BC Women's Hockey Legend Kelli Stack Named USA Hockey Women's Player Of The Year

BC '11 Kelli Stack was named Women's Player of the Year by USA Hockey this week. Stack was a legend in her time at the Heights and was likely the best player in team history. Her stats told part of the story -- her 133 career points were not only a BC record, but a Hockey East record as well -- but she was much more than a stat line. Her tremendous skating and stickhandling ability made her one of the most entertaining and electric women's hockey players to ever play the game. Now, she plays professionally for the Boston Blades in the CWHL.

I remember what my friends and I would call "The Stack Play." Set up in the offensive zone but with no shooting lane? Just give it to Stack. Stack would skate literal circles around the other team, skating in a complete loop behind the net and around the offensive zone, by herself, and while opponents made themselves look silly trying to keep up or unglue the puck from her stick, Stack would find the easy lane to the goal or a teammate that would open up and set up the easy goal. It was majestic.

This year, Stack centered what became known as the "Stacksicles" line, with twin sisters Monique Lamoureux-Kolls and Jocelyne Lamoureux (both of the University of North Dakota), for Team USA at the IIHF Women's World Championship. Stack lead the tournament with 8 assists and was 2nd with 14 points overall. Stack also led the Americans to Gold at the 2011 Four Nations Cup this past November in Sweden. Stack has become one of the centerpieces of a strong American team that often alternates who takes home the gold medal with the hated Canadians.

Look for Stack to continue making the rest of the world look foolish and the rest of us Eagles proud over the next several years.