MILTON, Mass. – Curry College Athletic Director Vinnie Eruzione today announced that Kelly Rider has been named the Head Coach of the women's ice hockey program, which will assume its first season of competition in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) starting in the 2021-22 academic year.

"It is with great excitement that I announce Kelly Rider as our first women's ice hockey Head Coach here at Curry College," said Eruzione. "Her passion and excitement for the sport of women's ice hockey, experience in starting a program, desire to come back to the Boston area, and success as a Division I ice hockey student-athlete made her a perfect choice to start our women's ice hockey program. Being a Division III administrator and coach for the past five years, she understands what being a D-III student-athlete is all about and that success on the ice, in the classroom, and in the community are of the utmost importance. Kelly will be a tireless recruiter who will bring in quality student-athletes, both nationally and internationally."

Rider joins Curry after spending the last four years as the Head Women's Ice Hockey Coach at Northland College, an NCAA Division III institution in Ashland, Wis. She has also held titles of Senior Woman Administrator and served as the Interim Associate Athletic Director. During her time with the LumberJills women's hockey program, Rider steadily built the program, recruiting 20 players for their inaugural season. She led Northland to a victory over No. 2 nationally-ranked Adrian College in just the 29^th contest in program history. Under her leadership, seven student-athletes were named American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-American Scholars, including five in 2018, which was tied for the most in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHA). Rider also helped to guide two All-Conference goaltenders. Additionally, she served on the weekly ranking committee for d3hockey.com from 2015 to 2019.

Before her time at Northland, Rider spent much of her career in the Northeast. Her previous stops include two years at Neumann University in Ashton, Pa., the first as an assistant and the second as the Head Coach. She guided the Knights to an ECAC West Semifinal appearance in 2013 and had a student-athlete named to the ECAC West All-Rookie Team in 2014. She also served as an assistant for one season at nearby UMass-Boston. Additionally, Rider also spent three seasons coaching high school and prep school hockey at Canton High School and the Dexter-Southfield School in Massachusetts.

Rider is active in USA Hockey as a coach, evaluator, and as an instructor in the coach education program. She has served as an evaluator for the Central District and coach at the Central District Development Camp. Additionally, she has been an evaluator for New York State. She also served as an intern coach for the USA Hockey U18 Developmental camps in Lake Placid and St. Cloud. She continues to speak at coaching clinics throughout the country. She currently holds a Level 5 USA Hockey coaching certification.

In addition to her USA Hockey coaching certification, she is also a Certified Athletic Trainer (NATA) and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA). In 2015, she served as the strength and conditioning coach for the Albany Academy Baseball team, helping to lead them to a New York State Section II Championship.

"I am excited and honored to be selected as the first women's hockey coach at Curry College," said Rider. "I'd like to thank Vinnie Eruzione, President Quigley, Keith Robichaud, and the entire search committee for this opportunity. I'm thrilled to be back in the area that I call home, and I can't wait to showcase all the great people, facilities, resources, and academic programs at Curry to recruits. I look forward to building, developing, and growing a competitive Colonels team that will have a lasting impact on our student-athletes, the College, and its community."

Rider's start as Head Coach arrives at an opportune time for the sport of ice hockey at the College which recently rehomed both men's and women's ice hockey program at the Canton Ice House, a state-of-the-art facility only seven miles from the Milton campus.

Rider earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine as well as a minor in Biology, from Quinnipiac University in 2007 and completed her Master's in Education with a specialization in Coaching from Boston University in 2010.

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