E-mail this pageMeet the Women's Ice Hockey Staff
Kevin Houle, Head Coach
Head coach Kevin Houle enters his fourth season guiding the fortunes of the Plattsburgh State women's hockey team. In three short years, he has built the Cardinals into one of the top Division III programs in the nation with three NCAA tournament appearances, including a national runner-up finish last March, three Eastern College Athletic Conference West Division regular-season championships and a 69-16-4 overall record for a .798 winning percentage.
Houle punctuated that resume last season when he piloted the Cardinals to their best season ever since the women's program was founded in 2001. He was named the national coach of the year by the American Hockey Coaches' Association (AHCA) after Plattsburgh set school records for victories (26-3-1), win percentage (.883), home unbeaten streak (29 games), home winning streak (18) and overall winning streak (14) and spent the last five weeks atop the United States College Hockey Online coaches' poll. He coached six all-conference players, including ECAC West Co-Player of the Year Jenn Clarke, and three All-Americans, including Clarke who finished third in the national player of the year balloting. The 2005-06 campaign--which saw Plattsburgh sweep ECAC regular-season and tournament titles--was made even more impressive considering that Houle regularly used 10 freshmen in the lineup.
In 2004-05, Plattsburgh (21-7-1) earned its second consecutive NCAA Tournament semifinals berth and Houle his second of three ECAC West Coach of the Year awards. The Cardinals went 11-1 during ECAC West play to claim a share of the regular season crown. Erin O'Brien (now Houle's top assistant coach), Carolyne Roy and Elizabeth Gibson earned All-America honors.
Houle took the coaching reins on April 29, 2003 from Scott Dockett, the program's first coach, and served an interim basis during the 2003-04 season. Houle inherited a squad that went 18-5 the season before with no NCAA trips and molded Plattsburgh into a 22-6-2 club that won its first ECAC West title with a perfect 12-0 conference ledger and advanced all the way to the national semifinals on the Cardinals first try. He accepted the job permanently later that summer. Gibson became the school's initial first-team All-American and both O'Brien and Roy joined her on the coaches' all-star team.
Houle originally came to Plattsburgh in 1989 to work on the men's side and become former B.C.
teammate and current Cardinals coach Bob Emery's top assistant. He was promoted to associate coach in 1994 and held that position until heading up the women's program three years ago. The duo saw the Cardinals to NCAA championships in 1992 and 2001 and nine State University of New York Athletic Conference titles, including six straight from 1996 to 2002, both SUNYAC records. In addition, the Cardinals advanced to 10 NCAA tournament and seven Final Fours while winning 328 games. Houle was involved in the recruiting and development of 11 All-Americans, five SUNYAC Players of the Year, six conference Rookies of the Year and nine SUNYAC Tournament MVPs. In 2002, he was honored by the AHCA with the Terry Flanagan Award, which recognizes the career body of work by a men's assistant coach.
Prior to coming to Plattsburgh, Houle coached in the New England College Development League, a prep league for high school athletes who have aspirations to play hockey at the collegiate level.
Houle was a fifth-round draft pick, and No. 103 overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League's 1982 Entry Draft, but opted instead to attend Boston College on an athletic scholarship. A four-year letterman for the Eagles, he recorded a career-high 12 assists during his sophomore year and scored a career-best 11 goals to earn the team's most improved player award as a senior.
Then he played professionally during the 1986-87 season in the Canadiens' farm system, splitting time between their American Hockey League affiliate Sherbrooke Canadiens and the Saginaw Generals of the International Hockey League.
After suffering an injury that season, Houle worked as a scout for the Montreal organization for two years.
A 1986 graduate of Boston College with a bachelor of science degree in communications, Houle earned his master's degree in leadership administration from Plattsburgh State in 1997.
Houle attended Acton Boxborough High school in Acton, Mass., where he was a teammate with former NHL players Bob Sweeney and Tom Barrasso. Houle, who also competed in football, was a Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Star in both sports.
He and his wife Tracey have three children: son KJ and daughters Tagan and Molly.
Erin O'Brien, Assistant Coach
After a four-year playing career for the Plattsburgh State Cardinals, Erin O'Brien joined the coaching staff as Kevin Houle's top assistant beginning with the 2005-06 season. Involved with all administrative aspects of the program, O'Brien last year helped Plattsburgh to the Eastern College Athletic Conference West Division regular-season and tournament championships and a national runner-up finish in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
As a player, O'Brien twice earned All-America honors, making the first team as a senior and second team during her junior year, and was a three-time All-ECAC West First Team selection. O'Brien finished her career among the school's all-time leaders with 85 points (4th), 26 goals (7th), 59 assists (4th) and eight power-play markers (4th)--all records for a defenseman.
The Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Final Four in each of O'Brien’s last two seasons and had an 82-22-5 record during her collegiate career.
O'Brien graduated from Plattsburgh in May 2005 with a bachelor of science degree in childhood education. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education, also at the institution.
O'Brien, 25, grew up in Pickering, Ontario.
Contact Information
For more information about Women's Ice Hockey at Plattsburgh State, please contact:
Coach Kevin Houle
Phone: (518) 564-4243
E-mail: houlekj@plattsburgh.edu