Natalie Darwitz

Natalie Darwitz
Born	October 13, 1983 (1983-10-13) (age 28) Eagan, MN, USA
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Weight	135 lb (61 kg; 9 st 9 lb)
Position	Center, Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Minnesota Golden Gophers
National team	United States
Playing career	1998–present
Website	Official Site

Medal record
Women's ice hockey
Competitor for the  United States
Olympic Games
Silver	2002 Salt Lake City	Ice hockey
Silver	2010 Vancouver	Ice hockey
Bronze	2006 Turin	Ice hockey
Women's World Championship Medals
Gold	2009 Hämeenlinna, Finland	Ice hockey
Gold	2008 Harbin, China	Ice hockey
Gold	2005 Linkoping, Sweden	Ice hockey
Silver	2007 Winnipeg, Canada	Ice hockey
Silver	2004 Halifax, Canada	Ice hockey
Silver	2001 Minneapolis, USA	Ice hockey
Silver	2000 Mississauga, Canada	Ice hockey
Silver	1999 Espoo, Finland	Ice hockey
Women's Four Nations Cup Medals
Gold	2008	Ice hockey
Gold	2003	Ice hockey
Silver	2007	Ice hockey
Silver	2006	Ice hockey
Silver	2005	Ice hockey
Silver	2004	Ice hockey
Silver	2002	Ice hockey
Silver	2000	Ice hockey
Silver	1999	Ice hockey
Silver	1998	Ice hockey

Natalie Darwitz (born October 13, 1983) is an American ice hockey player. Natalie has been the Captain of the US Women's National Team since the start of the 2007-08 season. She has won three World Championships since 2005 and has two Olympic Silver medals and one Bronze medal in Women's Ice Hockey for the US.

Career biography

Darwitz began skating at the age of five, and now at 25 is a veteran of ten years on the US National Team. Over the past seven years, she has competed in two Olympics (including leading the ’02 Olympics in goal scoring and the ’06 games with the game-winning assist in the bronze-medal game. In three years of NCAA Hockey at her alma mater, Minnesota, she won back-to-back national championships, scored the championship goal in her final game with 1:08 to go versus Harvard (4-3), won the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship Frozen Four, was named US Women’s Player of the Year) and competed in an additional three IIHF Women's World Championship (gold in 2005 & 2008).

At the ’08 Worlds, Darwitz led the tournament in scoring and was named the Best Forward in the World by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Additionally, Darwitz was awarded the Bob Johnson Award by USA Hockey as the best male or female player representing the United States in international play. The award is named after the late coach "Badger" Bob Johnson.

She helped the USA Women's Team in Vancouver win the Silver medal, while acting as a guiding hand and voice for the sport. At home in Minnesota, Darwitz has coached women’s ice hockey at her alma mater, Eagan High School, where she was an assistant coach with her father (Scott) helping guide Eagan to the Minnesota HSH State Championship Tournament for the first time in 4 years during the 2007-08 campaign in her first year on the job.

In August ‘08, Darwitz was named Assistant Coach of her alma mater, the University of Minnesota, Golden Gopher Women's Ice Hockey Team and has balanced her time as a member of the US National Team. She is based in Blaine, MN (a suburb of Minneapolis/St Paul) and at the University. At the conclusion of the 08-09 NCAA campaign, Darwitz will return as a full-time member of the US National Team and be strictly devoted to the 2010 Games.

Currently, Darwitz has an equipment deal with Easton Hockey and a jewelry deal with Energy Muse. In 2008, she became a blogger for the Minneapolis StarTribune.

In May 2009, Darwitz was a featured athlete at the NBC/USOC promotional shoot for the Olympics.

In her free time, Darwitz loves to be outdoors boating on the lakes in her native Minnesota, but also likes to go surfing in Southern California and Mexico with her boyfriend. She is the youngest of three children (Nikki and Ryan), her parents Scott and Nancy.

World championship biography

2005, 2008 & 2009 World Champion

1999, 2000. 2001, 2004, 2007 Silver Medallist

The IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship is the premier international tournament in Women's ice hockey. It is governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The official world competition was first held in 1990. With the inception of women's hockey in the Winter Olympics in 1998, the tournament is not held in Olympic years. Darwitz was the second leading scorer at the 2009 IIHF tournament with 10 points (three goals, seven assists).^[1]

Collegiate biography

Credit College Experience to USA Hockey 2008 Women's Select Team Guide

Finished her three-season collegiate career as the University of Minnesota’s (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) career points (246) and assists (144) leader … Was a three-time finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award and a three-time All-American.

As a Junior (2004–05): Set an NCAA single-season record with 114 points^[2] (42-72) in 40 games … Led the nation in points per game (2.85) and assists (72) … Set a tournament record with nine points (3-6) in two games at the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four … In the final game, scored the go- ahead goal with under a minute remaining to give Minnesota its second straight national title … Named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and garnered All-America First Team honors … Top-three finalist for the 2005 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award.

As a Sophomore (2003–04): All- America Second Team selection … 2004 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-10 finalist … First Team All-WCHA selection … Named to the WCHA All-Academic and Academic All-Big Ten teams … Tied for second on the team in points (64), despite missing 10 games with an injury … Second in goals (27) and assists (37)… Had a WCHA-best 28 power-play points (10-18) … Three-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week … Named to the WCHA All-Tournament Team … Scored her fourth hat trick of the season to lead the team to victory in the national title game … Named to the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

As a Freshman (2002–03): All-America First Team selection … 2003 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-10 finalist … WCHA Rookie of the Year … Team scoring leader (33-35–68) … First-Team All-WCHA selection and WCHA All-Rookie honoree..

Accomplishments and notes

• 2008 Best Forward/All Tournament Team World Championships - Awarded by the International Ice Hockey Federation
• 2008 Bob Johnson Award - Best International Player of the Year (male or female) Awarded by USA Hockey^[3]
• 2007 World Championships - Used pink hockey stick to promote breast cancer awareness
• 2006-07 League MVP - Selected by the Western Women's Hockey League
• 2006-07 Western Women's Hockey League Tournament All-Star Team
• 2005 Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award - Awarded by USA Hockey^[4]
• 2005 NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player
• 2002 Winter Olympic All Tournament Team - Voted on by the International Ice Hockey Federation
• WCHA Team of the Decade (2000's) ^[5]
• 3-time All American at Minnesota (Did not play Senior Year)
• 3-time finalist for Patty Kazmaier Award (W ice hockey equivalent to Heisman)
• 2-All Time NCAA Records (Points and Assists in a season)
• 3rd All Time NCAA in Scoring (two players ahead of Natalie played 4 years)
• All Time Leading Scorer at the University of Minnesota
• 1996 - 2000 Eagan High School, 312 goals, 175 assists = 487 points in 102 games

Media/national publicity biography

• Off The Podium.com Torino 2006 Screensaver
• February 13, 2006 PEOPLE Magazine
• February 2006 GLAMOUR Magazine
• January 2006 NICKELODEON Magazine
• 2005-06 USA Today Blogger
• November 2, 2005 NY Stock Exchange Opening Bell

Personal

• 2011-12 named head coach of Lakeville South High School in Lakeville, Minnesota^[6]

• 2008-09 named Assistant Coach of University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Women's Ice Hockey Team (at the conclusion of the 08-09 season Natalie stepped down to concentrate on the US National Team program and preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver)

• 2007 graduate of the University of Minnesota, B.S. Business emphasis in Sport Management

Career statistics

				Regular season
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts
1998	United States Three Nations Cup	Nat-Tm		4	0	0	0
1999	United States Under-22 Series	Nat-Tm		3	1	0	1
1999	United States World Championship Team	Nat-Tm		5	2	1	3
2000	United States Under -22 Series	Nat-Tm		3	0	1	1
2000	United States World Championship Team	Nat-Tm		5	2	6	8
2000-01	United States Women's National Team	Nat-Tm		32	17	18	35
2001	United States World Championship Team	Nat-Tm		5	3	1	4
2001-02	United States Visa Skate to Salt Lake Team	Nat-Tm		30	17	21	38
2002	United States Olympic Team - Salt Lake City	Nat-Tm		5	7	1	8
2002-03	University of Minnesota Golden Gophers	NCAA		33	33	35	68
2003	United States Four Nations Team	Nat-Tm		4	2	1	3
2003	United States Under -22 Team	Nat-Tm		3	2	3	5
2003-04	University of Minnesota Golden Gophers	NCAA		26	27	37	64
2004	United States Four Nations Team	Nat-Tm		4	1	3	4
2004	United States Under -22 Team	Nat-Tm		3	0	2	2
2004	United States World Championship Team	Nat-Tm		5	7	3	10
2004-05	University of Minnesota Golden Gophers	NCAA		40	42	72	114
2005	United States World Championship Team	Nat-Tm		5	2	2	4
2005-06	United States Hilton Family Skate Team	Nat-Tm		18	9	7	16
2006	United States Four Nations Team	Nat-Tm		4	3	6	9
2006	United States Olympic Team - Torino	Nat-Tm		5	3	3	6
2006-07	Minnesota Whitecaps	WWHL		13	11	10	21
2007	United States Four Nations Team	Nat-Tm		4	1	2	3
2007	United States World Championship Team	Nat-Tm		5	4	5	9
2007-08	Minnesota Whitecaps	WWHL		7	4	7	11
2008	United States Four Nations Team	Nat-Tm		4	3	1	4

External links

• Natalie Darwitz's U.S. Olympic Team bio
• Darwitz USOC Winter Portraits
• USA Hockey Women's Team Olympic Medal Finishes
• Natalie Darwitz - Olympic Individual Stats
• Natalie Darwitz - Biography from US Olympic Team.com
• Natalie Darwitz Action Shot 2006 Olympics Torino
• Natalie Darwitz Photo from US Olympic Media Summit Sept 2009
• Team Photos after Women's World Championship Victory 2009
• 2009-10 USA Women's National Team Roster
• USA Hockey 2009-10 Women's National Team Media Guide

Sources

• The Women's Hockey Web
• Müller, Stephan : International Ice Hockey Encyclopedia 1904-2005 / BoD GmbH Norderstedt, 2005 ISBN 3-8334-4189-5

References

1. ^ http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/178/IHW178000_85B_7_0.pdf
2. ^ http://eastonhockey.com/natalie-darwitz.html
3. ^ "Annual Awards - Through the Years". USA Hockey. http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=AU_13_07&ID=185912&USAHockeyType=ICE. Retrieved 24 June 2010. 
4. ^ "Annual Awards - Through the Years". USA Hockey. http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Usahockey.aspx?NAV=AU_13_07&ID=185912&USAHockeyType=ICE. Retrieved 24 June 2010. 
5. ^ http://www.wcha.com/about/wcha-about.html
6. ^ http://eagan.patch.com/articles/eagan-native-natalie-darwitz-named-head-coach-of-lakeville-south-girls-hockey

Preceded by Hayley Wickenheiser (2007)	IIHF World Women's Championships Best Forward 2008	Succeeded by Hayley Wickenheiser (2009)
Preceded by Krissy Wendell (2006)	Captain, United States Olympic Hockey Team 2010	Succeeded by Unknown (2014)

Persondata
Name	Darwitz, Natalie
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	October 13, 1983
Place of birth	Eagan, MN, USA
Date of death
Place of death