Women's Hockey Coaches
Jeff Giesen
Head Coach
Alma Mater: St. Cloud State, 1993
Hometown: St. Cloud, MN
Phone: 320-308-4806
E-mail: womenshockey@stcloudstate.edu
Jennifer Kranz
Assistant Coach
Jennifer Kranz, a native of Waukesha, Wis., is in her fourth season as an assistant coach for the SCSU women's hockey staff in 2009-10. Prior to joining the Husky staff in 2006, Kranz served as the assistant girls' prep ice hockey coach at Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault, Minn., from 2004-06.
At SCSU, Kranz's responsibilities include recruiting, working with the forwards and monitoring team academics.
No stranger to the game, Kranz was a member of the Providence College women's varsity ice hockey team from 1998-2002. She tallied 22 points (12 g,10a) in 104 career games played with the Friars. After graduating from Providence College with a bachelor's of arts in English in 2002, Kranz joined the Shattuck-St. Mary's School as the assistant coach for the girls' junior prep ice hockey team. In 2003, Kranz was promoted to the head coach position for the girls' junior prep ice hockey team.
During her tenure at Shattuck-St. Mary's, Kranz also served as an academic advisor for the student-athletes, and for two years, was in charge of the community service coordinator responsibilities for the girls' hockey program.
Kranz served as the Team Leader at the 15/16's USA Player Development Camp in Lake Placid in 2006 and 2007, and has been actively involved with the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association since 2000 serving as an evaluator.
You can contact Coach Kranz at womenshockey@stcloudstate.edu.
Jason Johnson
Assistant Coach
Jason Johnson joined the SCSU women's hockey staff in 2007-08 after serving as an assistant men's hockey coach at nearby Saint John's University from 2003-2007 under the helm of former SJU head coach John Harrington. Harrington is also a former SCSU men's assistant coach and Olympic Gold Medalist.
During Johnson's coaching years at SJU, the Johnnies won back-to-back Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) titles in 2003-04 and 2004-05.
No stranger to the game of hockey, Johnson played four years at Saint John's University and tallied 59 points (27g, 32a) in 95 career games played for the Johnnies. His senior season, SJU finished third at the 1997 Division III National Tournament. Of note, Coach Jeff Giesen was the assistant coach at SJU during that time.
Following his playing days, Johnson began his coaching career in 1998 at SJU as the head men's junior varsity hockey coach. The following season in 1999, Johnson took the assistant boys' hockey coaching position in the school district where he was teaching, St. Michael-Albertville, and coached hockey there until 2003. Since 2002, he has served on the evaluation staff for the Minnesota Advanced 17 Festival and has also served as an assistant coach at the Minnesota Advanced 15 Development Camp.
Johnson's responsibilities at St. Cloud State will include recruiting, video breakdown and working with the defensemen.
For the past nine years, Johnson has been a first grade teacher at the Albertville Primary School. During his tenure in the St. Michael- Albertville school district, Johnson was a lead instructor for third and fourth grade football and he was the head girls' ninth grade softball coach from 1998-2006. Most recently, he was the head coach for the girls' varsity softball team in 2007.
A resident of St. Michael and 2003 graduate of Hamline University with a master's of arts in education, Johnson and his wife Rachel have two sons, JP and Jack.
You can contact Coach Johnson at womenshockey@stcloudstate.edu.
Ian Andersen
Volunteer Goalie Coach
Ian Andersen returns for his third year as volunteer goaltending coach for the Husky women’s hockey team in 2009-10. Prior to SCSU, Andersen worked as video coordinator for the National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild. In his two years with the Wild, he was responsible for editing game footage, compiling footage on various NHL teams and free agents along with condensing video on NHL draft prospects. Before hooking up with the Wild, Andersen spent two years with the Michigan State Men’s Hockey program as an assistant to head coach Rick Comley. Andersen was in charge of all aspects of the team’s video and managing the Spartan’s operating budget. Andersen played a large part in the success of the MSU hockey camps, as he served as the head goaltending instructor as well as planning and staffing those events. Prior to Michigan State, Andersen was also a part of the Notre Dame Hockey squad as a hockey operations assistant and video coordinator. While there, his responsibilities included recruiting, video, running the Notre Dame Summer Hockey Camp and managing the day-to-day operations of the hockey office. Andersen is a 1999 graduate of Saint John’s University where he graduated with a B.A in social science. He was a four-year letter winner with the Johnnie hockey team, where he helped lead the squad to four MIAC playoff appearances, two regular season and playoff championships and two NCAA Division III playoff appearances, including a third place finish at the 1997 national tournament.
Matt Chapman
Coordinator of Business and Hockey Operations
Matt Chapman is in his second season as the Coordinator of Business and Hockey Operations for the women's hockey program at SCSU in 2009-10, and is in his fourth season as Coordinator of Business and Hockey Operations with the SCSU men's hockey squad. 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.
Jeremiah Minkel
Equipment Manager
Jeremiah Minkel is a 15-year veteran in the SCSU equipment room. He begins his eighth season as the team's equipment manager on a full-time basis at SCSU in 2009-10. 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 H.S. 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.
Bryan DeMaine
Athletic Trainer
A four-year veteran at SCSU, Bryan DeMaine serves as the men's hockey 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.
Stef Arndt
Athletic Trainer
Stef Arndt returns for her second season as a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the Husky women’s hockey team. Prior to coming to St. Cloud, Arndt spent two years at St. Scholastica in Duluth, serving as an assistant athletic trainer. Her main responsibilities were working with the Volleyball and Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. Arndt graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2006 with a bacherlor's of arts in athletic training and is certified by the National Athletic Training Association. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in sport management and currently resides St. Cloud.
Travis Zins
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Travis Zins is in his fifth season as head strength and conditioning coordinator at SCSU. 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 Stacy.
Brita Schroeder
Student Assistant Coach
Dean Thibodeau
Video Manager
Dean Thibodeau is in his sophomore year at St. Cloud State University and is back for his second season serving as the Husky women's hockey video manager.
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. A business major at St. Cloud State University, Thibodeau says Matt Chapman and Mike Harder have had the greatest influence on his career.
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