Natalie Darwitz elected into United States Hockey Hall of Fame

Darwitz will be the fifth woman in the USHHOF

Natalie Darwitz was elected into the United States Hockey of Fame, the only female in the Class of 2018, USA Hockey announced today.

Darwitz is an extremely decorated player. At 15 she was the youngest player ever to be selected to the National Team. She played in eight Worlds — winning three golds and five silvers — and three Olympics, winning a silver in each. She was also the 2008 Bob Johnson Award winner.

She played college hockey at the University of Minnesota where she still holds the record for points with 246 (102 goals, 144 assists) in 99 games. She was a three-time Patty Kazmaier finalist. Darwitz would break the NCAA record for points in a single season when she notched 114 points (42 goals, 72 assists) during her final year at Minnesota

Currently she is the head coach at Hamline University, a Division-III school in St. Paul. She’s led the team to their winningest season in school history and a third-place finish in the D-III tournament. Last season she was the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and the USCHO.com D-III Coach of the Year.

Darwtiz joins Angela Ruggiero (2015), Karyn Bye Dietz (2014), Cindy Curley (2013), the 1998 Olympic team (2009), and Cammi Granato (2008) as the only females inducted.