PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Plattsburgh State head women's ice hockey coach Kevin Houle has been named a finalist for the CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year Award, as announced Monday by the AHCA. The award will be announced on Thursday, March 16, and presented on Friday, April 27, at the AHCA Convention in Naples, Fla.
 
To be considered a finalist, one must either be named Coach of the Year at the conference level or advance to the NCAA Frozen Four.
 
Houle, who has won the award a record seven times (2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2020) during his 20 seasons behind the Cardinal bench, is 475-56-26 overall during his career and has guided Plattsburgh State to a Division III-record seven national championships. He owns the highest winning percentage in the history of collegiate women's ice hockey at any level at .876, and his 2022-23 team advanced to the national semifinals for the 10th straight year and is riding an 18-game winning streak, boasting an overall record of 26-2-0. Plattsburgh State won its fifth consecutive Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) title and its 10th consecutive conference championship this season.
 
The other finalists include A.J. Aitken of St. Norbert College, Mike Carroll of Gustavus Adolphus College, Jason Carter of Northland College, Dave Clausen of Utica University, Tracy Johnson of St. Olaf College, Jeff Matthews of Amherst College, Tim McAuliffe of Castleton University, Emily McNamara of Hamilton College and Taylor Wasylk of Suffolk University.

Plattsburgh State squares off with Gustavus Adolphus in the national semifinals on Friday, March 17, at 3 p.m. at Amherst's Orr Rink.