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20 // JANUARY 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS BY John Steady W HEN GOALTENDERS DAZZLE in net they call it standing on their head. People might say Mackenzie Bruch is doing the same thing in her new line of work. Not only is Bruch one of the few female coaches working in the Div. II and III men's college hockey ranks, but she is doing so at a start-up program that would make Shark Tank investors shriek "I'm out" before the pitch began. But for Bruch, the fit is a natural. The Barrie, Ontario native is serving as the goaltending coach for Div. III Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Conn. It is the second stint on the sidelines for the 25-year-old former goalie for the Bemidji State women's team, but her first with a men's program. It also coincides with the Falcons' first year on the ice. "I wouldn't say it's been difficult, it's just another challenge," Bruch said. "I actually played on an inaugural team my freshman and sophomore years at Stevenson University (Md.) so I was a little bit familiar with the unique challenges that brings. We had a team of 26 fresh- men and played a really hard schedule." Kyle Wallack serves as the head coach for Albertus Magnus, which has gotten off to an understandably slow start with a roster of all freshmen and one sophomore. "I like the direction we're headed," said Wallack, whose squad will join the New England Hockey Conference next year. " We check out the scores of start-ups and they 're losing 11-0, 9-0. We're competitive right now. If we're going down, we're going down swinging." And that's been the case right from the drop of the puck as the Falcons surrendered a g oal in the game's final 15 seconds dropping a 2-1 decision at St. Michael's College on opening night. The next day Albertus Magnus earned a 2-2 tie, also against St. Michael's, for the program's first point. "If you saw the before here, you'd appreciate the after," Wallack said. "We've got pictures of roots and trees growing where the rink is. It's impressive for day one to day 400. This is going to be as good as any Div. III setup anywhere in the country." UPSTART COLLEGE PROGRAM TAKES AN UNCONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION /// By Bill Cloutier ROAD LESS TRAVELED THE A tireless rink rat who still moonlights as a personal coach, Mackenzie Bruch has worked with goalies of all ages, skill sets and, of course, genders.