After guiding New England College to its best season in his tenure, including a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament, head coach Mark Ostapina has resigned to become head coach at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
In six seasons at NEC, Ostapina guided the club to a 63-84-8 (.432) record. But this past year, the Pilgrims posted a 20-10-0 record and defeated the defending national champions Norwich, 2-1, to capture the ECAC East championship. NEC fell to Wisconsin-River Falls in the first round of the NCAA Championships.
Though MSOE is not known for being a national hockey power playing in the MCHA, a league that does not currently have an automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament, the move will bring Ostapina closer to his family. Ostapina is a native of Wisconsin and played for the University of Wisconsin in the late 1970s.
As for the challenge ahead, MSOE finished last in the MCHA last season with a 3-21-1 record, one year after setting a school record for victories with 13. Ostapina replaces Pat Hessenauer, who resigned from the head coach position in early April.
