Women's Hockey Coaches
Jeff Giesen
Head Coach
Alma Mater: St. Cloud State, '93, '10
Hometown: St. Cloud, MN
Phone: 320-308-4806
E-mail: womenshockey@stcloudstate.edu
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES ON FACEBOOK / TWITTER / YOUTUBE
Jim Fetter
Assistant Coach
Originally from Waterloo, Ont., Jim Fetter comes to St. Cloud State for the first time in 2011-12 with 25 years of coaching experience. He most recently completed his eighth season as the Wayne State University head women's hockey coach in 2010-11 before the University opted to eliminate its women’s hockey program in the spring of 2011. A three-time recipient of the College Hockey America Women's Coach of the Year Award, he was also a finalist for the American Hockey Coaches Association Women's Division I Coach of the Year Award in 2006 before earning the award in 2008.
“Obviously Jim (Fetter) brings a great amount of experience to our program as both a head coach and recruiter,” said Giesen. “He has had success at both the collegiate and international levels. He will be a great addition both personally and professionally to our staff.”
In eight seasons with the Wayne State Warriors, Fetter amassed a record of 117-123-24 (.489) and 47 College Hockey Association victories.
“I am looking looking forward to this new opportunity at St. Cloud State and am grateful to Jeff (Giesen) for allowing me to stay in the world of coaching,” said Fetter. “There are multiple responsibilities off the ice that I held as a head coach. As an assistant coach here at St. Cloud State, I’ll truly have the chance to be on the ice and work on individual skill development.”
In the summer of 2006, he was selected to Hockey Canada's National Women's Program Coaching Pool. Fetter served as an assistant coach for Team Canada's Under-18 squad for 2007-08 and has also worked summer evaluation camps with the U-22 and National women's team. For the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, he was chosen as an assistant coach for the Under-22 team before being selected head coach in 2010-11.
Fetter began his duties at WSU in August 2003. He came to WSU following four years as a Division I assistant coach, including the three previous seasons (2000-2003) at Mercyhurst College. Prior to joining the Mercyhurst staff, Fetter spent one season (1999-2000) as an assistant women's hockey coach at the University of Maine. In the summer of 2001, he coached the Western New York Team to a gold medal in the Empire State Games. He returned in 2002 and directed the squad to a silver medal.
His women's coaching career began in 1996 when he led his midget team to a bronze medal at provincials and a gold a year later. Fetter then served as head coach for the University of Lethbridge women's team of the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) in its inaugural season of 1998.
“I’m looking forward to learning new things and working with new people in an extremely successful conference,” said Fetter in regards to the WCHA, which has won all 12 of the NCAA Division I women’s hockey championships. “This is an exciting move for me and I’m looking forward to new challenges.”
A 1995 graduate of the University of Lethbridge, Fetter earned national level experience as an assistant coach for Team Alberta's Under-18 squad that won the bronze medal at the Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Along with being an evaluator for the Canadian Women's National Team in the western region, Fetter was also a guest coach for the men's Canadian National Team against Team Norway and most recently was selected as an assistant coach for the 2011-12 Canadian National Women’s Under-18 squad.
You can contact Coach Fetter at jefetter@stcloudstate.edu
Brita Schroeder
Assistant Coach
Brita Schroeder has officially been hired at St. Cloud State University after completing her first season as interim assistant coach for women’s hockey at St. Cloud State in 2010-11.
“I could not be happier to have Brita (Schroeder) continue her coaching career here at St. Cloud State,” said Giesen. “She is enthusiastic and has great passion for the game and for Husky Hockey.”
A familiar face to St. Cloud State women’s hockey, Schroeder was a four-year standout on the blue-line for the Huskies from 2005-09. Serving as the team captain for her senior stint in 2008-09, Schroeder charted 29 points (6g, 23a) in the Cardinal and Black and is tied for fifth all-time with 145 career games played.
Schroeder served as a student assistant coach for St. Cloud State women’s hockey during the 2009-10 season… one of the most successful seasons in school history, finishing third in the WCHA regular season standings for the first time in school and league history.
“I am really excited to be back on staff at St. Cloud State and feel fortunate to be in this position as a young female 
hockey coach,” said Schroeder. “We have a great group of women who have worked really hard last spring and this summer to prove to the rest of the hockey world that Husky Hockey is back on track.”
Schroeder’s most recent coaching experience was at Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep School during the fall of 2010 in Faribault, Minn., where she served as the assistant girls’ hockey coach for the defending national champion U-16 team. Her responsibilities included providing on and off ice instruction to elite female athletes, ages 14-15, coordinating defensive strategy and practice plans and assisting in the recruiting process of potential student-athletes. Schroeder also served as a dormitory supervisor at Shattuck-St. Mary’s.
The daughter of Dave and Lynne Schroeder and a native of Monticello, Minn., Brita graduated from St. Cloud State in 2009 with a bachelor of arts in psychology with a minor in coaching. A two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete and three-time WCHA All-Academic selection, Schroeder is working towards her master’s degree in sport management at SCSU.
You can contact Coach Schroeder at womenshockey@stcloudstate.edu.
Matt Chapman
Coordinator of Hockey & Video Operations
Matt Chapman begins his fourth season as the Coordinator of Hockey & Video Operations for the women's hockey program at SCSU in 2011-12, and sixth season as Coordinator of Hockey & Video Operations with the SCSU men's hockey squad. Chapman's responsibilities include supervision of all video and hockey operation aspects at the National Hockey Center. A graduate of Bethel University in 2006, Chapman majored in athletic training and he is a certified athletic trainer. At Bethel, Chapman served as the men's basketball trainer during the 2005-06 season. He played one year of hockey at Bethel and he is from Bloomington, Indiana. Chapman attended Culver Military Academy, where he played soccer, hockey, baseball and track. Chapman and his wife Alicia reside in Sauk Rapids with their son, William.
Jeremiah Minkel
Equipment Manager
Jeremiah Minkel is a 17-year veteran in the SCSU equipment room. He embarks on his 13th season as the team's equipment manager on a full-time basis at SCSU in 2011-12. He serves as the director of equipment operations for both the men's and women's hockey teams at SCSU, and he also oversees the entire SCSU hockey equipment room staff. His duties include equipment procurement, locker room organization for both home and away games and complete maintenance of the team's equipment. He is widely recognized as one of the top skate technicians in the WCHA, and his work has helped several SCSU players advance to the NHL - including Pittsburgh's Ryan Malone, Colorado's Tyler Arnason, Columbus' Duvie Westcott and Anaheim's (Stanley Cup champs) Mark Hartigan and Joe Motzko. A graduate of SCSU, Minkel hails from nearby New London, Minn. and he attended New London-Spicer High School. Minkel enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time.
If you would like to contact Jeremiah Minkel, please call 320-308-4806 or e-mail him at jdminkel@stcloudstate.edu.
Eric Kupka
Student Equipment Manager
Bryan DeMaine
Associate Athletic Trainer
A seven-year veteran at SCSU, Bryan DeMaine serves as the men's hockey athletic trainer and women's soccer athletic trainer. He most recently served as athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. from 2003-2005. His duties at St. Olaf included working as the head athletic trainer for that school's football, men's and women's hockey and the outdoor track and field program. He was affiliated with the Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation during his time at St. Olaf.
DeMaine also worked as the head athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach at the North Dakota State College of Science from Aug. 2002 through Sept. 2003. At NDSCS, DeMaine worked with that school's football, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball programs. As a graduate student at SCSU, DeMaine worked with the St. Cloud Orthopedics Associates and was an on-site trainer for home athletic contests at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University. He is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Board of Certification.
Bryan DeMaine is a 2000 graduate of the University of Mary and earned his master's of science from SCSU in 2004. He and his wife Mandy reside in Sartell with their two daughters.
Jacqueline Phillips
Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer
Travis Zins
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Travis Zins starts up his seventh season as head strength and conditioning coordinator at SCSU in 2011-12. He has served as an assistant track and field coach at SCSU since 2000, and comes to the athletic program as one of the best throwers in SCSU history. A four-time national participant, Zins is also a four-time North Central Conference champion and two-time All-American in the shot put. He was the national runner up in the 2000 Division II Indoor National Championships and received All-NCC honors numerous times in the shot put, discus, hammer, and weight throw. A native of Nicollet, MN, Zins received his bachelor's of science in physical education in 2002 from SCSU and is currently working towards his master's of science in exercise science from SCSU. Zins currently resides in St. Cloud with his wife Stacie and their daughter Caylin.
Dean Thibodeau
Women's Hockey Administrative Assistant
Dean Thibodeau begins his fourth season serving as the Husky women's hockey administrative assistant in 2011-12.
A native of Manchester, Conn., Dean Thibodeau joined the St. Cloud State women's hockey staff as a student video manager in 2008-09. A 2008 graduate of East Catholic High School, Thibodeau played hockey for the South Windsor Knights during his prep tenure. Captain of his team and the leading scorer during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, Thibodeau was an NEMHL All-Star and helped lead his squad to the Canada Cup Silver Medal. The son of Michael and Rosemary Thibodeau, Dean says winning the NEMHL regular season championship in 2005-06 was his biggest sports thrill. Thibodeau's most recent work experience included a 2011 summer internship with USA Hockey in Colorado. During his stint in Colorado, Thibodeau worked with USA Hockey Development Camps, the National Festival and 12 Nations in Finland. A business major at St. Cloud State University, Thibodeau says Matt Chapman and Mike Harder have had the greatest influence on his career.
Free E-Mail Updates
If you would like FREE e-mail updates about SCSU athletics, visit our Husky Sports Updates page for information on how to sign up to be on the listserv.
