Kelsey Koelzer is making history at Arcadia University as the first Black woman to coach an NCAA team and the first Black person to occupy such a role in over 120 years of college hockey, writes Andrew Lawrence for the Sports Illustrated.

Koelzer is an accomplished player who was a USA Hockey Under-22 selection in 2017. She tried for the PyeongChang Olympic team in 2018.

Koelzer joined Arcadia University in September 2019 when she was 24. When she took on the role, she had to build the program from scratch as the school had added women’s hockey to its athletic portfolio just ahead of her hiring.

Recruiting during the pandemic has also been challenging, but she found ways to make it work.

“We’ve had members of our current team just hop on FaceTime and give someone a tour just so they get a chance to chat with some of the players and still see the campus,” she said.

This season is the team’s first in competition. While the start might have been a bit wobbly, the team is now finding its footing.

Read more about coach Kelsey Koelzer and her journey leading the ice hockey team at Arcadia University in Sports Illustrated.