The New Hampshire Wildcats represent the University of New Hampshire. 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.
Season-by-season results Won championshipLost championshipConference championsLeague leader
Year Coach W L T Conference Conf. W Conf. L Conf. T Finish Conference Tournament NCAA Tournament2025–26Hilary Witt16163Hockey East101225th HELost Quarterfinals vs. Holy Cross Did not qualify2024–25Hilary Witt15173Hockey East111427th HELost First Round vs. Merrimack Did not qualify2023–24Hilary Witt18162Hockey East141123rd HEWon Quarterfinals vs. Vermont Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2022–23Hilary Witt12213Hockey East91538th HEWon First Round vs. Holy Cross Lost Quarterfinals vs. Vermont Did not qualify2021–22 Hilary Witt 11 21 2 Hockey East 9 16 1 8th HE Lost First Round vs. Merrimack Did not qualify2020–21 Hilary Witt 7 14 1 Hockey East 6 13 1 8th HELost Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2019–20 Hilary Witt 18 15 4 Hockey East 12 12 36th HE Won Quarterfinals vs. Providence Lost Semifinals vs. UConn Did not qualify2018–19 Hilary Witt 13 17 6 Hockey East 10 14 3 6th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston University Did not qualify2017–18 Hilary Witt 14 15 7 Hockey East 9 10 5 5th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2016–17 Hilary Witt 14 19 2 Hockey East 11 11 2 6th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston University Did not qualify2015–16 Hilary Witt 11 21 4 Hockey East 8 16 0 5th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Connecticut Did not qualify2014–15 Hilary Witt 10 23 3 Hockey East 6 13 2 6th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2013–14 Brian McCloskey 9 23 2 Hockey East 4 15 2 8th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston College Did not qualify2012–13 Brian McCloskey 14 16 4 Hockey East 10 8 3 4th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Providence Did not qualify2011–12 Brian McCloskey 10 22 3 Hockey East 4 15 2 6th HE Lost Quarterfinals vs. Boston University Did not qualify2010–11 Brian McCloskey 14 16 2 Hockey East 7 13 1 7th HE Did not qualify Did not qualify2009–10 Brian McCloskey 19 9 5 Hockey East 13 6 2 2nd HE Lost Semifinals vs. Boston University Lost First Round vs. Minnesota-Duluth 2008–09 Brian McCloskey 24 6 5 Hockey East 15 2 4 1st HE Won Semifinals vs. Providence Won Championship vs. Boston College Lost First Round vs. Minnesota-Duluth 2007–08 Brian McCloskey 33 4 1 Hockey East 20 1 0 1st HE Won Semifinals vs. Boston University Won Championship vs. Providence Lost First Round vs. Minnesota-Duluth 2006–07 Brian McCloskey 28 4 5 Hockey East 18 1 2 1st HE Won Semifinals vs. Connecticut Won Championship vs. Providence Lost First Round vs. St. Lawrence 2005–06 Brian McCloskey 33 3 1 Hockey East 19 1 1 1st HE Won Semifinals vs. Maine Won Championship vs. Boston College Won First Round vs. Harvard Lost Frozen Four vs. Minnesota 2004–05 Brian McCloskey 21 8 6 Hockey East 13 3 4 1st HE Lost Semifinals vs. Connecticut Did not qualify 2003–04 Brian McCloskey 23 9 4 Hockey East 17 1 2 1st HE Won Semifinals vs. Northeastern Lost Championship vs. Providence Did not qualify 2002–03 Brian McCloskey 27 7 2 Hockey East 13 2 0 2nd HE Won Semifinals vs. Maine Lost Championship vs. Providence Did not qualify2001–02 Karen Kay 19 12 5 ECAC Eastern 11 6 4 3rd ECAC E. Won Quarterfinals vs. Connecticut Lost Semifinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify2000–01 Karen Kay 17 17 0 ECAC 13 11 0 6th ECAC Lost Quarterfinals vs. St. Lawrence Did not qualify1999-00 Karen Kay 24 10 0 ECAC 17 7 0 4th ECAC Lost Quarterfinals vs. Northeastern Did not qualify1998–99 Karen Kay 23 7 5 ECAC 19 4 3 2nd ECAC Won Quarterfinals vs. Princeton Won Semifinals vs. Brown Lost Championship vs. Harvard Did not qualify1997–98 Karen Kay 31 5 3 ECAC Lost Championship vs. Brown 1996–97 Karen Kay 23 9 3 ECAC Lost Championship vs. Northeastern 1995–96 Karen Kay 24 5 2 ECAC Won Championship vs. Providence 1994–95 Karen Kay 23 10 2 ECAC Lost Championship vs. Providence 1993–94 Karen Kay 14 10 3 ECAC 1992–93 Karen Kay 17 5 2 ECAC Lost Championship vs. Providence 1991–92 Russ McCurdy 15 6 2 ECAC Lost Championship vs. Providence 1990–91Russ McCurdy 19 3 0 ECAC Won Championship vs. Northeastern (6-1) 1989–90 Russ McCurdy 20 3 1 ECAC Won Championship vs. Providence (5-2) 1988–89 Russ McCurdy 16 6 0 ECAC 1987–88 Russ McCurdy 15 5 1 ECAC 1986–87 Russ McCurdy 18 1 3 ECAC Won Championship vs. Northeastern (3-2) 1985–86 Russ McCurdy 18 3 1 ECAC Won Championship vs. Northeastern (6-3) 1984–85 Russ McCurdy 18 3 0 ECAC Lost Championship vs. Providence 1983–84 Russ McCurdy 16 4 0 ECAC Lost Championship vs. Providence 1982–83 Russ McCurdy 19 1 0 EAIAW Won Championship vs. Providence 1981–82 Russ McCurdy 18 1 1 EAIAW Won Championship vs. Providence 1980–81 Russ McCurdy 21 0 0 EAIAW Won Championship vs. Providence 1979–80 Russ McCurdy 20 0 0 EAIAW Won Championship vs. Providence 1978–79 Russ McCurdy 16 0 1 1977–78 Russ McCurdy 15 0 0
Team history
Pre-Varsity Club Seasons Women's hockey started as a club team at UNH in 1975. Of the original nine ECAC Division I teams, UNH and Dartmouth were the fifth and sixth universities to form club teams, preceded only by Brown University (then Pembroke College; 1963), Cornell University (1970), Providence College (1973), and Princeton University (1974).
Varsity Team
Inaugural Varsity Season (1977-1978) The women's team was first granted varsity status in 1977. Russ McCurdy left his position as a men's assistant coach at Yale to serve as the team's first head coach. McCurdy had helped get Yale a varsity women's ice hockey team, although he left to coach at UNH before their shared inaugural season (1977-1978).Text on Women's Hockey at Ingall's Ice Rink, New Haven, CT. Quote from Elly Dwyer McKenna '78 on the transition from club to varsity hockey: "Before we knew it, Yale had given us the JV boys' locker room (much to the JV's chagrin), uniforms, and a coach, Russ McCurdy."
UNH's inaugural team went undefeated in the 1977–78 season, finishing with a 15–0-0 record. The final game of the season was at Colby College with a 4-1 win.
Undefeated Years (1977 - 1982) The team continued to win under McCurdy, remaining undefeated for its first four seasons with a 72–0–1 record. In the 1978-1979 season, the team went 16-0-1, ending with an 8-2 win at UConn. In the 1979-1980 season, the team finished with a perfect 20-0-0, and won the inaugural Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) tournament championship 5-2 against Providence College. The team had a second consecutive perfect season in 1980-1981 with 21-0-0, again winning the EAIAW Championship against Providence.
Altogether, the team remained undefeated for its first four seasons. It had an unbeaten streak of 74 games (73-0-1) and a 57-game winning streak. The team lost their first game on December 8, 1981 during the 1981-1982 season.
Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) The Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) was the first sponsor of women's intercollegiate ice hockey. The conference began in the 1979-1980 season, and they held their inaugural tournament in 1979. Tournaments continued under their name until 1983. On February 2, 1983, UNH recorded its 100th victory in a 7-1 win against Dartmouth College.
The Wildcats won all four EAIAW championships.
Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) The Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) became the governing body for women's ice hockey in 1984. The Wildcats made it to the championships for the first two years, ultimately losing to Providence. They later won the championship tournaments four times under Coach McCurdy (1986, 1987, 1990, 1991) and once under Coach Karen Kay (1996).
On January 15, 1989, the team recorded its 200th victory in a 5-2 victory against St. Lawrence.
Late 90s and Early 2000s 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 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.
Coaches
Head Coaches
Russ McCurdy Russ McCurdy was the varsity team's first head coach. He coached the team for 15 seasons from 1977 to 1992, guiding the Wildcats to four EIAIW titles, eight ECAC championship games, and four ECAC championship titles. He left the program with an overall record of 264-36-10. As of the 2024–2025 season, he holds the highest winning percentage of any women's college ice hockey coach.
Russ passed away in 2024 at the age 84.
1992 IIHF Women's World Championship In April 1992, shortly after his final season at UNH, McCurdy served as Head Coach for the US women's hockey team at the IIHF Women's World Championship in Tampere, Finland. Six of the team's thirty players were from UNH including Ellen Weinberg, Karyn Bye, Sue Merz, Colleen Coyne, and Erin Whitten. The team brought home silver.
Russell J. McCurdy Gallery In 2006, the University of New Hampshire athletic department dedicated a wall in the Whittemore Center to Russ McCurdy. The wall is officially called the Russell J. McCurdy Gallery and displays the women's teams photos and headshots.
Karen Kay Karen Kay, former hockey player at Providence College, took over as head coach in the 1992-1993 season. She coached the team for 10 seasons between 1992 and 2001. Her record as head coach was 215-90-25. In 2012, she was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame.
1993 IIHF Women's World Championship Kay served as the US women's hockey team's head coach during the 1994 IIHF Women's World Championship in Lake Placid, New York, USA. The team include four former UNH players - Colleen Coyne, Erin Whitten, Karyn Bye, and Sue Merz. The team won silver.
Brian McCloskey Brian McCloskey, former assistant coach for the UNH men's hockey team, took over as head coach in the 2002-2003 season. He led the team to six Hockey East champion tournaments, four of which they won (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). McCloskey was fired midway through the 2013-2014 season after physically assaulting a player during a home game.