April 2, 2008

DETROIT - Wayne State University head women's hockey coach Jim Fetter has been named 2007-08 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Division I Women's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year. The Coach of the Year Award winner is chosen by members of the AHCA and will receive the award at the annual AHCA Coach of the Year Banquet, held in conjunction with the AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla. This year's banquet is scheduled for Saturday, April 26.

Fetter was selected as one of seven finalists for the national award. To be a finalist, each candidate must have either been voted Coach of the Year in their respective conference, or lead their team to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Earlier this year, Fetter garnered College Hokey America (CHA) Coach of the Year honors for the third straight season after leading the Warriors to a share of their first CHA regular season title with a school record 22 wins before falling 2-1 in overtime to #7 Mercyhurst in the 2008 CHA Tournament final. Despite the setback, WSU tied the season series with the Lakers, 2-2-1, snapping a 33-game winless streak. The Warriors also finished the year ranked 10th in the USA Today/USA American Hockey Magazine national poll for the first in school history and set school records for the longest winning streak (nine games), unbeaten streak (11 games) and fewest losses in a season (9 games).

Fetter also was recognized by Hockey Canada earlier in the year when he was named an assistant coach for Team Canada's 2007-2008 Under-18 squad.

Runners-up for this year's AHCA Women's Division I Coach of the Year award were Shannon Miller of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Katey Stone of Harvard University, and Brian McCloskey of the University of New Hampshire.

Past Winners of the Women's Division I Coach of the Year Award
1998 Laura Halldorson, Minnesota
1999 Katey Stone, Harvard
2000 Judy Oberting, Dartmouth
2001 Paul Flanagan, St. Lawrence
2002 Laura Halldorson, Minnesota
2003 Shannon Miller, Minnesota-Duluth
2004 Laura Halldorson, Minnesota
2005 Mike Sisti, Mercyhurst
2006 Mark Johnson, Wisconsin
2007 Mark Johnson, Wisconsin
2008 Jim Fetter, Wayne State