Erin Whitten-Hamlen

Erin Whitten-Hamlen
Erin Whitten-Hamlen
Born	October 10, 1971; Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
Height	5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Weight	160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Caught	Left
Played for	Adirondack Red Wings
National team	United States
Playing career	1989–1999
Representing United States
Women's ice hockey
IIHF World Women's Championships

Erin Whitten (born October 26, 1971) is an American hockey coach and former goaltender who has played professionally with various men's teams. She is the head coach of the Merrimack Warriors women's ice hockey team, which plays in the Hockey East conference, at Division I of the NCAA. She became head coach in 2013.[1]

Whitten graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1993.[2] During her college career, she played goalie for the UNH Wildcats women's ice hockey team. She was selected as a First-Team All Star four times. She won the ECAC Goaltender of the Year award in 1992.

After college, she played with the Dallas Freeze of the CHL, the Toledo Storm of the ECHL, the Utica Blizzard, Muskegon Fury, and the Flint Generals of the Colonial Hockey League. Whitten has also participated in roller hockey with the Pittsburgh Phantoms and the Oakland Skates.

She was a member of the U.S. women's national ice hockey team from 1992-1997, as the starting goaltender. She was USA Hockey Women's Player of the Year in 1994.

After her playing career, she was a coach with the New Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockey team for ten years (2000-2010). During her time with the team, the Wildcats won four straight Hockey East championships.

She was hired as the inaugural coach for the Boston Blades, the first U.S. team in the Canadian Women's Hockey League.[3] However, players and coached were not paid in the now-defunct league, and Hamlen coached only one year.

Erin Whitten, as part of pro hockey's first all-female goaltending showdown. New Jersey Rockin Rollers (Manon Rheaume) vs. Pittsburgh Phantoms in a Roller Hockey International game.Brenden Byrne Arena, MeadowlandsJuly 13, 1994

She was born in Glens Falls, New York.[4]

USA Hockey

Member of the U.S. Women's National Ice Hockey Team from 1992–97, then rejoined the team in both 1999 and 2001[5]
Was the starting goalie at the World Championships (1992–97)
1994 USA Hockey Women's Player of the Year
Starting goalie for '94 World Championships
Outstanding Goaltender in '94 World Championships
Starting goalie for '92 World Championships

Collegiate

At the time of her graduation from the University of New Hampshire, Whitten held the record for saves in a game (46), season (511) and career (1,556). She shut out Dartmouth College in her collegiate debut and led the New Hampshire Wildcats to two ECAC titles (1990, 1991).[6]

4-time ECAC Goalie of the year 1992/93
Univ. of NH women's Team Athlete of the Year
2-time ECAC player of the week

Coaching career

As a coach at the University of New Hampshire, she helped goaltender Jen Huggon earn All-America honors. She was part of the coaching staff that led the Wildcats to the Frozen Four in 2006 and 2008. Whitten was an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2006 Four Nations Cup.[7]

On September 17, 2010, the CWHL expansion franchise in Boston, the Blades, announced the appointment of Erin Hamlen as the team's first head coach.[8]

Awards and honors

First woman to participate in ECHL game
First woman to participate in CHL game
First woman to participate in COHL game
USA Hockey Women's Player of the Year (1994)
University of New Hampshire's Department of Women's Athletics Athlete of the Year (1993)
ECAC Goaltender of the Year (1992)
ECAC First Team (1992 and 1993)
ECAC All-Star Selection (equivalent to First Team status) in 1990 and 1991
Directorate Award, Best Goaltender, 1994 IIHF women's world hockey championships[9]

References

"Merrimack Signs Erin Hamlen to Multi-Year Contract Extension". Merrimack College Athletics. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
http://www.makeithappen.com/wis/bios/whittene.html
Sullivan, Mike. "York's Cronin suiting up for Boston Blades hockey team". seacoastonline.com. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=5711
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-29. Retrieved 2009-08-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-29. Retrieved 2009-08-31.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Meet the new Team USA, by Richard O'Brien, p.E6, The Record:Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, Saturday, November 4, 2006
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-11-05. Retrieved 2010-09-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009-10, p.541, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Canada, ISBN 978-1-55468-621-6