Mandy Montgomery joined the SUNY Canton women's hockey program as assistant coach in July 2017 and the 2017-18 season will mark her first as assistant coach with the Roos.
The Roos posted 10 wins and a Colonial Hockey Conference Semifinal appearance in Montgomery's first year as an assistant. Junior Tess Adams was named the CHC Player of the Year and her and Sydney Jordan were both named First Team All-Conference. Brooke Susac and freshman Ashley Gillies were recognized on the Third Team, while Gillies also earned All-Rookie Team honors.
Montgomery joined the Roos program after one season as a volunteer assistant coach with Division I Colgate University during the 2016-17 season. The Raiders finished the season 22-11-3 overall including a 13-8-1 mark, good for sixth place in the highly competitive ECAC Hockey standings.
“Mandy keeps with the trend of hiring hard-working assistant coaches that are great role models for the young ladies of our program,” Head Coach Dave LaBaff said at the time of her hiring. “She brings an enthusiasm and willingness to learn that has already had an immediate impact on our team. She is the kind of person that is going to give everything she has to make this program the best for our players.”
Montgomery has an extensive hockey background, as she served as the director of girl’s hockey at the Hockey Training Institute (HTI Stars) in Mulmur, Ontario prior to her time at Colgate. Montgomery was responsible for recruiting players from all over the world for the girl’s winter hockey academy and summer training camps. She also directed on-ice and off-ice practices, focusing on skill development and strength and conditioning. Montgomery managed the team’s academic progress, equipment orders, game schedules and social media.
Montgomery has also been involved with USA Hockey at the Under-18 Camp as an intern coach in 2017, the Under-15 Camp as a team leader in 2015 and has her USA Hockey Level 3 Coaching Certification.
“I am very excited to join the women’s hockey program at SUNY Canton,” Montgomery said upon her hiring. “My experiences coaching at Colgate University, Hockey Training Institute, and USA Hockey have taught me a great deal about recruiting quality student-athletes, developing elite players, and managing organizations at the highest levels. I admire Dave’s commitment to building up the program, and I look forward to assisting him and the team this season in preparation to compete on the national stage.”
Prior to working at the Hockey Training Institute, Montgomery was an assistant coach at Sacred Heart. Montgomery designed and implemented practice plans for goaltender and defensive zone coverage as well as producing video analysis sessions.
Montgomery played ice hockey throughout her four years of college, starting at St. Norbert College from 2010-12 before transferring to Sacred Heart for her junior and senior seasons from 2012-14. In her career, she was 8-11-3 with a 3.30 GAA and .906 save percentage.
Montgomery graduated Summa Cum Laude from Sacred Heart with a Bachelors of Arts in English in 2014.
“Mandy brings a ton of experience with her coming from an elite D-I program like Colgate,” LaBaff added. “Not only will our players benefit from those experiences, but so will I. Mandy’s worldwide connections in the recruiting world, especially from her time at HTI, will be a huge asset for us as we keep striving to become more and more successful.”
