Katie Lachapelle enters her sixth season as head coach of the Holy Cross women’s ice hockey team, and eighth as a member of the coaching staff, in 2024-25. She spent her first two seasons with the team as associate head coach.
In addition to her time at the collegiate level, Lachapelle has extensive experience coaching at the national team level. Most recently, she led the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team to a bronze medal in January 2023 and a silver medal in 2022. She was named the head coach of the team in 2021; she had previously been named the team’s head coach on May 6, 2020, but the 2021 IIHF Women's World U-18 Championship was canceled due to COVID-19. She additionally worked as an Olympic team camp coach and evaluator at the 2022 U.S. Olympics team tryout camp from June 1 to 7, 2021.
Lachapelle’s team continues displaying a dedication to community service finishing second in the nation in HelperHelper community service hours. Senior captain Lilly Feeney was honored as the Dan Allen Award recipient during the 2024 Crusader Awards and earned the Presidential Service Award and the The Edward V. Killeen, Jr., Prize to conclude her career. The two-time captain also demonstrated her commitment to her education by being named a Hockey East Distinguished Scholar and a four-time Krampade/AHCA All-American Scholar.
In her fifth year, Lachapelle led the Crusaders to the first ever Hockey East tournament victory over Boston University, 4-2, on Feb. 28. Other notable wins from the season include, the team defeated two ranked opponents in No. 13 Nothereastern (1-0) and No. 12 Vermont (3-2) both in overtime. The team finished ninth in the conference, its highest finish since joining the league in 2018. The Crusaders defeated the Terriers three times during the season, tallying three points toward the Turnpike Trophy.
Throughout her collegiate coaching career, Lachapelle has coached numerous league All-Stars, All-Americans, Patty Kazmaier finalists, national team members, and Olympians.
In her fourth season, Lachapelle led the Crusaders to the most Hockey East wins in program history with six. Inside those conference wins, the team defeated two ranked opponents in No. 14 Vermont and No. 15 Connecticut. The team finished ninth in the conference, its highest finish since joining the league in 2018. To begin 2023, Holy Cross took home its first Frozen Fenway victory, defeating Boston University, 3-2. The Crusaders defeated the Terriers twice during the regular season, tallying two points toward the Turnpike Trophy. Freshman defender, Casey Borgiel, was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team, the second rookie in program history to accomplish that feat.
In addition to growing on the ice, Lachapelle’s team makes service in the community a priority and are often recognized for their dedication. Junior captain Lilly Feeney was honored as the Crusader in the Community during the 2023 Crusader Awards. Senior Carly Beniek was awarded the Presidential Service Award for her leadership and service to the College community. Beniek later became the program's first-ever recipient of the Sarah Devens Award.
In the 2021-22 season, many of Lachapelle’s athletes celebrated accolades. Senior goaltender Jada Brenon broke the Holy Cross program record for career saves with 3,078 and the Hockey East career saves record in conference games with 2,668. Junior forward Darci Johal was honored as female breakthrough athlete of the year at the annual Crusader Awards.
In her second season at the helm with Holy Cross in 2020-21, Lachapelle helped lead Holy Cross’ first Hockey East All-Star selection in program history, senior defenseman Antonia Matzka, and the first Hockey East All-Rookie honoree in program history, Millie Sirum. She helped the Crusaders improve their Hockey East winning percentage and average goals per game from the previous season, and also guided the team to its first win over New Hampshire in program history. Senior Allison Attea and Matzka graduated from Holy Cross and went on to sign with the NWHL Buffalo Beauts. Attea was drafted as the 19 overall pick in the 2021 draft, while Matzka signed in May 2022.
In 2019-20, her first season as head coach, Lachapelle helped increase the team’s win total from year one to year two in Hockey East by four and increase its conference point total by nine. She saw four players earn weekly Hockey East awards as well as Jada Brenon named one of NCAA.com’s Three Stars of the Week on Nov. 19. She picked up her first career win as a head coach in the team’s 2-1 victory over Merrimack on Nov. 14.
In 2018-2019, she was crucial to the team's transition into Hockey East, one of the top conferences in Division I. She helped lead the team to the program's first win over a top-five ranked team, a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over then-No. 5 Northeastern.
During Lachapelle's first season on the Crusaders' bench, she helped guide the team to a 16-9-3 record and its 14th-straight postseason appearance. Senior Kara Violette was named the NEWHA Player of the Year, junior Tori Messina earned the Defender of the Year, freshmen Antonia Matzka and Julia Pelletier earned spots on the All-Rookie Team, and Kelsey Goostrey was named to the All-Sportswomanship Team.
Lachapelle came to Holy Cross after spending nine seasons as an assistant coach at perennial national power Boston University from 2008-2017. She helped guide the Terriers to five Hockey East titles and six NCAA Tournament appearances, two trips to the Frozen Four in 2011 and 2013, making the national title game both times. In 2013, she received the Women’s Ice Hockey Assistant Coach Award from the American Hockey Coaches Association, honoring her complete body of work as an assistant coach.
In addition to her recent work with the U.S. Olympic Team and U-18 Team, Lachapelle has held numerous additional coaching positions throughout the U.S. Women’s National Team organization throughout her career. In August of 2018, Lachapelle was named an assistant coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-22 team and was selected to serve in that role again in 2019. Lachapelle served as a Camp Coach at the U.S. Women's National Team's September Camp and the Winter Training Camp in December of 2018. She got her start at the national level in 2013 when she was named an assistant coach of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team, a post she held through 2017. During her first year with the U-18 Team, Lachapelle won a silver medal, followed by helping lead Team USA to three-straight gold medals at the IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship. Additionally, Lachapelle has coached at various Girls’ Select 14, 15 and 16 Player Development Camps.
Prior to her time at Boston University, Lachapelle spent four years as an assistant coach at Ohio State from 2004-2008, with the Buckeyes going 67-65-15 during her tenure. She previously served as an assistant coach at Niagara for three years from 2001-2004, with the Purple Eagles posting a 49-49-8 overall record and advancing to the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four. Lachapelle began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Union for two seasons from 1999-2001.
Lachapelle is a 1999 graduate of Providence with a bachelor’s degree in social science. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Friars, serving as an assistant captain her junior year and a captain her season year. She was also selected to the 1997 ECAC All-Star team.
