The Bowdoin College Athletic Department has announced the hiring of former Canadian National Team captain Stacy Wilson as the next head coach of the women’s ice hockey program. One of the most respected players in the sport of women’s ice hockey, Wilson will take the helm of one of the nation’s most successful Division III programs. The Polar Bears, who have posted a record of 120-33-9 since 2001, have won two NESCAC Championships and earned four NCAA Tournament berths during that span.
“We’re thrilled to have someone of Stacy’s stature to lead our women’s ice hockey program,” according to Athletic Director Jeff Ward. “She’s a wonderful person who will fit seamlessly in our campus community and a tremendous teacher that will greatly enhance the experience of our student-athletes.”
Wilson earned a reputation as one of Canada’s top players while leading Team New Brunswick at the National Championships from 1986-1993 and earned MVP honors while playing for the Maritime Sports Blades in the 1995 Tournament.
Her most notable impact was made on the international stage, as she scored three goals in five games while leading Team Canada to the 1990 World Championship. Over the next decade, Wilson collected a plethora of hardware, including gold medals in the 1992, ’94 and ’97 World Championships as well as gold at the 1995 and ’96 Pacific Rim Championships and in the Three Nations Cup in 1996. She became captain of Team Canada in 1995 and led the team to a silver medal in the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
Following her retirement as a player, Wilson served as an assistant coach for the Minnesota-Duluth women’s ice hockey team from 1999-2004. During that time, the Bulldogs captured the Division I National Championship three times (2001, ’02 and ’03). Elevated to associate head coach her final season, Wilson was part of head coach Shannon Miller’s ACHA Women’s College Coaching Staff of the Year in 2003.
Wilson received her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia in 1987. In 2004, she earned her Master’s degree in Education from Minnesota-Duluth. She also established and coordinated the Stacy Wilson Female Hockey School in 1995, which became one of the preeminent hockey camps in Canada. In 2000, Wilson authored “The Hockey Book for Girls” which was nominated for the British Columbia Red Cedar Book Award.
