Katie Kells is entering her third season as a full-time assistant for the Lady Lions hockey program in 2012-13. This will be her sixth year overall behind the bench as she also served as a student assistant for one year and then a graduate assistant for two seasons. Kells works primarily with the team on defense and off-ice conditioning.
In 2011-12, Kells assisted Lindenwood during its first full season against NCAA opponents. Lindenwood won eight games during its inaugural varsity season, including six straight to end the season. In that season-ending winning streak, Lindenwood allowed just 2.2 goals a game. One of those victories was a shutout over Sacred Heart which was the program’s first victory over a NCAA Division I team.
In her first season as an assistant, Kells helped Lindenwood finish with a 33-3-2 overall record during its final season at the club level. The Lady Lions finished third in the national tournament and won both their regular season and tournament conference championships. Kells led the team for a period of time during the winter while head coach Vince O’Mara was serving as an assistant coach for Team USA at the World University Games.
In four years assisting the coaching staff at the club level, Lindenwood went 144-11-7 and won three ACHA National Championships.
Kells had an impressive playing career at Lindenwood for three seasons, including serving as a team captain for two years. She appeared in 91 games and collected 60 goals and 56 assists. She was a member of Lindenwood’s first ACHA national championship team in 2006 and helped the team return to the national title game in her final season in 2007. In the 2006 national championship game, Kells assisted on a goal late in the game to force an overtime period. In overtime, she assisted on the game-winning goal that won the national title for the Lady Lions.
To go along with her coaching duties, Kells is the assistant director of Student Life Sports at Lindenwood.
Kells completed her bachelor's degree in physical education in 2008, and earned her master's in education administration in 2010.
