USA Hockey announced Wednesday that Katie Lachapelle (Lewiston, Maine), who brings more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience and is currently the head women’s ice hockey coach at Holy Cross, has been named head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team that will play in the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women's World Championship anticipated to take place in January 2021.
Joining her as assistant coaches will be Melanie Ruzzi, assistant women’s coach at Princeton University; Chelsea Walkland, assistant women’s coach at Colgate University; and Brianna Decker, a member of the gold medal-winning 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team. In addition, Alli Altmann returns to the staff as goaltending coach.
“We’re extremely fortunate to have Katie leading our team this season,” said Katie Million, director of women’s national team programs for USA Hockey. “She brings significant experience, including in international hockey, and has played an important role in our overall women’s national team program for several years. We’re also thrilled to have Mel, Chelsea, Brianna and Alli part of the coaching staff. Overall, we have a great group that is focused on helping bring a gold medal back to our country at the world championship early next year.”
Lachapelle is serving as head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team for the first time. However, she is no stranger to the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National program, having been an assistant coach for four straight seasons from 2013-17. During that time, she helped lead the U.S. to three gold medals (2015-17) and one silver medal (2014) in the IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship and was part of the staff of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that played in the U-18 Series against Canada each season. Lachapelle also has served as an assistant coach of the U.S. Women’s National Under-22 Select Team both in 2018 and 2019 and has been a coach at numerous national and player development camps over the past decade.
"I'm extremely honored and grateful to serve as head coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team,” said Lachapelle. “I'm excited for the challenge ahead, and I look forward to working with the best young players in the country. Thank you to USA Hockey for this opportunity.”
Lachapelle finished her third season, and first as head coach, with the Holy Cross women’s ice hockey team in 2019-20. She spent the first two seasons as the team’s associate head coach. The Lewiston, Maine, native helped increase the team’s win total in Hockey East by four in her first year as head coach and its conference point total by nine.
Prior to joining the Crusaders coaching staff, Lachapelle was an assistant coach for nine seasons at Boston University (2008-17). During that time, she helped the Terriers to five Hockey East titles and six NCAA tournament appearances, including two trips to the Frozen Four (2011, 2013) where the Terriers advanced to the title game both years. She also spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Ohio State University (2004-08) and prior to that was an assistant coach at Niagara University from 2001-04, highlighted by a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2002. She began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Union College for two seasons (1999-01). Lachapelle received the Women’s Assistant Coach Award from the American Hockey Coaches Association in 2013
The IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship is scheduled to be played for the 14th time in 2021. The dates and location of the tournament will be announced later this year. Team USA has captured a record eight gold medals in the IIHF U-18 Women's World Championship (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020) and has five silver medals (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019).
