Northeastern University Athletics | Women's Hockey | Flint behind the bench as Team USA wins World Gold

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Flint behind the bench as Team USA wins World Gold
April 13, 2009
Boston, Mass.

Northeastern women’s hockey head coach Dave Flint was behind the bench as an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team Sunday when the American squad claimed the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women’s Championship. The red, white and blue skated to a 4-1 win over Canada in the championship game at the Patria Arena in Hameenlinna, Finland to earn its third-ever world championship.

Team USA won its three-team group with an 8-0 win over Japan April 4 and an 8-0 win over Russia April 6. In the qualifying round, the American squad defeated Finland 7-0 April 9, and lost to Canada 2-1 April 10. Despite the loss, Team USA advanced to the championship game, where it defeated Canada 4-1. The U.S. now holds the No. 1 world ranking for the first time since the system was introduced in 2004.

Flint was named to the coaching staff for the world championships Feb. 27, along with Wesleyan head coach Jodi McKenna. Prior to the world championships, Flint served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s Select Team that won gold at the 2008 Four Nations Cup. Flint was the goaltending consultant for the entire U.S. Women’s National Program last season, and was on hand when the U.S. won gold at the 2008 world championships.

In his first season as head coach at Northeastern, Flint led the Huskies to a 12-20-3 record, the team’s best mark since the 2003-04 season, and was runner-up for Hockey East Coach of the year. Flint also led Northeastern to its first playoff appearance since 2003-04.

Before being named Northeastern’s head coach, Flint spent five years as head coach at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., where he compiled an 88-15-2 (.848) record. In four seasons as a varsity team under Flint (the program was a club sport in his first year), the Hawks won two ECAC East regular season championships and three ECAC Open Tournament championships. Flint was recognized as ECAC East Coach of the Year and a finalist for National Coach of the Year three consecutive seasons from 2006-08.