Champs App Podcast

On this episode we talk all things Michigan women’s hockey with Jenna Trubiano. We discuss playing girls hockey in the Detroit area, ACHA Hockey and why there isn’t a DI women’s ice hockey team in the state of Michigan or at the University of Michigan. You can learn more about the ACHA here: https://www.achahockey.org and the Michigan Women’s Ice Hockey program here: https://www.michiganwomenshockey.com

Follow Jenna or the Michigan Wolverines women’s hockey team on Twitter: @jrtibs14 and @UMwomenshockey and on Instagram: @jrtibs14 and @umichwomenshockey

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk all things Robert Morris University hockey with Logan Bittle. We discuss Logan being a part of the inaugural RMU men's hockey team, returning as an assistant coach and the suspending and reinstatement of the women’s team. We also talk about his recruiting plans for fielding a team to start the 2023 season. You can learn more about the RMU Women’s Ice Hockey program here: https://rmucolonials.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey

Follow Logan or the RMU Colonials women’s hockey team on Twitter: @LBittle8 and @RMUWHOCKEY and on Instagram: @LBittle8 and @rmuwhockey

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs Appwebsite http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk with Olivia Soares, who is the former captain of the Ohio State women’s hockey team and current Assistant Coach at Colby college. We discuss diversity in hockey, what made her captain material at OSU and why she chose to become a coach. You can learn more about the Colby College Womens’s Ice Hockey program here: https://colbyathletics.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey

Follow Olivia or the Colby Mules women’s hockey team on Twitter: @livsoares87 and @colbywih and on Instagram: @livsoares87 and @colbywhockey

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website: http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk with Jon Cara and Dwayne Gylywoychuk from the Rink Hockey Academy.

Jon Cara is the Director of On-Ice Programming for the RINK Training Centre in Winnipeg. In addition he is the Skating & Skills Coach with the Winnipeg Ice junior hockey team. Jon has been a skills coach for close to 20 years, and has worked with a number NHL, AHL, Canadian university and WHL hockey players.

Dwayne “Chewy” Gylywoychuk is a coach and consultant with the RINK Training Centre. He was previously an assistant coach with both the Canadian girls U18 team and the Canadian women’s Olympic team in 2018. He is also a former player, assistant and head coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Canadian Western Hockey League. In addition his professional career took him to several non-traditional markets in the U.S. and Europe.

As mentioned in the episode, here is the excellent, detailed presentation by Jon Cara on Power Principles of Skating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a78H0NFdlpg

You can learn more about The Rink Hockey Academy here:  https://www.rinkhockeyacademy.ca/

Follow The Rink Hockey Academy on Twitter: @wearerink  and @rha_winnipegand on Instagram: @wearerink and @rha_winnipeg

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk with Minnesota women’s hockey legend, Winny Brodt-Brown. Hailing from Roseville, Minnesota, Winny was the first winner of the Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award in 1996. She went on to win two 2 national championships with the University of New Hampshire and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. She started playing for the Minnesota Whitecaps in 2002 and is still playing for them as their captain this season. We discuss hockey development in Minnesota, the Whitecaps + professional women’s hockey, the Upper Midwest Girls High School Elite Hockey League and the current college recruiting environment.

You can learn more about OS Hockey here: https://oshockey.com

Follow Winny Brodt-Brown and the Minnesota Whitecaps on Twitter: @winnybrown5 and @whitecapshockey and on Instagram: @winnybrown5 and @mnwhitecaps

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk with Lee-J Mirasolo who is the associate coach of the Harvard Crimson women’s hockey team. Originally from Wakefield, Massachusetts, Lee-J played her college hockey at Boston College and was the captain of the team in her senior year.  After BC, Lee-J coached at Phillips Academy and UMass Boston before heading to the Ivy League where she was assistant coach at Princeton for four years. In 2015, she switched Ivy League affiliations and joined the Harvard staff, where she been for the last 7 years.

You can learn more about the Harvard University Women’s Ice Hockey team here: https://gocrimson.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey

Follow Lee-J and the Harvard Crimson women’s hockey team on Twitter:  @lee_j25 and @harvardwhockey and on Instagram: @leedashj and @harvardwomenshockey

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk with Melanie Ruzzi who is the head coach of the Brown Bears women’s hockey team. Originally from Burnsville, Minnesota, she played her college hockey at Providence College in Rhode Island. After that she has had a 16-year career as an assistant coach with multiple top programs including Amherst College, Harvard University, Providence, Yale and Princeton before landing the Head Coach job at Brown. She is also an Assistant Coach with the US Under-18 girls team for the upcoming world championship in Sweden which will take place in January, 2022.

You can learn more about the Brown Bears Women’s Ice Hockey team here: https://brownbears.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey

Follow Melanie and the Brown Bears women’s hockey team on Twitter: @mruzzi3 and @BrownWHockey on Instagram: @mgruzzi and @brownwhockey

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website http://www.champs.app

This is a must-listen episode of the Champs App Podcast. In this show we talk with Natalie Darwitz who is currently the Assistant Coach with the Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s hockey team and was elected to the US Hockey Hall of Fame after an illustrious college and national team career. She goes into great detail about her youth hockey development and how she became an Olympic captain. We also discuss whether or not the gold medal in the Olympics should be a 2-week best of 7 series with Canada and have all the other countries play for bronze.

You can learn more about the Minnesota Golden Gophers Women’s Ice Hockey team here: https://gophersports.com/galleries/womens-ice-hockey/

Follow Natalie and the U of Minnesota Women’s hockey team on Twitter: @nataliedarwitz and @gopherwhockey on Instagram: @darwitz20 and @gopherwhockey

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk with Rob Morgan who is the head coach with the Long Island University women’s hockey program. We talk about his lengthy coaching career in Canada, China and the U.S., starting the LIU women’s program from scratch and his advice on the current recruiting environment. You can learn more about the LIU Women’s Hockey program here: https://www.liuathletics.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey

Follow Rob and the LIU Women’s hockey team on Twitter: @rdmorgsand @LIUWHockey on Instagram: @rdmorgs and @liuwhockey

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App website http://www.champs.app

On this episode we talk with Celeste Brown who is the head coach with the Rochester Institute of Technology women’s hockey program. At 29 years old, Celeste is the youngest Division I women’s hockey coach. We talk about her playing college and pro hockey, her coaching history and development. And of course we discuss the RIT program and what it’s like to coach a very young team. You can learn more about the RIT Women’s Hockey program here:   https://ritathletics.com/sports/womens-ice-hockey

Follow Celeste and the RIT Women’s hockey team on Twitter: @celestebrown8 and @RITWHKY on Instagram: @wwkd and @ritwhky

To learn more about minor hockey development and recruiting for both girls and boys, visit the Champs App  website http://www.champs.app