MONTREAL - Amey Doyle has been appointed interim head coach of the McGill University women's hockey team, the defending CIS national champions for the past two years.

Doyle, a 31-year-old native of Smiths Falls, Ont., replaces Peter Smith, who has taken a one-year leave of absence to serve as an assistant coach with the Canadian women's Olympic team, which is currently based in Calgary.

Doyle's coaching staff includes Stewart McCarthey, who returns for his second season and newcomer Shauna Denis, who captained the Martlets to their first national crown in 2008. Patrick Magee will serve as the team's strength and conditioning coach.

"I am extremely excited with the opportunity to coach the Martlets this year," said Doyle, a former all-star goaltender for McGill who has served as an assistant coach with the team since graduating with a physical education degree in 2002 and has posted a stellar 20-2-1 lifetime record behind the McGill bench when Smith has been away with the national team.

She played five years with the Martlets, four as a backup to Kim St-Pierre and stayed on as an assistant while she completed her Master's in sports psychology.

"Peter Smith has been a great mentor and has helped me to prepare and develop as a coach," she noted. "I have been involved with the program for a long time and have worked very hard to learn the game and all that coaching encompasses."

Doyle, a physical education teacher at Champlain College in St. Lambert, Que., has also served as a goaltender coach with the Dawson College Blues women's team.

The Martlets, who open training camp on Sept. 4, begin pre-season play with a home game against the Lac St. Louis Tigers a boys midget team, on Sept. 13. McGill enters the 2009-10 season with a 54-game win streak against Canadian university opponents. They will be without the services of two all-Canadians - goaltender Charline Labonte and defenceman Catherine Ward, both of whom have also re-located to the Olympic team training camp in Calgary.

"Every year there are challenges and I am looking forward to meeting each challenge and watching this year's team develop," said Doyle.

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman
McGill Athletics & Recreation