Amanda Adams, former women’s head coach of at Quinnipiac, has been named the new head coach at Southern Maine.
Adams, who spent the past year working on her master’s degree in education at the University of Denver, becomes the fourth head coach in the seven-year history of the Huskies program. She takes over from David Venditti, who resigned after four seasons to take the women’s head coach position at Colby.
“I am honored and thrilled to have been selected as the next head coach of the USM women’s ice hockey team. Southern Maine has been a school I’ve had my eye on for quite some time,” said Adams. “I was drawn to USM by the potential of the program for success, and the setting of USM in southern Maine. USM’s setting in [the Portland area], its extensive course offerings and its past success make the institution an attractive option for potential recruits.
“The team has had solid leadership and success in the past. I want to continue that success, but add to it by knocking off one or two nemeses each year until we win a league championship. That’s not likely to happen in one year, but I hope for it to happen within four years. I also want to continue to develop an alumni program and both youth and senior women camps and clinics on our campus.”
Adams talked about how pleased she was to be able to return to coaching, in a better environment.
“While I enjoyed my Division I coaching experience, I left because I felt that the goal in Division I was to win at all costs, at the expense, often, of the players and their long-term goals,” Adams said. “In Division III I feel that the needs and goals of the players are the focus and that’s how I believe it should be.
“Having served as a head coach before and as an assistant in the University of Maine system, I expect this to be a smooth transition. I’m excited to get to work and to get to know the team as players and individual.”
A four-year player at Yale (1993- 1997), Adams was the first recipient of that program’s “Bulldog Award,” given annually to the player for “courage, grit and determination on and off the ice” in 1997. She tallied 12 goals and 13 assists during her playing career.
After graduating from Yale, Adams began her collegiate coaching experience at Maine as an assistant during the 1998-99 season. She moved on to Minnesota State-Mankato as an assistant for the 1999-2000 season before being named the first head coach of the Quinnipiac program in 2000.
Quinnipiac played a limited schedule as a club team during the 2000-2001 campaign as Adams laid the foundation for the Bobcats’ first varsity season in 2001-2002. She guided the Bobcats to a 3-27-2 overall mark during their inaugural Division I season.
“I’m very excited to have Amanda join our staff. She has an outstanding background in the sport of women’s ice hockey, is well respected by her colleagues, and brings great enthusiasm to the position,” said USM athletic director Al Bean. “From my very first telephone conversation and throughout the interview process, I was extremely impressed with her as a person. She will be a great addition to our staff.”
USM will open the 2004-2005 season on the road Nov. 13 at MIT, followed by a two-game home series the next weekend (Nov. 19-20) against defending league champion Manhattanville. The Huskies finished the 2003-2004 season 14-10-1 overall and 10-6-1 in the ECAC Division III Women’s East.
