By Madeline Sattler, News Correspondent
Freshman forward Kendall Coyne was 3 years old when her parents put her the ice for the first time. But they made one crucial mistake: They put her in figure skates.
“She looked up at me as a little tiny girl and said ‘This is boring,’” said Ahlise Coyne, her mother. “So we took those figure skates off her, put the hockey skates on her and she never looked back.”
Sixteen years later, Coyne is one of Northeastern’s top starters and a member of the US Women’s Ice Hockey Team.
Coyne is the second oldest of four kids and grew up in Palos Heights, Ill. Following her graduation from Carl Sandburg High School in Orlando Park, Ill., she moved to western Massachusetts for a post-grad year at the Berkshire School in Sheffield. Coyne played one season for the Bears and won the team’s Most Valuable Player award and the New England Prep School Player of the Year by the New England Preparatory School Ice Hockey Association.
Deciding where to play college hockey was not easy for Coyne. She narrowed her decisions came down to the University of Minnesota, Cornell University and Northeastern.
“I chose Northeastern because of the five-year program, co-op and just being in Boston,” the communications major said. “Also, I really liked the coaching staff here as a whole I thought it was one of the top coaching staffs as a whole in Hockey East.”
Northeastern finished the regular season with a 22-6-4 record, a Beanpot title and the university’s first Women’s Hockey East Association (WHEA) regular season championship.
Coyne led WHEA with 26 goals and is sitting at No. 2 in points with 45.
In her college hockey debut against the Syracuse University Orange Oct. 7, a 5-2 Husky win, Coyne was not only a starter but had an assist and added a late goal.
“She’s really stepped up and shown that she’s really a premier player in Hockey East,” head coach David Flint said.
Coyne also came up big in the clutch. Her three shorthanded goals and seven game-winning goals rank first in WHEA.
Coyne’s successes don’t just add up in the statistics book. Her effort on the ice took pressure off of some of the teams other star players.
“It’s definitely made my life easier playing with her,” teammate junior forward Casey Pickett said. “[It] has been a real honor and I think everyone could say the same.”
Coyne’s rookie season was noticed across the league: She was Hockey East player of the month for November and December, WHEA’s January Rookie of the Month, a four-time winner of the WHEA Rookie of the Week and has once been named Hockey East Player of the Week.
In addition to her Hockey East successes, Coyne was named a finalist for this year’s Patty Kazmaier Award, which The USA Hockey Foundation presents to the top player in division one women’s hockey based on season statistics, sportmanship, teamwork, character and life off the ice.
“The successes she’s had and will continue to have [are] not a fluke,” Ahlise Coyne said. “She’s worked hard and been so committed.”
Coyne’s achievements reach beyond college hockey as well. As a member of the United States national team for the past four years, she has won three gold medals.
“Putting on that jersey gives me the chills,” Coyne said. “It’s just an honor to have your name in the same sentence as a national team member.”
In April 2011, Coyne represented the United States at the Women’s World Championships in Switzerland. Playing against Slovakia in the first round, Coyne scored the United States’ first point of the game. She finished the tournament with four goals and two assists for team USA, helping the US to a first-place finish.
In November, Coyne and Northeastern assistant coach Hilary Witt went to Sweden for the Four Nations Cup. Coyne had three goals and three assists and was recognized as the US Player of the Game after a 10-0 rout of Finland.
“That’s an ultimate dream of any female hockey player,” Coyne said.
At the conclusion of the Huskies’ season, Coyne will head to Lake Placid to try for a spot on 2012 Women’s World Championship Team.
“I have to be ready for that and I think that’s my ultimate goal right now,” she said.
But her ultimate dream job is to become the first female scout in the Nation Hockey League.
“The sky is the limit with that kid,” Flint said.
