Natalie Darwitz



Natalie Darwitz (born October 13, 1983) is an American ice hockey player. Natalie has been the Captain of the US Women's National Team since the start of the 2007-08 season. She has won three World Championships since 2005 and has two Olympic Silver medals and one Bronze medal in Women's Ice Hockey for the US.



Contents
[hide]  *1 Career biography  ==Career biography[edit] == Darwitz began skating at the age of five, and now at 25 is a veteran of ten years on the US National Team. Over the past seven years, she has competed in two Olympics (including leading the ’02 Olympics in goal scoring and the ’06 games with the game-winning assist in the bronze-medal game. In three years of NCAA Hockey at her alma mater, Minnesota, she won back-to-back national championships, scored the championship goal in her final game with 1:08 to go versus Harvard (4-3), won the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship Frozen Four, was named US Women’s Player of the Year) and competed in an additional three IIHF Women's World Championship (gold in 2005 & 2008).
 * 1.1 Personal life
 * 2 World championship biography
 * 3 Collegiate biography
 * 4 Accomplishments and notes
 * 5 Media/national publicity biography
 * 6 Personal
 * 7 Career statistics
 * 8 External links
 * 9 Sources
 * 10 References

At the ’08 Worlds, Darwitz led the tournament in scoring and was named the Best Forward in the World by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Additionally, Darwitz was awarded the Bob Johnson Award by USA Hockey as the best male or female player representing the United States in international play. The award is named after the late coach "Badger" Bob Johnson.

She helped the USA Women's Team in Vancouver win the Silver medal, while acting as a guiding hand and voice for the sport. At home in Minnesota, Darwitz has coached women’s ice hockey at her alma mater, Eagan High School, where she was an assistant coach with her father (Scott) helping guide Eagan to the Minnesota HSH State Championship Tournament for the first time in 4 years during the 2007-08 campaign in her first year on the job.

In August ‘08, Darwitz was named Assistant Coach of her alma mater, the University of Minnesota, Golden Gopher Women's ice hockey team and has balanced her time as a member of the US National Team. She is based in Blaine, MN (a suburb of Minneapolis-St Paul). At the conclusion of the 08-09 NCAA campaign, Darwitz returned as a full-time member of the US National Team and be strictly devoted to the 2010 Games.

Currently, Darwitz has an equipment deal with Easton Hockey and a jewelry deal with Energy Muse. In 2008, she became a blogger for the Minneapolis StarTribune.

In May 2009, Darwitz was a featured athlete at the NBC/USOC promotional shoot for the Olympics.

Darwitz retired her position as Assistant Coach at the University of Minnesota. On August 2 of 2011, she announced her new position as the Head Coach of the Lakeville South High School Girl's ice hockey team.[1]  Head Coach Darwitz and the Lakeville South Cougars finished the 2011/2012 season with an impressive record of 21-1-6.[2]  Darwitz returned to the Lakeville South Cougars for the 2012/2013 season with her father, Scott Darwitz, by her side as the new Assistant Coach. The Lakeville South Cougars ended the 2012/2013 season with a record of 16-2-9.[3] ===Personal life[edit] === In her free time, Darwitz enjoys to be outdoors boating on the lakes in her native Minnesota, but also likes to surf in Southern California and Mexico with her husband. She is the youngest of three children (Nikki and Ryan), her parents are Scott and Nancy. ==World championship biography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.25em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[edit] == <p style="line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">2005, 2008 & 2009 World Champion

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">1999, 2000. 2001, 2004, 2007 Silver Medallist

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">The IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship is the premier international tournament in Women's ice hockey. It is governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The official world competition was first held in 1990. With the inception of women's hockey in the Winter Olympics in 1998, the tournament is not held in Olympic years. Darwitz was the second leading scorer at the 2009 IIHF tournament with 10 points (three goals, seven assists).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="line-height:1em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[4] ==Collegiate biography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.25em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[edit] == <p style="line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Credit College Experience to USA Hockey 2008 Women's Select Team Guide

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Finished her three-season collegiate career as the University of Minnesota’s (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) career points (246) and assists (144) leader … Was a three-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and a three-time All-American.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">As a Junior (2004–05): Set an NCAA single-season record with 114 points<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="line-height:1em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  (42-72) in 40 games … Led the nation in points per game (2.85) and assists (72) … Set a tournament record with nine points (3-6) in two games at the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four … In the final game, scored the go- ahead goal with under a minute remaining to give Minnesota its second straight national title … Named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and garnered All-America First Team honors … Top-three finalist for the 2005 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">As a Sophomore (2003–04): All- America Second Team selection … 2004 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-10 finalist … First Team All-WCHA selection … Named to the WCHA All-Academic and Academic All-Big Ten teams … Tied for second on the team in points (64), despite missing 10 games with an injury … Second in goals (27) and assists (37)… Had a WCHA-best 28 power-play points (10-18) … Three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week … Named to the WCHA All-Tournament Team … Scored her fourth hat trick of the season to lead the team to victory in the national title game … Named to the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

<p style="margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:19.200000762939453px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13px;">As a Freshman (2002–03): All-America First Team selection … 2003 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-10 finalist … WCHA Rookie of the Year … Team scoring leader (33-35–68) … First-Team All-WCHA selection and WCHA All-Rookie honoree.. ==Accomplishments and notes<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.25em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[edit] == ==Media/national publicity biography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.25em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[edit] == ==Personal<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.25em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[edit] == ==Career statistics<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;padding-right:0.25em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[edit] ==
 * 2008 Best Forward/All Tournament Team World Championships - Awarded by the International Ice Hockey Federation
 * 2008 Bob Johnson Award - Best International Player of the Year (male or female) Awarded by USA Hockey<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="line-height:1em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]
 * 2007 World Championships - Used pink hockey stick to promote breast cancer awareness
 * 2006-07 League MVP - Selected by the Western Women's Hockey League
 * 2006-07 Western Women's Hockey League Tournament All-Star Team
 * 2005 Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award - Awarded by USA Hockey<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="line-height:1em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7]
 * 2005 NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player
 * 2002 Winter Olympic All Tournament Team - Voted on by the International Ice Hockey Federation
 * WCHA Team of the Decade (2000's) <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="line-height:1em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[8]
 * 3-time All American at Minnesota (Did not play Senior Year)
 * 3-time finalist for Patty Kazmaier Award (W ice hockey equivalent to Heisman)
 * 2-All Time NCAA Records (Points and Assists in a season)
 * 3rd All Time NCAA in Scoring (two players ahead of Natalie played 4 years)
 * All Time Leading Scorer at the University of Minnesota
 * 1996 - 2000 Eagan High School, 312 goals, 175 assists = 487 points in 102 games
 * Off The Podium.com Torino 2006 Screensaver
 * February 13, 2006 PEOPLE Magazine
 * February 2006 GLAMOUR Magazine
 * January 2006 NICKELODEON Magazine
 * 2005-06 USA Today Blogger
 * November 2, 2005 NY Stock Exchange Opening Bell
 * 2011-12 named head coach of Lakeville South High School in Lakeville, Minnesota<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-9" style="line-height:1em;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]
 * 2008-09 named Assistant Coach of University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Women's Ice Hockey Team (at the conclusion of the 08-09 season Natalie stepped down to concentrate on the US National Team program and preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver)
 * 2007 graduate of the University of Minnesota, B.S. Business emphasis in Sport Management