2008 Woodie Awards
Going for gold
Houle named assistant coach to Team USA Women's Hockey
Ryan Hayner
Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: Sports
Originally published: 9/20/07 at 9:46 PM EST
Last update: 9/20/07 at 9:50 PM EST
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Since that time the women's hockey team has won three more ECAC-West titles and has made four trips to the NCAA tournament, including last season's title win.
Houle will help coach Team USA at the Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden on Nov. 7-11, the Holiday Camp on Dec. 26-Jan. 1 in Lake Placid, the IIHF World Women's Championship in Harbin, China on April 4-13, 2008 and training camps in Ann Arbor, Mich. and Colorado Springs.
He has already attended one event, the USA Hockey Women's National Festival in August.
"It was great hockey and it was a good learning experience for me and kind of an eye opener of what's ahead," Houle said.
The Four Nations Cup presents the only scheduling conflict with his coaching duties for PSUC, where the women's hockey team has two games against Oswego on back-to-back days.
Assistant Coach Erin O'Brien will take over coaching duties for those games.
Houle said O'Brien, a former two-time All American entering her third season as a coach, is very capable of handling the coaching responsibilities.
He added that it is unfortunate he has to miss games.
Senior defenseman Julie Devereux said she doesn't think it will be a problem.
"Erin's a great coach and we look up to her a lot so I think that we'll strong and come out and play hard no matter what," she said.
Although they won't be there, PSUC's women's hockey team will reap the benefits from their head coach's experience.
"Anytime you're coaching with that level of athlete and when you're coaching with different coaches you're going to pick things up and learn from some great coaches so certainly I think it's going to be a great learning experience that can translate to our team," Houle said.
Houle's commitment only lasts through the 2007-2008 schedule, but he said he wouldn't be opposed to continuing the position longer.
"That'd be great," he said. "I don't know, it's my understanding that they will have a new set of coaches next year but I'm not 100 percent sure of that either."
Houle will help coach Team USA at the Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden on Nov. 7-11, the Holiday Camp on Dec. 26-Jan. 1 in Lake Placid, the IIHF World Women's Championship in Harbin, China on April 4-13, 2008 and training camps in Ann Arbor, Mich. and Colorado Springs.
He has already attended one event, the USA Hockey Women's National Festival in August.
"It was great hockey and it was a good learning experience for me and kind of an eye opener of what's ahead," Houle said.
The Four Nations Cup presents the only scheduling conflict with his coaching duties for PSUC, where the women's hockey team has two games against Oswego on back-to-back days.
Assistant Coach Erin O'Brien will take over coaching duties for those games.
Houle said O'Brien, a former two-time All American entering her third season as a coach, is very capable of handling the coaching responsibilities.
He added that it is unfortunate he has to miss games.
Senior defenseman Julie Devereux said she doesn't think it will be a problem.
"Erin's a great coach and we look up to her a lot so I think that we'll strong and come out and play hard no matter what," she said.
Although they won't be there, PSUC's women's hockey team will reap the benefits from their head coach's experience.
"Anytime you're coaching with that level of athlete and when you're coaching with different coaches you're going to pick things up and learn from some great coaches so certainly I think it's going to be a great learning experience that can translate to our team," Houle said.
Houle's commitment only lasts through the 2007-2008 schedule, but he said he wouldn't be opposed to continuing the position longer.
"That'd be great," he said. "I don't know, it's my understanding that they will have a new set of coaches next year but I'm not 100 percent sure of that either."
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