Memorable Moments of the 2017-2018 Mercyhurst Hockey Season

We’re in the offseason, which means recapping the ten most memorable moments of the 2017-2018 Mercyhurst Women’s Ice Hockey campaign, according to yours truly. 

Memorable Moment #10: Mercyhurst hires Kelley Steadman as assistant coach.

On June 30, 2017, Mercyhurst announced Kelley Steadman (Mercyhurst ’12) had been hired as an assistant coach for the women’s hockey team. Steadman came to Mercyhurst from the Robert Morris University Women’s Ice Hockey staff where she spent three years total, most recently in the role of Director of Hockey Operations. The career move coincided with Steadman’s retirement from pro hockey.

Coaching is a different skill from playing, but Steadman’s hockey playing career is so impressive that if hockey playing talent translates to coaching ability at all, and it surely does, this was to be a slam dunk hire. Beyond her potential ability to coach hockey, to have a player come back and join the coaching ranks is an endorsement of the program and puts an accessible, relatable coach in place for the benefit of all the current players of the program. 

Steadman’s hockey resume includes 132 points in 140 games as a Mercyhurst Laker, 11 most all time for a member of the program. She is a four-time regular season CHA champion, three-time CHA tournament champion, has four NCAA tournament appearances including two Frozen Four appearances and one national runner up outcome. At the pro level Steadman won a Clarkson Cup with the Boston Blades, and an Isobel Cup with the Buffalo Beauts. Steadman played for Team USA in two World Championships, winning gold in 2013 and 2011.

One can see why Steadman’s hiring was a memorable moment. In addition to her playing pedigree, the volume of programs she’s been associated with as a player and a coach provide her with immense and diverse hockey knowledge that will benefit any program she’s associated with. 

In a NWHL article announcing her retirement, Steadman talked about her transition to coaching:

“At 27, I don't feel my body slowing down and I don't feel as though I can't play anymore. I simply have another part of hockey that I am super-passionate about. I love growing the game and making an impact on the lives of girls and young women and Mercyhurst is the perfect place for me to step in and make a difference.”

One year into Steadman’s assistant coach tenure at Mercyhurst, the program has a 18-15-4 record, and a CHA tournament championship to its name. Not as importantly, but enjoyably for me, the arrival of Steadman coincided with an amped up social media presence for the team. Related? No idea. But I liked it, and I’m giving her credit. Here’s a link to the 2017-2018 hypevideo, if that's your thing.

Steadman joined the stable and successful coaching duo of Mike Sisti and Lou Goulet. Head Coach Mike Sisti has coached all 19 years of the program’s existence and currently has 462 wins, second most all-time in Division I Women’s Hockey. Associate Head Coach Lou Goulet (Mercyhurst ’02) has coached at Mercyhurst since 2008, after concluding his hockey playing career in the ECHL and AHL.

Other active women’s hockey coaches who were once a part of Mercyhurst’s staff over its 19 year history include Paul Colontino (RMU), Delaney Collins (Canada U18), Maria Lewis (New England College), and Jim Fetter (Okanagan Hockey Academy).

A lot of things need to go right to have a winning hockey team, and coaching is one of the most important things on the list. Given the importance of coaching and her impressive hockey resume, the hiring of Kelley Steadman is a 2017-2018 memorable moment.