Whitaker, who has been at the team’s helm since he helped form the program in 2007, will be presented with the award during an April 30 ceremony in Naples, Fla.

“It’s an honor, but it’s not just me,” he said. “If the players don’t believe what you’re coaching, it’s hard to have success. It’s the players who really make us successful because of their hours in the gym and their hours skating. Those are all things that I don’t do that still make this program successful.”

Perhaps more astounding than the team’s accomplishments is the turnaround experienced in just the program’s first few seasons. The team posted a 21-13-2 record in 2009, a complete opposite of 2007’s 1-20-0 finish.

“It was definitely a challenge overcoming that first year, but it was a learning experience as well,” Whitaker said. “Recruiting was a big factor in us improving. I honed in on players at the middle talent level because I knew that they were the ones who were really listening. I knew I didn’t have a chance with the really high ones because they weren’t willing to help us build a program.”

Whitaker’s perseverance to create an immediately competitive team was a reason why ACHA coaches honored him with the distinction.

“One of the things he does well is his 100 percent dedication to the girls in the program,” said GVSU assistant coach Darrell Gregorio. “From day one, it’s been nothing but, ‘How can I make this program bigger and better?’ That was our focus from the beginning, to build something from nothing into what it is now.”

Along with immediate playing time available that other schools could not offer, Whitaker said GVSU’s prestige and administration played big roles in bringing two stellar recruitment classes to Allendale.

“Not many institutions can offer you the same things they do here and still offer women’s hockey,” he said. “(GVSU Director of Student Life and Services) Bob Stoll and Grand Valley have given us great support from day one.”

A GVSU graduate and former all-conference goaltender on the men’s hockey team, Whitaker is joined behind the bench by fellow GVSU alumni Gregorio, Tom Hofman and Sean McKernan. McKernan, the team’s strength and conditioning coach, received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees as a Laker.

“When you can preach that you’re a direct result of the school and the program that you’re talking about, you have an advantage,” Whitaker said. “Parents especially like it. The kids don’t usually think that far into the future, but there’s a trust factor from the parent.”

Junior forward Lynn Loechli transferred to GVSU before the 2009 season and said the homegrown connection played a part in her relocation.

“Knowing that the entire coaching staff is all alumni showed me that our coaches are very dedicated to our school,” she said. “They wanted to show that Grand Valley is a great school academically too, not just in hockey.”

Through all the ups and downs, good times and bad, Whitaker has turned a newborn into a superstar in just three seasons.

“It’s been an amazing journey,” Whitaker said. “I always tell the players that the view from atop the mountain is going to be so much more wonderful knowing how hard you had to work to get there. This award is my mountain.”

In the biggest weekend of the season, the Grand Valley State University women’s hockey team faced off against teams they struggled against all season. Battling through two nail-biting games, the Lakers came up a goal short in each contest.

At the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division I women’s national championships in Blaine, MN, the Lakers went 1-2. They dropped two one-goal games to Michigan State University and top-ranked Lindenwood University, sandwiching the two close losses with a 5-0 domination of the University of Massachusetts.

The team entered Friday night facing a must-win against LU, a team they were 0-3 against entering the tournament. After falling behind by three goals early, the Lakers battled back to within one before time ran out.

“We’ve always struggled against Lindenwood, and we lost to them 5-4, but it was by far the best game we’ve played against them,” said junior co-captain Ashley Rumsey. “If we had one more period I really think we would have had that game. It was really intense and a great weekend for us, and I really liked the way we played.”

In their second national championships in just their third year as a program, the women improved on last year’s tenth overall finish, moving up to fifth in the nation this season. Head women’s hockey coach Cory Whitaker said his team took another step in the right direction.

“It’s fun to watch something like this team from the beginning, watching it grow and mature,” said Whitaker. “These girls take the stuff we work on for 18 weeks and implement it, and when they do that, they’re competing against teams that have been around for decades. It’s a tribute to the entire coaching staff and the girls coming in and working their tails off.”

The team will graduate just one player, senior Stephanie Murray, who shared captain status on the team with Rumsey. However, Whitaker said her leadership will be missed.

“Murray was probably our number one star of the weekend,” he said. “She’s our lone graduating senior, and she had a great weekend. She worked like crazy and led her team to a pretty respectable tournament. We didn’t win, but we played solid hockey. When you’re going into these kinds of situations, you always want to be able to come out and say we put our best effort forward, and Murray led us that way.”

Murray, who is the only woman remaining from the team’s inaugural season, witnessed the team grow from a dreadful 1-20 record in its first year to back-to-back national championship appearances in two years since. She is the Lakers all-time leader in both games played and assists.

“The team’s growth means a lot to me and to the entire program,” Murray said. “Hearing some coaches on other teams say that they never expected us to come this far this fast, and to hear that from other teams is really cool. Coming to a tournament like this and being able to put together a team that can really challenge the number one team makes it a lot more fun and raises the bar for us to look forward to things next year and the years to come.”

Taking on the Wolverines, a team they trounced 5-0 earlier in the year, the Lakers struggled offensively throughout the weekend. A second period UM goal stood up on Friday as the only tally of the game, and goalie Hannah Robbins turned away all 27 shots that came her way as the Lakers fell 1-0. On Saturday, the Lakers came from behind multiple times but had to settle for a 3-3 tie.

Head hockey coach Cory Whitaker said his team, that coming into the weekend had only lost one game since the New Year, may have been caught looking ahead to both the upcoming conference playoffs and national tournament.

“Sometimes, with as young as we are, we lose focus on what the overall picture is and get caught looking too far ahead,” he said. “We’re worrying about playoffs and nationals, wondering who we’re going to play, and when you do that on a consistent basis it catches up to you, and you lose sight of the teams that come in hungry and a little bit bent out of shape. I think we may have needed to be chopped down from our pedestal a little bit going into the important weekends of playoffs and nationals.”

The last home weekend of the year also served as senior night, as the Lakers honored their lone graduating senior, Stephanie Murray, the last remaining member from the team’s inaugural season three years ago. Murray, who also serves as the team captain, said one of her main roles from here is to guide the team through the postseason.

“Last year we had a lot of freshmen on the team and this year we’ve added some new people, so I think they are looking to the older people like me to lead them in playoffs and nationals because they don’t particularly know what it is or what to expect,” she said. “We just need to work on the little things to correct going into playoffs and nationals, just so we can have that extra boost to carry us, and I think the emotion should give us the extra confidence and energy to play well.”

Sophomore goalie Kristie Kowalski, who was the hard-luck-loser in the Lakers’ 1-0 loss on Friday after turning away all but one of 28 shots, said in order for the Lakers to have success in the upcoming playoff and national tournament they’ll have to play a better team game than they played the past weekend.

“For playoffs and nationals, we just have to pull off our systems,” she said. “We have to get those down to the point where we had them at earlier in the year. We’re just super excited to have a shot at nationals this year. All the teams are evenly ranked and it’s going to be a really competitive week of hockey.”

Senior Stephanie Murray, who is the last member on the team remaining from the team’s inaugural season two years ago, is the lone graduating senior to be honored this weekend at Walker Ice and Fitness Center. She holds team records in games played with 73 and assists, with 43. Her 65 career points as a Laker is good for second all-time. She deservedly earned Honorable Mention All-American honors from the ACHA last year as well.

Serving as an alternate captain in her first two years with the program, Murray has seen the team grow from a dismal 1-20 in their first year to last year’s #10 finish in the nation. This year, after being voted team captain along with taking over as team president, Murray and the Lakers have improved upon last year’s ranking and currently sit at #4 in the nation. With her strongest assets being both her playmaking ability and leadership, Murray looks to lead the team deep into the national tournament in less than a month.

Murray and the Lakers will skate at 9 p.m. Friday against the University of Michigan before a 1 p.m. game the following day as the home finale.

After starting the season with a 7-6-0 record, the Lakers, who welcomed six new players to their team this season, struggled to play as a unit. Since then, the team has come together and the scores on the ice have reflected their play as a team.

“(Our success) has come from how we interact with each other,” said freshman forward Shelby Kucharski. “We’re all friends and all of us get along, and the team has really bonded. I think our friendships have been built up since the start and we trust each other more on the ice, so we’ve really come together and started to mold together and play together as a team.”

Having lost just one game since the new year, when the team traveled to Virginia for four games in three days, head hockey coach Cory Whitaker says the team’s success has come from playing together and playing a system.

“In the last month or two, we’ve played great hockey,” said Whitaker. “The game is a pretty simple game when everybody is on the same page and going in the same direction. The girls have taken what the coaches taught and worked on their first semester, and really implemented our system almost to perfection. Especially our work on the defensive side, the girls create turnovers and then take advantage of those offensively when given those chances.”

With just two regular season games remaining, the fourth-ranked Lakers are in position to make the national tournament for the second straight year in just their third year as a program. Junior forward Lynn Loechli says in order for the team to succeed in the American College Hockey Association national tournament, it will be a matter of continuing their solid play.

“I don’t know if there’s anything to fix, it’s more of keeping up everything we’ve been doing,” she said. “It’s key for all of us to keep on working hard and doing what we’re supposed to do both off the ice and on, and we’ll be in great shape to have a successful last month of the season.”
When the tournament starts in early March, Coach Whitaker said one of his biggest concerns will be keeping the players’ emotions in check in what may be the biggest games some of the women have ever played in.

“If we don’t look at it as such a big stage and get overwhelmed with that, then take a step back and focus on winning every shift, we’ll be okay,” he said. “If we’re able to focus on the smaller picture and we’re able to do it to our potential, then I think the big picture of being able to compete for a national championship is right in front of these girls. They’ve worked their tails off all season, we’ve pushed them hard and they’ve responded to the challenge, and they’ve earned everything that’s been given to them.”
The Lakers are off until next weekend when they will play their final two regular season games against the University of Michigan at GVSU’s home rink, Walker Ice and Fitness Center. Faceoff on Friday will be at 9 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. matinee the following day.

As one of the top women’s high school hockey players in the state of Michigan, Chelsea Minnie has had the opportunity to choose from several top-tier programs from across the country. Receiving offers from multiple NCAA programs along with ACHA Division I schools Michigan State University, and Robert Morris College, among others, Port Huron High School senior Chelsea Minnie said that a few skates with the team closed the deal with GVSU.

“I skated with the team, and I really liked how Coach Whitaker ran the practices,” said Minnie. “He pushes the girls hard. He doesn’t just keep it relaxed, he tells the team that they have to skate, they have to work, and I liked that.”

Leading the MHSAA Michigan Metro Girls High School Hockey League leader board with 25 goals and 16 assists for 41 points in just 15 games, Minnie said that her decision to be a Laker came from GVSU’s success as a third-year program paired with their up-and-coming status as a women’s Division I powerhouse.

“Grand Valley is a new and growing program, so I would like to help it move forward,” she said. “I like what the team is trying to do. I want to contribute, hopefully get some goals and make plays to help it become a better program in the future.”

Minnie is not the only one who likes where the program is headed. Her father, Randy, said that GVSU provided the right mix of academics and athletics to make a perfect fit for Chelsea.

“After visiting Grand Valley, she was overwhelmed, in a positive way, with feelings of comfort,” he said. “She felt drawn to the school, that that’s where she belonged, and she felt comfortable even as a visiting high school student. From the academic standpoint, she was comparing that with her visits to Michigan State, Adrian, and Robert Morris, and Grand Valley brought the big school atmosphere of MSU, but the small classroom and security feeling of Adrian, so it was kind of the best of both worlds.”
He added that head coach Cory Whitaker’s approach after watching some of Minnie’s games separated GVSU from the other schools for his daughter.

“Coach Whitaker visited Chelsea in a few of her games, and after the games, he gave her constructive criticism,” he said. “He didn’t just tell her the company line of what she did well or why they wanted her to play for their program. He gave her a feeling that he had something to teach her, that he could help her continue to grow, and that his program was a program that she could go to and help continue to build.”

Coach Whitaker was very excited to receive this news of Chelsea’s commitment.

The coaching staff knew that Chelsea enjoyed her experience at GVSU and all that was left was for her to look over all her options and make the best decision for her. Coach Whitaker says, “I am very proud that Chelsea chose GVSU and I am excited about the hard work and dedication she will bring to our program!”

This is a busy time for the Lakers because they are trying to set themselves up for the future without losing sight on the most immediate prize, the CCWHA Playoffs. Including Chelsea, 8 incoming freshman have been invited to skate with the team in hopes of showing the coaches where they might fit in next year. Other notable local players that are attending are: Alisha Day (Grand Rapids AAA), Lauren Barlog (Saint Clair Shores U19), Rachel Gillis (Traverse City AAA), and Michelle VanFleet (Grand Rapids AAA).

The Lakers are only graduating one player next year and this new crop of talent is going to lead to some healthy competition among the returning players. Coach Whitaker feels that this competition will help them improve as a team in every facet of the game. The growth of the program has been tremendous and with that comes expectations to continue to improve. Whitaker continues, “Being invited to Nationals it is a huge honor, but this year we have the ability to go deep into the tournament and are not going to be content with just going. We have a great group of ladies that have worked very hard to gain the respect that they have been given through out the Nation. We have played solid hockey so far this season and I hope to be hitting our stride when it counts the most.”

Facing Central Michigan University for two games, the Lakers found themselves behind in the first game of the weekend, as the Chippewas, behind a loud crowd at Isabelle Ice Center in Mount Pleasant, took an early lead. That would be all the crowd had to get excited about, as the Lakers absolutely demolished CMU from there on, scoring 14 straight goals en route to a 14-1 win. The second game was more of the same, as the Lakers rattled off 10 goals and allowed just one for a convincing series sweep.

The next weekend had the Lakers take on fellow ACHA Division I Western Michigan University in beautiful S2 Arena in Kalamazoo. Again the Lakers struggled at the beginning of the game, entering the first intermission with a scoreless tie against the Stallions. GVSU found their scoring touch in the second with two goals from Shelby Kucharski along with tallies from Danielle Trigger, Lyn Loechli, and Ashleigh Subu. Entering the third with a 5-1 lead, the Lakers piled on three more goals, including another from Kucharski to give her the hat-trick, and Kristie Kowalski stopped all the remaining shots for an 8-1 win.

Saturday’s game again featured dominance from GVSU, as this time, the Lakers had no trouble finding the back of the net in the first period as they scored six first period goals, supported in part by two from Loechli. The Lakers continued the offensive barrage throughout and cruised to a 12-1 victory as Michelle Wyniemko stopped 17 of 18 shots to boost her record to 8-1-0. The Lakers had a pair of goals from Loechli, Ashley Rumsey, and Lauren Iavasile, who recorded her first two goals of the season. Loechli also chipped in with four assists, giving her a six point night.

The Lakers will look for revenge this weekend against Colorado University, which handed GVSU their final loss in the 2009 national tournament. The Lakers finally return home to Walker Ice and Fitness Center, after being away since early Nov. Puck drops at 9:30 p.m. on Friday and 9 p.m. on Saturday.

A lifelong resident of Kalamazoo, he was born to George and Beatrice (Georgiou) Missias on July 30, 1948 and was welcomed into a loving Greek family full of aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. In his career in the automotive service industry, he met and helped thousands of people, but more than that, had the uncanny ability to welcome them into his life, get to know them as human beings, and form friendships that would last for years and would follow him to whatever locale in which he was employed. Art was best known in the community as a coach, advocate, and tributary of youth hockey. He devoted over 30 years of his life to KOHA, attained the distinction of “Master Coach” through USA Hockey, and was honored as “Coach of the Year” by virtually every organization that he worked with. He was also the beloved head coach of Portage Northern High School hockey team for nearly two decades. Yet, it is the lives that he touched in these capacities that people will remember as he always strove to teach young people how to lead lives of integrity and character through the game of hockey, a lesson that he always taught through example. He was united in loving marriage with Julie A. (Stennett) Missias on January 11, 1985, who survives him. He is also survived by his son Matt Missias and Matt’s wife April (Ayers) Missias, his son Chris Missias, and his daughter Sara Missias, all of Kalamazoo. He is also survived by a brother, Charlie Missias of Portage; and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins as well as innumerable friends who will cherish his memory. A service in celebration of his life will be held at 1 o’clock Friday in the afternoon at the Portage Northern High School Igloo, 1000 Idaho, Portage, with a reception to share stories of his life at S2 Ice Arena, 5076 Sports Drive, Kalamazoo to follow. Private burial will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials may be directed to support Christopher and Sara Missias’ educational expenses. Inquiries may be directed to missiasfamily@gmail.com. Arrangements were made by the Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Memorial Chapel, 622 S. Burdick (www.langelands.com), 343-1508.

After a 15-hour bus ride to Liberty University’s campus in Lynchburg, Va., the Lakers arrived just in time to take on the host Flames and showed no ill effects from the long trip, knocking off sixth-ranked LU by a score of 3-2. Lindsay Coursen netted the opening goal for GVSU, but after a quick strike by the Flames, the teams went into the first intermission tied at one. After a scoreless second, Liberty took the lead with a shorthanded goal in the third, but just 22 seconds later, Ashleigh Subu scored a power play goal to even the score at two. With just over a minute remaining, freshman Shelby Kucharski scored on a great feed from senior Stephanie Murray, and the Lakers held on for a close 3-2 victory. Sophomore Michelle Wyniemko turned away 20 of 22 shots to lead the Lakers to the win in the opening game of the road trip. Also helping the team get the win was the entire club’s discipline, as the Lakers would not be called for a single penalty during the contest, outnumbering Liberty University in power play chances 8 to 0.
The following day would feature a rematch between the two teams, and this time the Lady Flames would score a last-minute goal for the victory. The Lakers found themselves back on their heels the majority of the game, and Kristin Frescura knocked in a goal with 1:48 to play to break a 1-1 tie as the Lakers could not solve Liberty University goaltender Patti Smith, who made a number of jaw-dropping saves to hold GVSU to one goal.

The second game of the day pitted the Lakers against the University of Massachusetts, the seventh ranked team in the country. After a scoreless first period, Lynn Lochli netted a goal just 18 seconds into the second frame, and was matched five minutes later by Ashleigh Subu’s second goal of the trip as the Lakers took a two goal lead. However, as is said in hockey, a 2-0 lead is the worst lead to have, and the Minutewomen quickly got themselves back in the game with their own pair of second period goals less than three minutes after Subu’s tally. The deciding goal of the game came ten minutes later as Subu scored again for the Lakers with help from Heather Sartorius causing havoc in the UMASS defensive zone, giving them a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. Both goaltenders were the stars of the game, as Michelle Wyniemko got her second win of the series with 30 saves. Not to be outdone was UMASS goalie Kelsey Magrane, who made 39 of 42 saves in a losing effort.
The Lakers closed out the road trip with their best game of the four, handling UMASS 6-1. The Minutewomen actually scored the first goal of the game, a goal by Stephanie Schlosky just over two minutes into the game. Lynn Lochli scored her second goal of the weekend to tie things up in the first and Sammie Baker had a goal in the second to give GVSU a 2-1 lead going into the final frame, where it was all Grand Valley from there. Third period goals from Shelby Kucharski, Baker, and two from Ashley Rumsey gave the Lakers a convincing five goal win to close out the trip.

After a successful weekend against highly-rated opponents, the Lakers all but stamped their tickets to Blaine, Minnesota for the ACHA Division 1 National Championships, from March 11 through March 14.