McCann hired as Salve Regina head women's ice hockey coach

NEWPORT, R.I. - Salve Regina University director of athletics Colin Sullivan announces the hiring of Beth McCann (Westerly, R.I.) as the school's head coach for women's ice hockey. McCann brings her 15-year experience as a collegiate head coach (304-128-26; .660 winning percentage) to the reigns of the Seahawk women's ice hockey program, as her daughter, Murphy, enters her senior season as a goalie on the Salve Regina field hockey squad.

"We are thrilled to welcome Beth to the Salve women's ice hockey family," Sullivan said. "Her wealth of experience and track record as a head coach will clearly be an asset to our program."

McCann founded the University of Rhode Island club ice hockey program and has served as its only head coach since 1999. Building the club program from scratch, McCann has achieved many professional goals including the development of new opportunities for women's ice hockey at both the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) level and regionally.

She led the initiative of the ACHA to create the women's National Select Team Development Camp and Program. The culmination of that effort was the inaugural participation of the ACHA women in international competition in France in 2010.

McCann directed all activities of the women's ice hockey team at URI including: budget, recruiting of qualified student-athletes, game and practice preparation and schedule, supervision of assistant coaches, monitoring academic progress of student-athletes.  As a club sport head coach, she was also responsible for fundraising for the program.

A two-time ACHA Coach of the Year (2005, 2008), McCann coached her Rhody squads to nine titles during 11 years of participation in its regional league, the Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League (ECWHL). They also had nine ACHA final four appearances.

"Having participated first-hand in some of the early history, and growing pains, of women's ice hockey," says McCann, "I have become a passionate advocate and voice for the female scholar-athlete. I have endeavored to do so in a way that promotes fairness and collaboration among university administrators, men's program leaders, and USA Hockey executives so that the end result is a win-win for the sport, the athletes and the universities."

As a former NCAA Division I hockey player, and captain, at Northeastern University, McCann can relate to female athletes "who need to be encouraged and inspired to achieve their personal best at increasingly higher levels of competition. I've emphasized the importance of team bonding and the cultivation of a team culture characterized by a strong work ethic, dedication and discipline, and an unselfish commitment to playing well together, for only in unison will a team exceed the sum of the individual members to achieve its goals."

McCann has spearheaded the ACHA to have its women now represent the USA at the World University Games, sponsored by USA Hockey, and as a result its student-athletes have an international experience and a higher standard of sportsmanship and competition to which to aspire.

Salve Regina women's ice hockey opens its 2014-15 NCAA varsity schedule hosting Holy Cross on Friday, November 7 at St. George's Ice Rink (Middletown, R.I.).