Cape Cod, Mass. - The American Hockey Coaches Association has announced eight finalists for the AHCA College Division (NCAA Division II/III) Women's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year Award. The Award is given annually to the top coach in Division II/III Women's Ice Hockey. To be named a finalist a coach must be voted Coach of the Year in their respective conference or take their team to the NCAA Final Four. Five ECAC coaches have been named among the finalists, with coaches from both the Women's West and Women's East gaining recognition. From the Women's West are Elmira College head coach Paul Nemetz-Carlson, Plattsburgh State head coach Kevin Houle, and Dave Clausen the head coach of Utica College. Manhattanville College head coach Lauren McAuliffe, and Saint Anselm College head coach Dave Flint have been named from the Women's East.

Paul Nemetz-Carlson led the Elmira Soaring Eagles to the ECAC Women's West Tournament championship with a 1-0 win over Plattsburgh State in the finals. Elmira skated to a 12-3-1 record in Women's West play and an 18-5-1 overall record. The Soaring Eagles are currently ranked fourth in country according to the latest USCHO.com poll with a 22-5-1 mark. In his fifth season behind the bench for the Purple and Gold Nemetz-Carlson coached this year's ECAC Women's West Goalie of the Year Allison Cubberley.

Nemetz-Carlson guided Elmira to a first round NCAA tournament win over Amherst College, setting up a rematch with Plattsburgh State in the NCAA Final Four this weekend at Plattsburgh State. He has led Elmira to an NCAA Tournament appearance in every season he has coached except for the 2006-07 season.

Kevin Houle is in his fourth season behind the bench for the Plattsburgh State Cardinals. He led the Cardinals to a regular season ECAC Women's West title, with a 14-1-1 mark in league play. Despite losing to Elmira in the Women's West tournament finals, Plattsburgh gained a first round bye in the NCAA Tournament and will host the Final Four this weekend, where they will face Elmira. The Cardinals are currently the number one team in the country according to the USCHO.com poll, posting an overall mark of 23-3-1. Houle coached this year's ECAC Women's West Player of the Year Danielle Blanchard.

Houle is looking to win AHCA Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year, having won in 2006 and 2007. Houle has led the Cardinals to NCAA Tournament berths in each of his four seasons at the helm. Last year Houle guided Plattsburgh State to a perfect 27-0-2 mark and an NCAA National Championship.  

Dave Clausen was voted on by his peers as the 2007-08 ECAC Women's West Coach of the Year. Clausen, in his seventh year behind the bench for the Pioneers, guided Utica to a 12-4-0 conference record and an 18-9-0 overall record. The win total marked the third consecutive season Clausen has led the Pioneers to 18 wins. Utica ended the year ranked number nine in the country according to the USCHO.com poll. Utica lost in the ECAC Women's West semi-finals to Plattsburgh, but has made an appearance in the Women's West tournament every year under Clausen's tutelage.

Lauren McAuliffe of Manhattanville College has led the Valiants to an NCAA Final Four appearance in her first season as head coach. McAuliffe was an assistant coach during the 2006-07 season. This season the Valiants won the ECAC Women's East tournament title, and topped Middlebury in the first round of the NCAA tournament with a thrilling 4-3 win in overtime. In three previous seasons Manhattanville had traveled to Middlebury to take on the Panthers in the NCAA first round, losing each time.

McAuliffe guided the Valiants to a 17-2-0 regular season record, and 19-6-0 overall record. In the latest USCHO.com poll Manhattanville is ranked tenth in the country. In the NCAA Final Four Manhattanville will take on Wisconsin - Superior with a birth the title game on the line.

Dave Flint, who completed his fifth season at the helm for the Saint Anselm College, led the Hawks to a 23-2-1 overall record. The win total marked the fourth straight season Saint Anselm has reached the 20 win plateau. Flint was voted ECAC Women's East Coach of the Year in 2007-08, the third straight season he has won the award. The Hawks won the 2008 ECAC Women's East regular season title with a 17-1-1 record in league play. Flint also guided Saint Anselm to a ECAC Women's Open Tournament title. Flint coached this year's ECAC Women's East Player of the Year Kelsey Johnson and Goalie of the Year Andrea Berlin.

The AHCA Women's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year has been presented every year since 2000 to Division II/III's top coach. The award will be presented at the American Hockey Coaches Association Coach of the Year Banquet to be held in Naples, Florida on Saturday, April 26, 2008.

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