Women’s Ice Hockey: Muzerall named WCHA Coach of the Year during record-breaking season

Reid Murray
Fri, 08 Mar 2024 06:44:07 +0000
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Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall shakes WCHA interim commissioner Tracy Dill’s hand after the Buckeyes clinched the Julianne Bye Cup against St. Thomas on Feb. 17. Muzerall was named WCHA Coach of the Year on Thursday. Credit: Aiden Ridgway | Lantern Photographer

Nadine Muzerall was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Coach of the Year after leading the Ohio State women’s ice hockey team to its most conference wins in program history, the league announced Thursday.

The Buckeyes’ 26 regular season conference wins this season surpass last year’s record of 23.

Muzerall also became the winningest coach in Ohio State women’s ice hockey history Jan. 19 when the Buckeyes defeated then-No. 7 Minnesota Duluth 3-0 to give Muzerall her 179th win.

“She’s definitely the best coach I’ve ever had in my career,” graduate forward Kenzie Hauswirth said following the record-breaking Jan. 19 win. “If you look at what she did from the beginning of this program to where she’s at now, it’s amazing. She is our fearless leader and we all want to work for her. She’s built this amazing culture here that we all just buy into.”

Muzerall has now won each of the last three conference Coach of the Year awards and has won five times in her eight years at Ohio State.

This season, Ohio State has broken its records for season goals, assists and points, goals in a single game and shorthanded goals in a game. The Buckeyes have also tied their record for shorthanded goals in a season, and are two wins away from tying their program record for total wins in a season.

Ohio State is set to play in the WCHA semifinal for the seventh consecutive season on Friday against No. 8 Minnesota Duluth, streaming live on Big Ten Plus.