Ohio State women’s hockey coach Nadine Muzerall has been named an assistant coach for Team Canada’s Under-22 Nations Cup campaign. And, since Team USA isn’t skating in the tournament, you can even root for her guilt-free. She will help guide a talented squad which includes 11 current NCAA players. Five of them hail from WCHA schools.
This is not Muzerall’s first stint behind the Canadians’ bench. She previously served as a camp coach at the national team’s Under-18 Team selection camp. In August she was an assistant coach for the three game series between Team Canada and Team USA.
The appointment is a notable personal achievement for Muzerall. It continues to boost Ohio State’s stock on the recruiting trail as well. By maintaining a presence on Hockey Canada’s staff, she ensures hers is a familiar name for the brightest young Canadian stars.
Muzerall’s position as an established coach within the Hockey Canada system can only inspire confidence among young national team hopefuls in her ability to develop them into the type of players likely to populate future Canadian teams. I think we are already seeing evidence of this in next year’s freshman class.
The Nations Cup begins January 4 and concludes on January 7. Muzerall will miss Ohio State’s second half opener, a non-conference series at Penn State. The 8-10-2 Buckeyes begin 2017 under the guidance of associate coach Jess Koizumi and assistant coach Karel Popper.
Laczynski Contributing for Team USA
The Ohio State men’s hockey team will make do without leading scorer Tanner Laczynski when it returns to action this weekend. The talented freshman is with Team USA at the 2017 World Juniors, the premier international tournament for the Under-20 crowd. Through three games Laczynski has accumulated one goal and one assist.
Team USA is 3-0-0-0 after edging the Russians today. The Americans lead the Group B standings with one final round robin game to play. They take on Team Canada, which will likely match Team USA’s undefeated record by the time the squads face off, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
