Scott McDonald
Head Coach
Phone: 585-475-7148
Email:
sjmatl@rit.edu
Scott McDonald begins his fifth season as the women’s hockey head coach at RIT. He has led the Tigers to a sparkling 81-19-7 record (.789 winning percentage) in four seasons, best at RIT over a tfour-year span. Last season, McDonald led the Tigers to a 19-5-3 record and were ranked as high as fourth nationally.
In addition, the Tigers were second in all of Division III in goals per game (4.78) and shorthanded goals (8). McDonald coached two RBK Division III All-Americans (Sarah Dagg and Katie Stack), and five members of the 2010 All-ECAC West squad. McDonald was the 2009 ECAC West co-Coach of the Year.
McDonald’s teams have a strong reputation not only on the ice, but in the classroom as well. In four seasons, 23 of his players have earned ECAC All-Academic honors.
His first season (2006-07) was the most successful in the 32-year history of the RIT women’s hockey program, as the Tigers made the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time and set a school record for wins in a season (22). He coached two RBK Division III All-Americans (Stacey McConell and Danielle Nagymarosi) and the leading two scorers in the country.
In 2007-08, despite moving to the toughest conference and playing the hardest schedule in the nation, McDonald led his team to a 19-7-0 record and wins over national champion SUNY Plattsburgh, No. 3 Amherst, No. 4 Elmira and No. 9 Utica. The Tigers set a program record with 12 shorthanded goals.
From 2003-06, McDonald served as the assistant coach for the RIT men’s hockey program. He put forth an outstanding effort in recruiting talented student-athletes as the men’s squad made the leap to Division I.
McDonald gained valuable coaching experience working at the United States Hockey Select Festivals. He also served as an assistant coach with the IK Viking Ishockeyklubb’s junior team in Sweden.
McDonald played collegiate hockey at Niagara University, where he was part of the school’s inaugural freshman and first graduating classes as a Division I program. During his senior year, he helped Niagara, in only its fourth season, to an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, beating the University of New Hampshire in the northeast regional. He also helped Niagara to an undefeated season in the College Hockey America conference (15-0-2, 30-8-4 overall), as well as the CHA regular season and tournament championships. Prior to college, he had played in Toronto for the St. Michael’s Buzzers and the North York Rangers.
Professionally, McDonald played in Hagfors, Sweden, for the IK Viking Ishockeyklubb. Prior to that, McDonald played with the San Angelo (Texas) Outlaws of the Western Professional Hockey League.
McDonald earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Niagara University in 2000. A native of Oakville, Ontario, he now lives in Penfield with his wife, Christina, and daughters, Summer and Sienna.
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