MCHA Players of the Week
Plenty of storylines remain in place as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association enters the final month of the regular season. In the Southern Division, Adrian College and MSOE both swept weekend series to remain deadlocked heading down the stretch. The Bulldogs (6-1 and 9-2 winners over Finlandia) and Raiders (2-0 and 4-2 over Lawrence) are now tied at 12-1-1 in MCHA play and, coincidentally, 15-3-1 overall. A head-to-head series to close out the regular season looms the final weekend.
| Ryan McKelvie Named Head Men's Hockey Coach at Lake Forest College |
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| Written by Chris Zills |
Tuesday, May 03 2011 |
 Lake Forest College Athletic Director Jackie Slaats announced Monday that Ryan McKelvie has been selected as the fifth head coach in Forester men's hockey history. He takes over for Seamus Gregory, who served as interim head coach for the 2010-11 season.
McKelvie comes to Lake Forest after spending last season as an assistant coach at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The 2010-11 Seawolves posted their best Western Collegiate Hockey Association record since joining the league in 1993. He served as the team's recruiting coordinator and academic advisor and assisted the head coach in nearly every aspect of the program.
He spent the previous two years as the associate head coach of the expansion Wenatchee Wild in the North American Hockey League. The Wild were 92-33-7 in his two seasons with the team and finished among the top three teams in the nation in their first two years of existence. His responsibilities spanned all facets of the program, which was directed by Paul Baxter, a 12-year NHL assistant coach and four-year head coach in the AHL/IHL. McKelvie began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Bemidji State University from 2006-08. The Beavers posted a 22-10-8 record in College Hockey America play during his two years on staff and claimed a CHA regular season title in 2007-08. He served under head coach Tom Serratore, a three-time CHA Coach of the Year. His coaching experience also includes two years as the head coach of the '92 Minnesota Jr. Mavericks AAA team, eight years as a head coach at John Bazzachini's summer training, and four years as a coach at the USA National Select 15 and 17 festivals. McKelvie played at Minnesota State University from 2002-06 and is the first three-year captain in program history. He was also a three-time member of the WCHA Student-Athlete All-Academic Team and was nominated for the league's Scholar Athlete of the Year award. The 2002-03 Mavericks advanced to the NCAA Division I National Championship Tournament. McKelvie earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Minnesota State and is near completion of his master's degree (thesis pending) in sports studies from Bemidji State. "This was certainly one of the strongest head coaching candidate pools in my 20 years as athletic director and Coach McKelvie received broad support from all constituencies on campus," began Slaats. "I have high expectations for our hockey program and am confident that Ryan has what it takes to lead us to unprecedented levels of success, both on and off the ice. He has been extremely successful as a player and as a coach and we are fortunate to have him as the leader of our program. It is truly an exciting time to be part of Lake Forest College and Forester Hockey!" "I am extremely excited for the opportunity to lead the Lake Forest College men's hockey program," commented McKelvie. "It was clear throughout the interview process and during my visit to campus that my coaching goals align closely with those of the College. Recent enhancements to the rink and other athetic facilities at the College also strengthen my belief that Forester Hockey has the potential to be very successful." McKelvie and his fiancee Megan will relocate to Lake Forest in early June.
Press release courtesy of Lake Forest College Sports Information Department |