Cory Whitaker is in his seventh season on the Lindenwood women's ice hockey coaching staff in 2018-19. He is the program’s goalies coach.
Over his first four seasons, Whitaker oversaw the development of Nicole Hensley, one of the top goalies in NCAA Division I. Hensley finished her career with a 4,094 saves and became the first female collegiate goalie with over 4,000 saves. She had a .921 save percentage and finished her career with a 2.98 GAA. Hensley was the first CHA player to receive the prestigious NCAA Top Ten Award. As a member of the national team, Hensley has won two gold medals as a member of the United States team, and she was named to the national team for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
In her final season at Lindenwood, Hensley lowered her GAA to 2.52 and she was named a first-team all-CHA for the second-straight year. Whitaker also helped coach freshman Jolene deBryun who had a .930 save percentage in six games.
In 2014-15, Whitaker’s protégé, Hensley, was named a first-team all-CHA pick after setting school records for wins and GAA. She had a .916 save percentage and recorded two shutouts, including one over nationally-ranked Bemidji State.
In 2013-14, Hensley led NCAA Division I with 1,198 saves, the third-most in NCAA history. She had a 3.31 GAA and a .921 save percentage on the year. Among her top performances was making 55 saves in a win over nationally-ranked Robert Morris, and 41 saves in a tie with nationally-ranked Mercyhurst. Hensley was a second-team all-CHA pick, and was selected to participate in the Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp for the second straight year.
In 2012-13, Hensley was the nation’s top rookie goalie. Hensley led NCAA Division I with 1,083 saves and had a .922 save percentage. She made 90 saves in one postseason game, the most ever in a NCAA Division I contest. After the season, Hensley was named the nation’s top freshman goalie, and she was a second-team CHA selection and the CHA Rookie of the Year. Hensley was also invited to attend the prestigious Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp.
Last season, Whitaker helped deBryun become the primary goalie for the Lady Lions. She had a 2.71 GAA for the season and a .911 save percentage. deBryun picked up a victory over nationally-ranked Robert Morris, and she made 27 saves in Lindenwood’s 3-2 win over Mercyhurst that advanced the Lady Lions to the CHA semifinals for the first time in program history.
Prior to coming to Lindenwood, Whitaker was the head coach for five seasons for Grand Valley State in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). He started the program in 2007-08 and in just the second season, helped the Lakers earn a bid to the ACHA National Tournament. He led Grand Valley State to nationals three times in five years, including a fifth-place finish in 2009-10. He finished his Grand Valley State career with a 67-64-7 overall record, including a 66-47-7 mark over the last four years.
Whitaker played collegiate hockey with Grand Valley State from 1996-2001. During his career, he logged more than 2,700 minutes on the ice and faced more than 2,000 shots. He had a .903 save percentage. In 2001, he was named first-team all-conference and was selected to play in the conference All-Star Showcase game. Whitaker graduated from Grand Valley State in 2001.
