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Hamilton's McNamara named of the Year

Hamilton College’s Emily McNamara is the 2023 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women’s Division III Coach of the Year.

McNamara, who has been the head coach since 2012-13, has the Continentals in the NCAA Division III playoffs. The team played against host Amherst College Friday in the semifinals. Results were not available at press time. It is the team’s first appearance in the event.

This is McNamara’s first national award and she’s the first Hamilton coach to receive it. McNamara is also just the second woman honored since the AHCA started recognizing a coach of the year in 2000.

The team, which was ranked sixth going into Friday’s game, has won 22 games. That shatters the previous record of 16. The record going into the semifinal was 22-5-2.

McNamara was voted the New England Small College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year earlier this month after Hamilton went 12-3-1 in the conference for an all-time best second place finish and advanced to the championship final for the first time.

McNamara’s career record with the Continentals is 135-94-23. Her coaching staff includes assistant coach Kayte Holtz and goaltending coach Chris Cobb.

McNamara was an assistant coach at Middlebury College from 2007 to 2011. She helped the Panthers win three national titles from 2004 to 2006 as a player. The defender served as a team captain during the 2006-07 season and she graduated with a degree in English. McNamara is from North Hampton, New Hampshire, and was a three-sport varsity athlete at Phillips Exeter Academy.