Marykate Drinkwater has been selected to lead the Rivier women’s hockey program.
Drinkwater comes to Rivier after serving as a graduate assistant for the Western New England’s women’s hockey program, helping the team to a 17-8-3 overall record and the 2023-24 CCC postseason championship in only its third season of NCAA competition.
“I am thrilled to welcome Marykate to Rivier as our women’s ice hockey head coach,” said Rivier director of athletics Jonathan Harper in a statement. “Coach Drinkwater was a key member of the coaching staff at Western New England that guided the team to a conference championship this past season. Her commitment to the experience of our students was evident during our search process and was built from her own history as a high-level student-athlete at the University of New England. The women’s ice hockey program at Rivier is in great hands under her leadership.”
“I am deeply honored and thrilled to join Rivier University as the new women’s ice hockey head coach,” added Drinkwater. “I would like to thank Jonathan Harper and the entire staff for the opportunity to become part of this amazing program. I am incredibly grateful for the chance to lead and guide these talented student-athletes on their journey to success, both on and off the ice.”
Drinkwater helped the Golden Bears rank in the top-five nationally in both power-play percentage (29.1%) and power-play goal scoring (25) on the way to the league championship and an NCAA Division III women’s hockey championship berth. The well-rounded team also recorded seven shutouts, leading the CCC while ranking 10th in all of NCAA Division III.
Hired as the first assistant coach in team history when the Golden Bears’ program first hit the ice in 2021-22, Drinkwater assisted with practices and games while conducting film review, recruiting, and aiding with administrative duties while pursuing her master’s degree in Sport Leadership and Coaching.
Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Drinkwater spent four years competing for the University of New England women’s hockey team before graduating in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies while earning a minor in Coaching.
With the Nor’easters, Drinkwater competed in 107 games to rank second all-time in team history upon graduating. Academically, she earned All-America Scholar distinction as a senior from the American Hockey Coaches Association and finished with 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points, logging a career-high 14 in her final campaign with the Nor’easters.
Drinkwater began her coaching career as an assistant coach for the Biddeford (Maine) High School junior varsity and varsity girls’ hockey squads. She has also served as a camp evaluator for USA Hockey and has coached for Iceworks Hockey and the North American Premier Showcase.
The native of Franklin, Mass., spent her last two years of high school at Worcester Academy. During her first two years, she attended Franklin High School where she was a two-time MetroWest Daily News All-Star and served as a team captain her sophomore season.
Drinkwater inherits a team at Rivier that made its first appearance in the ECHA championship game in 2023-24. Next year, the Raiders will make history as one of the founding members of the MASCAC, the newest NCAA Division III women’s hockey conference.
