By Jeff Powalisz
With no formal announcement and no warning to the Athletics Office, Northeastern University women’s hockey coach Joy Woog resigned last week, Athletics Director Dave O’Brien said.
Woog, who coached the team to a 13-13-8 overall record (7-9-4 Hockey East) last year, left the Athletics Office surprised at her decision.
“She just said that she’s interested in looking at other challenges and that she enjoyed her time here,” O’Brien said. “She wanted a different direction and we accepted it at face value.”
Woog came under fire during her third season at the head of the program, when she was accused of hitting Michelle Lorian, a member of the team, during a practice.
The coach then let go of Lorian and fellow Husky Pam Pachal shortly after the incident, citing “there were two cancers on our team and they were removed.”
Woog denied all allegations of mistreatment and wrongful incidents at the time.
“People are trying to make it a situation,” she said. “We are not the ones making an issue. We are moving forward and playing hockey.”
Lorian filed a civil action suit against the coach in May of 2003, claiming Woog caused her “extreme emotional distress” and “the actions and words of Defendant Woog’s conduct was severe.”
Woog coached the Huskies for four seasons during her tenure, including a 16-15-1 (13-10-1) record during the 2000-01 season, her first at the helm.
The 1995 graduate of Brown University found her greatest success with the team in her second year, when she led the Huskies to a 27-7-1 record, including a second-place finish in ECAC.
Woog coached All-American Erika Silva in 2001, national player of the year Brooke Whitney in 2002 and All-American goalie Chanda Gunn this past season.
The coach was recently named New England Coach of the Year.
“Joy’s resignation was a surprise,” O’Brien said. “She wants to do some other things, and she left a good nucleus on the team and we’re hopeful we’ll get a new coach on board as soon as possible.”
O’Brien said the Athletics Office just started its search for a new head coach.
“We’re just starting the process,” he said. “It’ll take the better part of a couple of months to go through the normal process.”
