fewer than 20 games in a season. The Bears won ECAC Championships in 1998 and 2000, with Brewer earning MVP honors during the 2000 Championship. The Bears also played in the AWCHA Tournament three times from 1998–2000, finishing as the National Runner-Up twice.
Olympians
Awards and honors
Alli McMillan '74 Award
Chelsea McMillan '98 Award
Sakuma Award
The Sakuma Award is a team award given for perfect attendance at practices and games.