University of Maine women’s ice hockey coach Molly Engstrom will serve as the head coach of the U.S. Collegiate Women’s Select team for its three-game series against Canada later this week.
The series starts Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the 980 Rink in the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York. Thursday’s game starts at 2:30 p.m. and Saturday’s puck drop is 5:30 p.m.
The U.S. won last year’s series in St. Catharines, Ontario, two games to one. The U.S won the final game 7-1.
It’s a step up for Engstrom, who was an assistant coach a year ago and served as an assistant for the U.S. National Team in its rivalry series against Canada in 2022. Engstrom will inherit seven players from that 2024 team.
Her 25-member team will include 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies.
There will be seven players from the University of Minnesota, five from reigning NCAA champion Wisconsin, three from Cornell, two apiece from NCAA runnerup Ohio State along with Colgate and Northeastern, and one each from St. Cloud State, UConn and Minnesota-Duluth.
The player from UConn is forward Julia Pellerin, daughter of former UMaine Hobey Baker Award winner Scott Pellerin. Julia Pellerin spent the past two seasons at Boston College where she produced 32 goals and 21 assists in 72 games.
Engstrom is about to begin her fourth season behind the bench for the Black Bears.
She has posted an overall record of 41-57-7 including a Hockey East regular season mark of 33-41-7.
She was the runnerup for conference coach of the year in her first season (2022-23) in which her team’s 12 conference wins (12-13-2) tied for the most in school history.
The 42-year-old Siren, Wisconsin, native is a former two-time U.S. Olympian, who was chosen the best defenseman at the 2010 Olympics. She also played in six International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships for Team USA.
The former University of Wisconsin standout was an assistant coach at St. Cloud State in Minnesota before coming to UMaine.
UMaine was 11-21-3 a year ago, 10-14-3 in conference play, and lost to Boston College 4-3 in the Hockey East quarterfinals.
