Katie Lachapelle with players Natalie Snodgrass, Alex Woken and Cayla Barnes after winning the 2016 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship as an assistant coach.
photo: Jana Chytilova / HHOF-IIHF Images
Growing up, Katie Lachapelle always had a feeling that she was going to coach hockey. Now, over 20 years after taking an assistant coach position with Union College immediately after graduating from university, Lachapelle is leading the United States’ U18 players and an all-female coaching staff into the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship on home ice in Madison, Wisconsin.
A former NCAA player with Providence College, Lachapelle credits her parents, who were both coaches, and her college ice hockey and field hockey coach, World Championship gold medal winning Jackie Barto, with helping guide her towards coaching as a full-time job.
“I just think [Barto] kind of sparked my passion a bit more,” said Lachapelle. “I graduated and I went on vacation with some classmates and roommates and got home and about two days later I moved to New York to start coaching at Union.”
After stints as an assistant coach at Union College, Niagara University, Ohio State University and Boston University, Lachapelle moved to College of the Holy Cross, where she was an associate head coach for two years before taking on the head coach position. She’s no stranger to the national team program, having served as an assistant coach for the United States’ U22 and U18 women’s teams, winning three golds and one silver at the U18 Women’s World Championships.
Joining Lachapelle in her first gig as national team head coach are assistant coaches Mel Ruzzi, Chelsea Walkland and Sydney Brodt, as well as goaltending coach Alli Altman.
“It took us a second to realize that [we had an all-female staff], because we’re just used to saying, ‘who do we think would be a good fit?’ It just kind of worked out that way,” said Lachapelle.
“Two years ago when we didn’t know if we could be able to go and watch tournaments, be able to go and do things to really help evaluate our talent, [Ruzzi and Walkland] kept popping in my mind as people that I know who have some experience in the program, knew all the players. I had a lot of faith that with limited scouting opportunities, the two of them would do a fantastic job helping us build our team.”
Ruzzi is currently in her first season as head coach at Brown University, having previously held assistant coach roles at Harvard, Providence, Yale and Princeton. Walkland – who, like Lachapelle, transitioned to working with NCAA teams immediately after graduating from college – is currently an assistant coach with Colgate University. Altman, a former Minnesota State and Minnesota Whitecaps goaltender, has worked with Lachapelle several times before with the U18 team.
While Ruzzi, Walkland and Altman were named to the team in late 2021, Brodt was added as an assistant coach when the World Championship were moved from January to June. A former Team USA forward who is lined up to play with the Minnesota Whitecaps this fall, Brodt will be making her coaching debut.
“[These coaches] are the staff that we knew would be able to get the young women on the right track right away,” said Lachapelle. While USA Hockey was able to safely hold selection camps for the U18 women’s team, they have faced new challenges and opportunities throughout their preparation for the World Championship. However, this hasn’t dampened their excitement.
“[The team is] fired up and ready to go. They got a group chat going as soon as the team was announced, so they’re taking steps even without the coaching staff to make sure that they’re already bonding and getting themselves together.”
The majority of the USA roster is new to the international stage, with just two returning players from 2020, forwards Danielle Burgen and Kirsten Simms.
“I think it’s a really mature group. A good mix of ages,” said Lachapelle. “We’re just really excited. We don’t know how other countries have been doing over the last two years, and so it’s going to be kind of neat to see where everybody’s at.”
As the 2021 tournament was cancelled, the Americans will be looking to defend their gold medal from 2020 and add on to the five golds they have won at the last six U18 Women’s Worlds. Despite the obstacles brought on by the pandemic, Lachapelle is confident that her team is ready to perform and is eager to see what this next chapter in her coaching career will bring.
“I don’t know if there’s really anything else I would really ever want to do. It’s really hard at times... but I think there’s just something to this profession. It kinds of feeds me,” said Lachapelle. “When you really sit down and think about what you do, being able to have an impact on student athletes – and also the impact they have on your life – I think it’s a pretty awesome thing. I honestly can’t picture myself doing anything else.”
The 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship will be played in Madison and Middleton in the state of Wisconsin starting on Monday.
A former NCAA player with Providence College, Lachapelle credits her parents, who were both coaches, and her college ice hockey and field hockey coach, World Championship gold medal winning Jackie Barto, with helping guide her towards coaching as a full-time job.
“I just think [Barto] kind of sparked my passion a bit more,” said Lachapelle. “I graduated and I went on vacation with some classmates and roommates and got home and about two days later I moved to New York to start coaching at Union.”
After stints as an assistant coach at Union College, Niagara University, Ohio State University and Boston University, Lachapelle moved to College of the Holy Cross, where she was an associate head coach for two years before taking on the head coach position. She’s no stranger to the national team program, having served as an assistant coach for the United States’ U22 and U18 women’s teams, winning three golds and one silver at the U18 Women’s World Championships.
Joining Lachapelle in her first gig as national team head coach are assistant coaches Mel Ruzzi, Chelsea Walkland and Sydney Brodt, as well as goaltending coach Alli Altman.
“It took us a second to realize that [we had an all-female staff], because we’re just used to saying, ‘who do we think would be a good fit?’ It just kind of worked out that way,” said Lachapelle.
“Two years ago when we didn’t know if we could be able to go and watch tournaments, be able to go and do things to really help evaluate our talent, [Ruzzi and Walkland] kept popping in my mind as people that I know who have some experience in the program, knew all the players. I had a lot of faith that with limited scouting opportunities, the two of them would do a fantastic job helping us build our team.”
Ruzzi is currently in her first season as head coach at Brown University, having previously held assistant coach roles at Harvard, Providence, Yale and Princeton. Walkland – who, like Lachapelle, transitioned to working with NCAA teams immediately after graduating from college – is currently an assistant coach with Colgate University. Altman, a former Minnesota State and Minnesota Whitecaps goaltender, has worked with Lachapelle several times before with the U18 team.
While Ruzzi, Walkland and Altman were named to the team in late 2021, Brodt was added as an assistant coach when the World Championship were moved from January to June. A former Team USA forward who is lined up to play with the Minnesota Whitecaps this fall, Brodt will be making her coaching debut.
“[These coaches] are the staff that we knew would be able to get the young women on the right track right away,” said Lachapelle. While USA Hockey was able to safely hold selection camps for the U18 women’s team, they have faced new challenges and opportunities throughout their preparation for the World Championship. However, this hasn’t dampened their excitement.
“[The team is] fired up and ready to go. They got a group chat going as soon as the team was announced, so they’re taking steps even without the coaching staff to make sure that they’re already bonding and getting themselves together.”
The majority of the USA roster is new to the international stage, with just two returning players from 2020, forwards Danielle Burgen and Kirsten Simms.
“I think it’s a really mature group. A good mix of ages,” said Lachapelle. “We’re just really excited. We don’t know how other countries have been doing over the last two years, and so it’s going to be kind of neat to see where everybody’s at.”
As the 2021 tournament was cancelled, the Americans will be looking to defend their gold medal from 2020 and add on to the five golds they have won at the last six U18 Women’s Worlds. Despite the obstacles brought on by the pandemic, Lachapelle is confident that her team is ready to perform and is eager to see what this next chapter in her coaching career will bring.
“I don’t know if there’s really anything else I would really ever want to do. It’s really hard at times... but I think there’s just something to this profession. It kinds of feeds me,” said Lachapelle. “When you really sit down and think about what you do, being able to have an impact on student athletes – and also the impact they have on your life – I think it’s a pretty awesome thing. I honestly can’t picture myself doing anything else.”
The 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship will be played in Madison and Middleton in the state of Wisconsin starting on Monday.