Kevin Houle, one of the most decorated coaches in the history of college hockey, enters his 23rd season as Plattsburgh State's head women’s ice hockey coach in 2025-26.
He is the winningest active coach by winning percentage in the women's ice hockey in all divisions of the NCAA with a .865 winning percentage (517-69-28) and has guided the Cardinals to seven NCAA Division III national championships, seven Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's West championship titles, five Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) championships, and one State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title. Houle has won more American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women's Division III Coach of the Year honors (seven) than any other coach in the award's history, and he has had at least 20 wins in every season behind the Cardinal bench. He has mentored 31 AHCA All-Americans, 23 of whom have won multiple All-America accolades, and he has had four student-athletes win the Laura Hurd Award, which is given annually to the top student-athlete in Division III women's ice hockey.
In 2024-25, Houle became the third coach in NCAA Division III history to achieve the 500-win mark with a 3-1 road victory of SUNY Canton on Nov. 22, 2024. Houle joined Middlebury's Bill Mandigo and Gustavus Adolphus' Mike Carroll in Division III to achieve the milestone, becoming the seventh member of the 500-win mark in Division III women's ice hockey history. The Cardinals finished the year 20-7-1 (14-3-1 SUNYAC), and captured their first SUNYAC Title in their second year in the league, defeating No. 8 Cortland in the semifinal round and No. 5 Oswego State in the Championship game, both by scores of 2-0. The Cardinals hosted a first-round NCAA Tournament game and fell 1-0 to Elmira College. Houle coached one All-American in Mattie Norton, who earned Second Team accolades as well as First Team All-Confernece honors.
The 2023-24 season was the Cardinals' first in the SUNYAC and saw the team finish 22-5-1 and 16-2 in league play. The Cardinals fell in the conference championship game to Cortland, but earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, earning the second overall seed. The team fell to Middlebury in NCAA Tournament play, snapping the team's 10-year streak of NCAA Division III Tournament semifinal appearances. Houle coached the SUNAYC Player of the Year in Julia Masotta, who also earned First-Team All-American honors along with Kendall Wasik. Houle and his staff of Julia Duquette and Kassi Abbott were each named the SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year after the team's strong regular season.
The 2022-23 campaign marked Plattsburgh State's 10th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament semifinals in addition to its 10th straight conference championship. The Cardinals went 26-3-0 overall (17-1-0) and wound up defeating SUNY Cortland, 2-0, in the NEWHL championship game to put an exclamation mark on its tenure in the NEWHL; Plattsburgh State won the league title in all five years of the conference's existence. The Cardinals defeated defending NCAA champion Middlebury College, 4-2, in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Tournament and wound up falling to eventual national champion Gustavus Adolphus College, 3-2, in double overtime in the semifinals. At the conclusion of the season, Houle, assistant coach Julia Duquette, student assistant coach Hanna Rose, and goalie coach Kassi Abbott earned NEWHL Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Sierra Benjamin and Sara Krauseneck each earned their second consecutive All-America kudos, with Benjamin earning First-Team honors and Krauseneck receiving Second-Team distinction.
Houle helped the Cardinals reach their ninth consecutive NCAA Division III semifinal and win their ninth straight conference championship in 2021-22, as Plattsburgh State went 26-3-1 overall (17-0-1 NEWHL). Plattsburgh State won in dramatic fashion in a pair of playoff games, edging SUNY Cortland in overtime, 4-3, in the NEWHL championship game before beating Colby College, 3-2, in overtime in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament. Four Cardinals earned CCM/AHCA All-America honors, with Annie Katonka and Erin McArdle earning First-Team accolades and Krauseneck and Benjamin receiving Second-Team mention.
In 2019-20, Houle guided the Cardinals to a 26-1-0, 18-0-0 Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL), record and the Cardinals' third consecutive NEWHL Tournament title. It marked the Cardinals' eighth consecutive conference title overall counting the five Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West championships they won in the final years of that conference. Plattsburgh State, which earned the NEWHL's automatic bid into the 2020 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship, was scheduled to host Norwich University in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament when the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier in the season, Plattsburgh State set the record for the longest home winning streak in NCAA women's ice hockey history as the Cardinals defeated Oswego State, 3-0, on Nov. 9, for their 29th consecutive home win. The Cardinals' home winning streak stands at 40 games. Plattsburgh State also set the NCAA Division III women's ice hockey record for the longest overall winning streak with its 26th consecutive win over then-No. 7 UW-River Falls as part of the Panther/Cardinal Classic on Nov. 30, in Middlebury, Vt. Houle coached three CCM/AHCA All-Americans, six All-NEWHL selections (five All-NEWHL First Team selections), including the NEWHL Player of the Year and NEWHL Goaltender of the Year. He also coached two NEWHL All-Rookie Team honorees in 2019-20. Houle was named the CCM/AHCA Division III Women's Coach of the Year for the seventh time. He also earned the NEWHL Coaching Staff of Year award along with assistant coach Julia Duquette. In addition, Houle became the only head coach in program history to reach 400 victories when Plattsburgh State defeated then-No. 8 ranked Norwich University, 3-1, at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena.
Houle guided Plattsburgh State to a 29-2-0 overall record, including a 16-0-0 mark in the NEWHL in 2018-19. He led the Cardinals to their second consecutive NEWHL conference championship and seventh NCAA Division III women's ice hockey championship. Houle was named the USCHO Women’s Division III Coach of the Year for the third time in his career. He coached four CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women's Division III All-Americans, one Google Cloud Academic All-American, five All-USCHO Women's Division III Team honorees, a Laura Hurd Award nominee, two AHCA Krampade All-American Scholars, six All-NEWHL honorees, the NEWHL Player of the Year, the NEWHL Rookie of the Year, the NEWHL Co-Goalie of the Year.
In 2017-18 the Cardinals won the inaugural NEWHL conference championship and went on to finish fourth in the NCAA Championship. Plattsburgh State went 24-4-2 overall and 15-0-1 in the conference. Houle coached three All-Americans in the 2017-18 season. Melissa Sheeran finished her senior campaign earning the 2017-18 Laura Hurd Award and was also the NEWHL Player of the Year. Sheeran joined Hannah Kiraly and Courtney Moriarty on being named to the 2017-18 CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women's Division III All-America teams.
The 2016-17 Cardinals secured their fourth straight NCAA Championship title after notching a 28-1-1 overall record. Plattsburgh State topped No. 5 Elmira College, 2-1, in the ECAC Women’s West Championship final, beat No. 7 University of St. Thomas, 4-2, in the NCAA Championship quarterfinal, beat No. 4 Norwich University, 4-0, in the championship semifinal and then rallied from one goal down in the final minute of regulation to knock off No. 2 Adrian College, 4-3, in overtime in the national final. The championship tournament, which was held in Adrian, Mich., was Plattsburgh State’s first title win on visiting ice. Plattsburgh State ended the season on a 23-game unbeaten streak, which began on Nov. 22, 2016. In that stretch, the team beat 11 nationally-ranked opponents and captured regular-season championships in the Panther/Cardinal Classic at Middlebury College and in the East-West Hockey Classic at Norwich University. Seniors Erin Brand and Camille Leonard and juniors Megan Crandell, Kayla Meneghin and Melissa Sheeran were each selected as CCM/AHCA Division III All-Americans. Brand was the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player and Sheeran was a Laura Hurd Memorial Award finalist. Leonard graduated as the Division III leader in career wins (75) and save percentage (.949) and finished second all-time in Division III in shutouts (30). Academically, 10 Cardinals qualified for the ECAC Women’s West All-Academic Team.
In 2015-16, Houle and the Cardinals won the program’s fifth NCAA Division III championship after a school-record 29 overall wins against just one loss. After a mid-February loss, Plattsburgh State clicked off seven straight wins – four shutouts – to close out the season. The team outscored its opponents, 13-0, in the ECAC Women’s West Championship tournament before recording five goals in three straight NCAA Championship games. The Cardinals blanked No. 6 Amherst College, 5-0, in the NCAA Championship quarterfinal, beat No. 4 Middlebury College, 5-3, in the semifinal and then topped No. 3 University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 5-1, in the final. Juniors Erin Brand and Camille Leonard and sophomores Kayla Meneghin and Melissa Sheeran were named as CCM/AHCA Division III All-Americans, with Houle himself earning AHCA Coach of the Year honors. Senior Bridget Balisy was also one of 58 student-athletes to receive an NCAA Spring Postgraduate Scholarship, which awards individuals who excel academically and athletically and who plan to pursue immediate graduate study. Academically, 10 Cardinals qualified for the ECAC Women’s West All-Academic Team.
In 2014-15, Houle and the Cardinals won the program’s fourth NCAA Division III championship after recording a 26-2-2 record. Plattsburgh State closed out the season on an 11-game winning streak, including two shutouts. The team beat No. 1 Elmira College, 4-0, in the ECAC Women’s West Championship final on the Soaring Eagles’ ice. Plattsburgh State then topped nationally-regarded the University of St. Thomas, 4-1, in the NCAA Championship quarterfinal, beat No. 4 Norwich University, 5-2 in the national semifinal and then beat No. 2 Elmira, 3-2, in the national final. Seniors Alyssa Parke and Shannon Stewart and freshman Kayla Meneghin were all named CCM/AHCA All-Americans and junior Giovanna Senese was selected as the NCAA Elite 89 winner. Academically, 10 Cardinals qualified for the ECAC Women’s West All-Academic Team.
Houle put together an almost unstoppable squad during a 2013-14 campaign which will ultimately go down as one of the best seasons by any Plattsburgh State team. After constructing a record of 23-1-1 and netting yet another ECAC West regular-season title, the Cardinals secured hosting rights to the ECAC West Tournament where they took down Utica and Elmira to hoist the tournament crown.
In its opening game of the 2013-14 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, Plattsburgh State - led by four goals from Ali Vakos - handled Williams College 4-0 to punch its ticket to the NCAA Semifinals. Looking to avenge their loss in the semifinal round from a season ago, the Cardinals took to their home ice and emerged with a hard-fought, 1-0 overtime triumph over St. Thomas before a raucous crowd of 1,619 fans witnessed the Cardinals claim the title of 2013-14 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament Champions with a 9-2 win over Norwich.
Houle saw three of his players earn All-American citations that season while Sydney Aveson became the second consecutive Plattsburgh State player - and just the second goaltender ever - to receive the AHCA Laura Hurd Award. Aveson was placed on the AHCA All-America First Team while Allison Era and Shannon Stewart picked up AHCA All-America Second Team laurels. For his efforts, Houle was bestowed with the AHCA National Coach of the Year award for the fifth time in his career.
In his first 11 seasons at the helm, Houle had led the Cardinals to 10 NCAA tournament appearances (reaching the Frozen Four his first five years), nine conference regular-season titles and four ECAC West championships.
2012-13 saw the Cardinals made their second straight trip to the NCAA Div. III Championships. Unbeaten in conference play, Plattsburgh State claimed the ECAC West regular season and tournament titles en route to its ninth NCAA Tournament Appearance. The Cardinals' season-long unbeaten streak came to an end in the NCAA Semifinals in a loss to Middlebury, but the Cardinals rebounded with a 4-0 win over Gustavus Adolphus to claim third place at the tournament. Teal Gove received the AHCA Laura Hurd Award while Houle was named the AHCA National Coach of the Year. Gove joined Sydney Aveson and Allison Era on the AHCA All-America First Team.
The 2011-12 season saw Houle guide the Cardinals back to the NCAA Div. III Championships. After a 20-7-3 season, Plattsburgh received an at-large bid to the tournament and defeated Middlebury College to reach the Frozen Four. Their season finished when they defeated Gustavus Adolphus in the consolation game in overtime to finish 3rd place. Houle notched his 200th win as a head coach when the Cardinals defeated Cortland 3-1 in February. The season also saw two Cardinal players, Teal Gove and Sydney Aveson, named AHCA All-Americans. Gove also won ECAC West Player of the Year honors, while Aveson won Goalie of the Year recognition and Emma Rutherford was named Rookie of the Year.
Houle earned his fourth conference coach of the year citation in 2009-10, after the Cardinals--picked for third in the preseason poll--went undefeated in the Eastern College Athletic Conference West Division with a 17-0-1 mark, setting a school record for league victories. The team finished 23-3-2 overall, reached the NCAA Quarterfinals and produced three All-Americans to lead the nation.
Houle's success led to an opportunity to be an assistant coach with the U.S. Women's National Team for 2007-08, in addition to his Plattsburgh duties. The Americans captured the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship (April 4-13) in China, a 4-3 win over top-seeded Canada. He also coached at the Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden and attended training camps in Lake Placid, N.Y.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Colorado Springs, Colo.
Meanwhile, during that same season, Houle and the Cardinals won their second straight national crown and posted a 25-3-1 record. Junior center Danielle Blanchard was named the school's first Laura Hurd Trophy winner, emblematic as the player of the year in Division III. Plattsburgh set an NCAA women's all-Divisions record with a 35-game unbeaten streak. Houle became the fastest NCAA III women's coach to 100 wins (in 122 games) when the Cardinals blanked Oswego, 9-0, on the road Nov. 10, 2007.
In 2006-07, Plattsburgh won its first national championship in a women's team sport as the Cardinals became the first NCAA ice hockey champion to go undefeated at 27-0-2. The team also swept ECAC West regular-season and tournament titles and produced three All-Americans in goaltender Bree Doyle, defenseman Julie Devereux and Blanchard.
Houle piloted the 2005-06 Cardinals to their best season at the time since the women's program was founded in 2001. Plattsburgh set school records for victories (26-3-1), win percentage (.883), home unbeaten streak (29 games), home winning streak (18) and overall winning streak (14) and spent the last five weeks atop the United States College Hockey Online coaches' poll. He coached six all-conference players, including ECAC West Co-Player of the Year Jenn Clarke, and three All-Americans, including Clarke who finished third in the national player of the year balloting. That campaign--which saw Plattsburgh sweep ECAC regular-season and tournament titles--was made even more impressive considering that Houle regularly used 10 freshmen in the lineup.
In 2004-05, Plattsburgh (21-7-1) earned its second consecutive NCAA Tournament semifinals berth and Houle his second of three ECAC West Coach of the Year awards. The Cardinals went 11-1 during ECAC West play to claim a share of the regular-season crown. Erin O'Brien, Carolyne Roy and Elizabeth Gibson earned All-America honors.
Houle took the coaching reins on April 29, 2003, from Scott Dockett, the program's first coach, and served an interim basis during the 2003-04 season. Houle inherited a squad that went 18-5 the season before with no NCAA trips and molded Plattsburgh into a 22-6-2 club that won its first ECAC West title with a perfect 12-0 conference ledger and advanced to the national semifinals on the Cardinals' first try. He accepted the job permanently later that summer. Gibson became the school's initial first-team All-American and both O'Brien and Roy joined her on the coaches' all-star team.
Houle originally came to Plattsburgh in 1989 to work on the men's side and become former B.C. teammate and current Cardinals coach Bob Emery's top assistant. He was promoted to associate coach in 1994 and held that position until heading up the women's program in 2003. The duo saw the Cardinals to NCAA championships in 1992 and 2001 and nine State University of New York Athletic Conference titles, including six straight from 1996 to 2002, both SUNYAC records. The Cardinals advanced to 10 NCAA tournaments and seven Final Fours while winning 328 games. Houle was involved in the recruiting and development of 11 All-Americans, five SUNYAC Players of the Year, six conference Rookies of the Year and nine SUNYAC Tournament MVPs. In 2002, he was honored by the AHCA with the Terry Flanagan Award, which recognizes the career body of work by a men's assistant coach.
Houle was a fifth-round draft pick, and No. 103 overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League's 1982 Entry Draft, but opted instead to attend Boston College on an athletic scholarship.
He played professionally during the 1986-87 season in the Canadiens' farm system, splitting time between their American Hockey League affiliate Sherbrooke Canadiens and the Saginaw Generals of the International Hockey League.
After suffering an injury that season, Houle worked as a scout for the Montreal organization for two years.
A 1986 graduate of Boston College with a bachelor of science degree in communications, Houle earned his master's degree in leadership administration from Plattsburgh State in 1997.
The Houle Coaching Record
| Season |
School |
Record |
Pct. |
Conf./Place |
Final NCAA Ranking/Note |
| 2003-04 |
Plattsburgh State |
22-6-2 |
.767 |
12-0-0/1st |
#3/NCAA 3rd place in 1st year |
| 2004-05 |
Plattsburgh State |
21-7-1 |
.741 |
11-1-0/T-1st |
#4/11-0-1 home record |
| 2005-06 |
Plattsburgh State |
26-3-1 |
.883 |
12-0-0/1st |
#1/ECAC-West Champions |
| 2006-07 |
Plattsburgh State |
27-0-2 |
.966 |
12-0-2/1st |
#1/NCAA Champions |
| 2007-08 |
Plattsburgh State |
25-3-1 |
.879 |
14-1-1/1st |
#1/NCAA Champions |
| 2008-09 |
Plattsburgh State |
22-5-2 |
.793 |
15-3-0/3rd |
#3/Ended reg.-season 10-0-1 |
| 2009-10 |
Plattsburgh State |
23-3-2 |
.857 |
17-0-1/1st |
#3/ECAC-W Coach of Year |
| 2010-11 |
Plattsburgh State |
20-4-3 |
.796 |
15-1-2/2nd |
#4/Three AHCA All-Americans |
| 2011-12 |
Plattsburgh State |
20-7-3 |
.717 |
15-1-2/2nd |
#3/NCAA 3rd place |
| 2012-13 |
Plattsburgh State |
27-1-2 |
.933 |
15-0-1/1st |
#3/NCAA 3rd place, ECAC West Champions |
| 2013-14 |
Plattsburgh State |
28-1-1 |
.950 |
15-1-0/1st |
#1/NCAA Champions, ECAC West Champions,
AHCA National Coach of the Year |
| 2014-15 |
Plattsburgh State |
26-2-2 |
.900 |
16-2-0/1st |
#1/NCAA Champions, ECAC West Champions,
Three AHCA All-Americans |
| 2015-16 |
Plattsburgh State |
29-1-0 |
.967 |
17-1-0/1st |
#1/NCAA Champions, ECAC West Champions,
AHCA Coach of the Year, Four AHCA All-Americans |
| 2016-17 |
Plattsburgh State |
28-1-1 |
.950 |
16-1-1/1st |
#1/NCAA Champions, ECAC West Champions, ECAC West Coach of the Year, Five AHCA All-Americans |
| 2017-18 |
Plattsburgh State |
24-4-2 |
.800 |
15-0-1/1st |
#4/NCAA 4th place/ Three AHCA All-Americans |
| 2018-19 |
Plattsburgh State |
29-2-0 |
.935 |
16-0-0/1st |
#1/NCAA Champions, NEWHL Champions, USCHO Coach of the Year,
Four AHCA All-Americans |
| 2019-20 |
Plattsburgh State |
26-1-0 |
.963 |
18-0-0/1st |
#1/NEWHL Champions, CCM/AHCA Coach of the Year, NEWHL Coaching Staff of the Year, Three AHCA All-Americans, (NCAA Tournament canceled due to COVID-19) |
| 2020-21 |
Plattsburgh State |
- |
- |
- |
Season canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021-22 |
Plattsburgh State |
26-3-1 |
.883 |
17-0-1/1st |
#3/NEWHL Champions, Four AHCA All-Americans |
| 2022-23 |
Plattsburgh State |
26-3-0 |
.897 |
17-1-0/1st |
#3/NEWHL Champions, NEWHL Coaching Staff of the Year, Two AHCA All-Americans |
| 2023-24 |
Plattsburgh State |
22-5-1 |
.889 |
16-2/1st |
SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year, Two AHCA First Team All-Americans |
| 2024-25 |
Plattsburgh State |
20-7-1 |
.732 |
14-3-1/2nd |
SUNYAC Champions, One AHCA Second Team All-American |
| 21 years |
Career Totals |
517-69-28 |
.865 |
299-16-13 |
7 NCAA Titles / 7 ECAC West Titles / 5 NEWHL Titles / 1 SUNYAC Title |
