Manhattanville has named Lauren McAuliffe, an assistant last year, Interim Head Women’s Hockey Coach for the 2007-08 season after announcing Nicole Hall has left the program after six seasons to pursue other opportunities.
McAuliffe, who played four seasons at Division I Harvard before graduating in 2004, helped lead the 2006-07 Valiants to the ECAC East Tournament Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Last year’s Manhattanville team went 19-8-1 without a single senior on the roster, finishing the year ranked sixth in country and suffering all eight of their losses against teams ranked in the top ten.
“I am excited about this opportunity,” McAuliffe said. “This is where I want to be and what I want to be doing, and I look forward to coaching this talented group of student-athletes.”
While at Harvard, McAuliffe led the Crimson to back-to-back ECAC Championships, an Ivy League title in 2003 and Frozen Four berths in 2001, 2003 and 2004. A native of North Reading, Mass., McAuliffe played two seasons of professional hockey, spending the 2004-05 campaign with the Toronto Aeros and the 2005-06 season in Switzerland.
Hall, who had been with the Valiant program for six seasons – one as an assistant, five as head coach – won five consecutive ECAC East Tournament Championships during her tenure as head coach and four regular season league titles. Hall’s 114-24-6 (.813) career record includes five NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of Frozen Four berths, including a spot in the National Championship Game her first season.
“I am very appreciative of Nicole’s contribution to our women’s hockey program both as an assistant and head coach,” Manhattanville President Richard A. Berman said. “She has continued the team’s tradition of excellence in a very professional and student-athlete focused manner.”
