On October 8, Head Coach Chad Cassel notched his 200th career win with the University of Illinois. The outcome of the game was never in doubt, a 7-0 thrashing of Lindenwood University. With the win, Chad has now become the second coach in the 46- year history of the University of Illinois Hockey Team to reach the 200-win milestone.

Chad is currently in his ninth year as head coach at the University of Illinois, after assuming the duties at the beginning of the 1997-98 season. Through his first eight complete seasons, he compiled a record of 196-80-12 with eight consecutive American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1 National Championship Tournament appearances, including five trips to the final four (1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005). The most recent campaign ended with Illinois winning their first ever ACHA National Championship at the National Tournament, held in Bensenville, IL.

The 2002-03 season marked Illinois’ first ever Central States Collegiate Hockey League Regular-Season Championship and its fourth CSCHL Playoff Championship. The Fighting Illini posted a team and University of Illinois all-sports record of 37 wins and earned their first-ever No. 1 ranking in the ACHA’s Division I. The season culminated with Chad being named the ACHA Division I Coach of the Year.

After a disappointing fifth-place finish at the 2004 ACHA National Tournament, the Illini had a very successful 2004-05 season, and entered the 2005 National Tournament as the fourth seed. Following wins in the first round and quarter-finals, they defeated the No. 1 seeded University of Rhode Island in the semi-finals, and then beat the No. 2 seed, Penn State University, to win the National Championship.

Chad began his collegiate career with two seasons at Ohio University, before transferring back to his hometown University of Illinois. During his playing days at Illinois, he earned First Team All-CSCHL and Second Team ACHA All-American honors, and was a finalist for USA Hockey’s Bob Johnson Award, presented annually to U.S. player who excels in athletics and academics. After his graduation in 1995, Chad worked out of state for a year, and then returned to Illinois as an assistant coach before assuming the head coaching position the following season.

Chad is fast approaching the Illini Hockey Club record for most wins by a coach. Mark Roszkowski, who coached from 1976 through 1992, established the current mark with an all-time record of 210-162-7.

Chad is married and resides in Champaign, IL.

After an impressive road win at Oklahoma on October 29, the Lindenwood University hockey team presented head coach Derek Schaub with the game puck to celebrate his 100th career win. Coach Schaub has amassed 53 wins in less than three full seasons at Lindenwood. And once again he has his team in the top ten of the ACHA.

“I knew we would be competitive early on, but I really didn’t expect to be where we are this soon. I’ve been really fortunate to coach some great kids at Lindenwood,” said coach Schaub. When asked if any wins really stood out, Coach Schaub looked back and remembered two occasions out of those 100 wins.

“Definitely the two games in 2003 at Ohio, being our first games at Lindenwood, were big for our program. But one game that really stands out to me was our second game of the season in 2004 at Iowa State. The team played great, but at the end of the game Dr. Murdoch told me he was very impressed and that we were one of the best coached and well disciplined teams he had ever seen. Coming from someone like Dr. Murdoch, whom I respect and admire so much, that really meant a lot to me. It is encouragement from guys like Dr. Murdoch, Joe Battista, and many of the other veteran coaches in the ACHA that really helps the younger coaches in the league to aspire to achieve the success that they have enjoyed throughout their careers.”

Another coach who joined the “100-Win Club” this season was Navy’s Rick Randazzo. That came via a hard-fought 1-0 win at Villanova in mid-October, despite the Midshipmen peppering Villanova goalie Sean Moran with 52 shots. The game’s only goal came from Kevin Krmpotich in the first period.

“I didn’t earn these victories by myself,” said Randazzo after the game. “I’ve had great coaches, including my first team captain, Pat Eliason, who is back helping us this year, Mike Fox, and many others.”

A four-year letterwinner at Army from 1989-1993, Randazzo helped the effort that will bring the NCAA “Frozen Four” to Washington, DC in 2009, with Navy serving as host school.