Erin Whitten Hamlen

[2] As a member of the U.S. national team, she competed in and won silver medals at four IIHF Women's World Championships.Hamlen is from Glens Falls, New York, where she grew up playing hockey with the neighborhood boys, starting at age 5.[3] Hamlen shut out Dartmouth College in her collegiate debut and helped lead the Wildcats to two ECAC titles, in 1990 and 1991.[5] After her graduation from college, Hamlen was working at an Adirondack Red Wings summer camp when two players introduced her to agent Steve Bartlett, who also represented Manon Rheaume.He landed her an opportunity to tryout with the Red Wings, though she eventually signed with the Toledo Storm of the ECHL and coach Chris McSorley.“If I could fit all the gear in a phone booth, I'm sure I'd have used one of those by now.”[2] As a goaltender with Toledo, she was the first woman to earn a victory in a professional ice hockey game, during a 6–5 win against the Dayton Bombers on October 30, 1993.[6] At the time, Hamlen was under the misimpression that Rheaume, who had been the first woman to play in a pro hockey game during the prior season, had already recorded a win.[5] Despite her age, Hamlen was still considered one of the top women's ice hockey players in the world in October 1997, four months prior to the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.Finnish national team coach Rauni Korpi was reportedly incredulous at Hamlen's absence from the Games, asking two American reporters, “Why is Erin Whitten not here?”[8] Hamlen worked her way back to the U.S. national team's roster in 1999, when she was starting goaltender for the 1999 IIHF Women's World Championships.It took a lot for me to build up the confidence again.”[9] The U.S. team lost the next night to Canada, 3–1, which extended its streak of world championships to five.Smith was quoted as saying: “This might be the best game against Canada I’ve seen her play.”[10] Teammate Cammi Granato told The Boston Globe that Hamlen had “played her heart out.[5] Hamlen was an assistant coach for U.S. women's hockey team at the 2006 Four Nations Cup and at the 2007 IIHF World Championship.I'm ready to tackle this now.”[16] Hamlen had support from Mark Dennehy, then the coach of the Merrimack men's team, and said she tried to emulate his approach.[16] Hamlen said she felt her own success, in her college career at UNH and as a member of the U.S. national team, gave her clout as she tried to attract players to Merrimack.Hamlen credited goaltending — by junior Samantha Ridgewell and sophomore Lea Kristine Demers — in both victories.The Warriors posted the team's first-ever winning record, at 16–13—7, which included a 1–0 victory over No.9-ranked Boston College on December 8.[20] In seven seasons, Hamlen's teams at Merrimack have produced six professional players: Dominique Kremer, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Courtney Maud, Dominika Lásková, Samantha Ridgewell, and Paige Voight.
Erin Whitten, as part of pro hockey's first all-female goaltending showdown, pitting her and the Pittsburgh Phamtoms against the New Jersey Rockin Rollers (Manon Rheaume) at Brenden Byrne Arena, in the Meadowlands, New Jersey, on July 13, 1994.
Glens FallsNew YorkGoaltenderCaughtNew Hampshire WildcatsDallas FreezeToledo StormUtica BlizzardMuskegon FuryFlint GeneralsMerrimack WarriorsBoston BladesUnited StatesWorld Championship1992 Finland1994 United States1997 Canada1999 Finlandice hockeyMerrimack Warriors women's ice hockeyHockey EastconferenceNCAA Division Iprofessional ice hockeyDayton BombersEast Coast Hockey LeagueU.S. national teamIIHF Women's World ChampionshipsUSA Hockey Women's Player of the YearNew Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockeyGlens Falls, New YorkNew York State Public High School Athletic AssociationNortheastern Universitysave percentageDartmouth CollegeAdirondack Red WingsManon RheaumeChris McSorleyToledo BladeBarry Potomskihat-trickThe Boston GlobeDan ShaughnessyCentral Hockey League1993–94 seasonColonial Hockey League1994–95 season1995–96 seasonroller hockeyPittsburgh PhantomsOakland SkatesU.S. women's national ice hockey teamIIHF Women's World Championship1998 Winter Olympic GamesNaganoBen SmithCanadiansSarah TuetingSara DeCostafirst-ever Olympic women's ice hockey tournamentFinnish national teamRauni Korpi1999 IIHF Women's World ChampionshipsCammi Granato2006 Four Nations Cup2007 IIHF World ChampionshipU.S. women's U18 ice hockey teamCanadian Women's Hockey LeagueUniversity of New EnglandMark DennehyMerrimack men's teamBoston College EaglesBoston University Terriersfirst seasonMinnesotaSamantha Ridgewell2017–18 seasonProvidenceDominique KremerMikyla Grant-MentisDominika LáskováPaige VoightKateřina BukolskáOlympicsCzech national teamHampton, New HampshireRegular seasonSeason1993-941994-951995-962015–16Merrimack2016-172017-182020–21Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year AwardShaughnessy, DanNewspapers.comThe Portsmouth HeraldThe Eagle-TribuneOliver, NathanielAlbany Times UnionUSA HockeyHunter, AndriaPodnieks, AndrewCollinsVolpe Complex2016–172017–18