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"Probably before I even realized, it set the foundation for what my career would end up being," Kelsey Koelzer, the head coach for Arcadia University women's ice hockey team, remembers. A chance meeting in 2013 with girls from Hockey in Newark—a mostly African American group of minor hockey aged girls—left a lasting impression on the then Princeton Tiger All-American that is as fresh today as it was more than 10 years ago. "It gave me that first glance into my why," Koelzer explained. "It was that introduction into why I wanted to push forward within the sport. It also gave me that extra boost in try- ing to figure out my why in terms of what I do every day and how that impacts me." Koelzer, who captained the Tigers in her senior season, would go on to finish her col- legiate playing career at Princeton in 2016 with highlights that included: If Koelzer's collegiate accolades weren't enough, they also continued at the next level. She became the first Black woman to be selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2016 National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) draft by the Metropolitan Riveters. It was there she helped lead her team to the 2018 Isobel Cup Championship, as well as share Most Valuable Player honors at that year's All-Star Game. "The sport has grown a lot, but people still end a conversation with —'It's so good that they [African- American players] are here,'" Koelzer said. "But they can be more than just here. They can be that star player, a franchise player. That is something sometimes I think gets overlooked. Mikyla Grant-Mentis has done a real- ly great job of continuing that, Laila Edwards as the first Black player on the U.S. Women's National Team too." Despite her success and being a ground- breaking Black female hockey player, the girls from Hockey in Newark never left Koelzer's mind. The thought of those young girls—today young women—helped forge a path for Koelzer to become the first Black ice hockey head coach, male or female in NCAA history. At just 24-years-old, Koelzer took the reins of the Arcadia (Pennsylvania) University Knights' burgeoning women's ice hockey program in 2021 as its first coach. Now in her third season behind the bench, Koelzer has led Arcadia to a 7-4 record, at the time of press. With programs like Hockey in Newark and Black Girl Hockey Club, which began in 2018 as part of the NHL's "Hockey Is For Everyone" initiative, the depth and light of Koelzer's career shines brightly. Koelzer was named to the NHL Players' Association Female Advisory Committee and par- ticipated in the Arizona Coyotes Coaching Internship Program in the summer of 2022. She also is dedicated to helping accelerate the growth of female hockey in North America amongst all girls interested in learning how to play the sport despite their background and socioeconomic experience. Koelzer has never forgotten the impact others have had on her as she ascends in her career. "The lessons I've learned in the last three or four years—not just professionally but personally—have been because of all the risks I've been willing to take," Koelzer concluded. "All I've accomplished and the doors I've pushed through have been things I never would've thought I had the guts to do. But here I am." P Tom & Jerry Caraccioli are the authors of STRIKING SILVER: The Untold Story of America's Forgotten Hockey Team. 18 // JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM I N T H E CO R N E R S H E R O E S & H I S T O R Y g By Tom and Jerry Caraccioli Finding Her Why Arcadia University Women's Ice Hockey Head Coach Kelsey Koelzer Inspires and Shines PHOTOS COURTESY OF Kelsey Koelzer; Joseph Kraus /Arcadia University p Kelsey Koelzer participated in the Arizona Coyotes Coaching Internship Program in 2022. p Kelsey Koelzer is the first Black ice hockey head coach in NCAA history. • First Team All-American honors (Princeton's first) • Ivy League Player of the Year in 2016 • Three-time, First-Team All-Ivy League distinction • 2016 Ivy League Championship and trip to the NCAA Division I Women's Ice Hockey quarterfinals. • 100 points (39 goals, 61 assists) in 128 career games