Bio

Marykate Drinkwater was selected to lead the Rivier University women's ice hockey program as its head coach in April 2024.

Drinkwater comes to Rivier after serving as a Graduate Assistant for the Western New England University women's ice hockey program, helping the team to a 17-8-3 overall record and the 2023-24 Commonwealth Coast Conference's (CCC) postseason championship in only its third season of NCAA competition.

Drinkwater helped the Golden Bears rank in the top-five nationally in both power-play percentage (29.1%) and power-play goal scoring (25) on the way to the league championship and an NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship berth. The well-rounded team also recorded seven shutouts, leading the CCC while ranking 10th in all of NCAA Division III.

Hired as the first assistant coach in team history when the Golden Bears' program first hit the ice in 2021-22, Drinkwater assisted with practices and games while conducting film review, recruiting, and aiding with administrative duties while pursuing her master's degree in Sport Leadership and Coaching.

Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Drinkwater spent four years competing for the University of New England women's ice hockey team before graduating in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Health, Wellness, and Occupational Studies while earning a minor in Coaching.

With the Nor'easters, Drinkwater competed in 107 games to rank second all-time in team history upon graduating. Academically, she earned All-America Scholar distinction as a senior from the American Hockey Coaches' Association and finished with 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points, logging a career-high 14 in her final campaign with the Nor'easters.

Drinkwater began her coaching career as an assistant coach for the Biddeford (Maine) High School junior varsity and varsity girls' ice hockey squads. She has also served as a camp evaluator for USA Hockey and has coached for Iceworks Hockey and the North American Premier Showcase.

The native of Franklin, Mass. spent her last two years of high school at Worcester Academy. During her first two years, she attended Franklin High School where she was a two-time MetroWest Daily News All-Star and served as a team captain her sophomore season.

Drinkwater inherits a team at Rivier that made its first appearance in the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Alliance Championship (ECHA) game in 2023-24. Next year, the Raiders will make history as one of the founding members of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC), the newest NCAA Division III women's ice hockey conference.