Natalie Darwitz, arguably the most well-known name in Minnesota women’s hockey history, was named head coach of the Hamline women’s hockey team before the 2015-16 season and is in her seventh season during the 2021-22 academic year. Since then, she has helped the Pipers reach the Frozen Four in 2018 and the NCAA Championship game in 2019.
During the 2019 season, HU set a school record for wins with 23 and advanced to the NCAA D-III Championship game, becoming the first MIAC team ever to do so.
Darwitz's first year behind the bench with the Pipers saw the team finish with a 9-13-3 record. It was the most wins by a Hamline contingent in nearly a decade.
Things went even better in her second season. The Pipers went 10-8 in MIAC play, finishing in fifth place, qualifying for the MIAC playoffs for the first time in 10 years. In her third season (2017-18) the Pipers made the NCAA tournament for the first time, finishing third after a dramatic last-second win over Plattsburgh State. After that season, Darwitz was named both MIAC and USCHO Coach of the Year.
Since starting at Hamline, Darwitz has coached six All-Americans, including Bre Simon, who was named the AHCA National Player of the Year in 2019. Darwitz has also had an athlete earn an Elite 90 award, as Madison Kolbow had the highest GPA among all Frozen Four competitors in 2019.
The Eagan, Minnesota native has been part of the Minnesota hockey scene for nearly two decades. She first burst into the public eye as a seventh grader skating for Eagan High School. The Wildcats advanced to the state championship game that year. By the time she was done with her prep career, she had amassed a remarkable 487 points in 102 career games.
She was a three-time All-American at the University of Minnesota where she was a part of two national title teams. She is the school's all-time leader in points per game (2.48), ranks second in assists (102), and third in points scored with 246. She also has had considerable success on the world stage, representing the United States in three Olympics, eight World Tournaments, and ten 4 Nations Cup events. She has been a captain of several of those teams, a member of five gold-medal winning teams, and was named 2005 Woman Player of the Year by USA Hockey.
In March of 2021, Darwitz was inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, adding to her previous inductions into the Minnesota State High School League's Hall of Fame (2019) and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame (2018).
She entered the coaching world as an assistant to her father Scott at her prep alma mater. She went on to be an assistant at the University of Minnesota for two seasons before taking the head job at Lakeville South. The Cougars went 79-25-10 under her guidance, including a 24-6-1 record and a berth in the MSHSL Class AA Girls’ Hockey tournament in 2015.
Natalie Darwitz's Hamline Coaching Numbers:
| Year |
Overall |
MIAC |
MIAC Tournament |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2015-16 |
9-13-3 |
6-10-2 (7th) |
- |
- |
| 2016-17 |
12-13-1 |
10-8-0 (5th) |
0-1 |
- |
| 2017-18 |
22-5-3 |
13-3-2 (3rd) |
2-0 |
2-1 |
| 2018-19 |
23-4-3 |
14-2-2 (2nd) |
1-1 |
2-1 |
| 2019-20 |
18-4-4 |
14-1-3 (2nd) |
0-1 |
- |
| 2020-21* |
4-2 |
1-2 |
N/A |
N/A |
| Totals |
88-41-14 |
58-26-9 |
3-3 |
4-2 |
*The 2020-21 season was condensed due to COVID-19.
