Franklin Pierce University Director of Athletics Bruce Kirsh announced on Oct. 3, 2011, that David Stockdale was named the head coach of the newly-formed women’s ice hockey program on the Rindge campus. Stockdale brings to Franklin Pierce extensive collegiate coaching experience, both as an assistant and head coach.
Stockdale has coached at the collegiate level for close to 10 years and has extensive recruiting experience.
“This is a tremendous opportunity and one that I’m eager to begin right away,” Stockdale said. “I want to thank Bruce Kirsh and the search committee for all of their time and efforts in putting this program in place. The opportunity to build a program from the ground up and recruit student-athletes that want to help in the challenge is very exciting.”
Stockdale began his career as an assistant coach at the University of Maine from 2003-05, and then moved onto becoming an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at the University of Southern Maine from 2005-06. In both places he oversaw recruiting efforts both on-campus and off-campus.
He then served one year as the head coach at Castleton State College during the 2006-07 campaign and oversaw every facet of the program, including budget, travel, recruiting and academic monitoring of his student-athletes. Three of the top four scorers in program history played for Stockdale during the season and all three posted their highest single-season scoring totals under his mentoring.
Following Castleton State, Stockdale served as the assistant coach and head recruiting coordinator for Chatham University (2007-09) and then again at UMaine (2009-10). He recently served as the head girls’ hockey coach at Seton Catholic Central School in Plattsburgh, N.Y. During Stockdale’s time at Chatham, he helped to recruit four of the top-five players in program history for career scoring.
In all, Stockdale has recruited or coached five players who have garnered all-conference recognition and four others who were placed on their respective league’s all-rookie team.
Stockdale also has extensive instructional experience as he has served as an evaluator and counselor at various hockey camps, including serving as an evaluator and camp coach for USA Hockey since 2006.
“We are very pleased to welcome David Stockdale to the Franklin Pierce family,” Kirsh said. “He brings a passion and energy to our new women’s ice hockey program which I strongly believe will help get this program off the ground in fine fashion. I look forward to working with him in starting up a new and exciting chapter in the history of Franklin Pierce Athletics.”
