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WISCONSIN WOMEN*S ICE HOCKEY COACH RESIGNS FOR NATIONAL TEAM POST

        Madison, Wis. * Julie Sasner, the head women*s ice hockey coach at =
Wisconsin the past two years, has resigned to become an assistant coach =
with the U.S. Women's National Team Program according to UW Associate =
Athletic Director Cheryl Marra. Marra added current assistant coach Trina =
Bourget, 28, will serve as the interim head coach this season. Bourget =
will receive a salary of $58,000 for the year. A national search for the =
head coaching position will take place in March, 2001.

        Sasner, who began her duties on August 1, 1998, coached the UW =
women*s team ice hockey to a 19-14-2 record and 15-8-1 mark, good for =
third place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association in its inaugural =
year. The season was highlighted by a 4-4 tie at No. 10 Princeton and =
Badger rankings in the American Hockey Magazine and the US College Hockey =
Online Polls. Wisconsin was rated as high as ninth in the American Hockey =
Magazine Poll and 10th in the USCHO Poll. The Badgers also finished their =
season ninth in the USCHO Pairwise Rankings.

        The former head coach at Cornell University for five years, Sasner =
has been active in both the playing and coaching ranks of USA Hockey. She =
served as the head coach of the 1998 and 1999 Women*s 17 and 18 National =
Camp at Lake Placid, NY, and coached the *red* team in the 1997 U.S. =
Women*s National Festival at Lake Placid. She was also the head coach of =
the U.S. Women*s Select Team that competed in the Three Nations Cup in =
December of 1998, and helped coach the team at the 1999 International Ice =
Hockey Federation Women*s Championship. She began her affiliation with USA =
Hockey as the coach of the USA Hockey Junior National Developmental Camps =
in 1995, served as an assistant coach for the 1995 U.S. National Junior =
Team and the 1995 U.S. Women*s Select Team that competed in Finland. In =
1996, she earned her first U.S. head coaching position, leading the U.S. =
Women*s National Team to a silver medal at the Pacific Women*s Hockey =
Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia. As a player she earned a =
silver medal as a member of the first U.S. Women*s National Team that =
competed at the 1990 World Championships.

        Marra, who recently took over supervision of the UW hockey =
program, was sorry to see Sasner go, but indicated that a position with =
the U.S. National Team was always in the mix. *Julie was an excellent =
choice to build our women*s hockey program. When we hired her in 1998, it =
was with the knowledge that she could eventually be asked to be part of =
the national team. We recognized she was on that tract, but we wanted to =
start with the best. She has solidified the program in such a short time, =
and really put it on firm footing for the current staff to continue to add =
to the strong tradition of Badger Hockey.*

        Sasner said, "It has been a very difficult decision to make but =
this is a dream job for me. I have enjoyed building the program here at =
Wisconsin, and feel we have set the foundation for future success. We have =
an excellent staff and players in place now to continue the growth we had =
in that first year. I will always follow the Badger program with interest =
and pride.*

        Marra said Bourget will begin her head coaching duties Sept. 1. =
She arrived in Madison last season after two years as head coach of the =
Div. III Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT. Named Eastern Collegiate=
 Athletic Conference/Koho Coach of the Year, she led the Pioneers, to a =
number eight national ranking and 15-4-3 record during the 1998-99 season, =
good for second in the ECAC. Bourget was the 1998-99 American Women's =
Hockey Coaches Association Runnerup Coach of the Year for both Division I =
and III teams. A 1994 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Bourget =
received a bachelor of science degree in family and consumer studies. The =
Shrewsbury, Mass., native competed as a forward and defenseman for the =
University of New Hampshire women's hockey team where she helped the =
Wildcats to the ECAC Division I Championship in 1991, and runnerup =
finishes in 1992 and 1993.

-30-

Paul Capobianco
Assistant Women's SID
University of Wisconsin
P: 608-263-1983
F: 608-265-8051
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www.wisc.edu/ath/