2011-12 Coaching Staff


Jodi McKenna - Head Women's Ice Hockey Coach
(860) 685-2904 - jamckenna@wesleyan.edu

Jodi McKenna, head coach

     Jodi McKenna is now in her fourth full season of coaching Wesleyan women's ice hockey.  After nine seasons as an assistant coach at St. Lawrence University, Jodi stepped in for her first head coaching assignment at Wesleyan in 2007-08.  After coaching the Cardinals for two season, Jodi was on temporary leave-of-absence for the 2009-10 campaign as she helped Team USA earn a silver medal at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, serving as an assistant coach.  She returned to the Cardinal bench for the 2010-11 season.  In April, 2009, Jodi was on board as an assistant coach when Team USA won a gold medal during the International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championship in Hameenlinna, Finland.  Jodi was given a head coaching assignment in August, 2010, directing the National U-18 squad during the USA Hockey Women's National Festival in Lake Placid, N.Y.  There, Team USA took on Canada for a three-game series.  She also directed the U-18 squad to a gold medal at the World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden in January, 2011.
     A 1998 graduate of Brown University, Jodi was an outstanding defensewoman on the Bears women's ice hockey squad.  During her four seasons, the final one as a team captain, Jodi saw her Brown team capture an ECAC regular-season or tournament title three times.  In Jodi's senior year, Brown played in the first-ever women's ice hockey national championship contest, falling to the University of New Hampshire.  In her nine seasons with St. Lawrence as an assistant, Jodi helped the Saints qualify for the NCAA Championships five times, making it to the Frozen Four on each occasion and playing in the title game in 2001.
     A certified strength and conditioning coach, Jodi developed and monitored the year-round training program of the Saints women's ice hockey squad.  During the off-season, she was active as a USA Hockey coach including action with the 18-19 Junior Olympic Festival and the 15-16 Festival in 2004 as well as with the Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic and Rocky Mountain District Player Development programs. Recently, Jodi has been a coach and evaluator for USA Hockey Rocky Mountain District Camp in May, 2008 and an assistant coach for the U.S. U-22 National Team camp in June, 2008.  She also was an assistant coach at the U.S. National Team holiday camp in December, 2008.
     After receiving her B.A. from Brown in 1998, Jodi added a Master's degree at St. Lawrence in 2000.  An adjunct associate professor at Wesleyan, Jodi acts as the club sport liaison for the athletics department in addition to her coaching duties.
       
 
Kevin Cunningham - Assistant Coach
Kevin Cunningham - Assistant Coach      Joining the Wesleyan coaching staff for the 2010-11 season, Kevin Cunningham brings a wealth of coaching experience to the Cardinals.  He is now in his secodn season at Wesleyan.  Kevin spent the past four seasons as the Head Coach and Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Selects Hockey Club.  During his tenure with the NJ Selects, Kevin was responsible for all aspects of the program including; coaching at practices and games, monitoring academic progress, supervising off-ice conditioning as well as college and prep school placement for the organization’s players.  Prior to his position with the NJ Selects, Kevin held a similar position with the New Jersey Colonials and served as an assistant women’s hockey coach at The Ohio State University, Providence College and Brown University.
     A 1996 graduate of Connecticut College, Kevin began coaching at his alma mater.  Starting as an undergraduate assistant women’s hockey coach, Kevin then assumed head coaching duties for one season after his graduation.  Kevin was a defenseman on the Camels’ hockey team before transitioning to coaching.
     During the summer months, Kevin has been active in a number of women’s ice hockey camps.  He has served as a coach at the prestigious RinkSport College Prep Program for the past 13 summers as well as the Princeton University Camp.  Kevin has also served USA Hockey as a coach on the Atlantic and Southeast District Player Development Staffs.
 
Caitlin Peters - Assistant Coach

Caitlin Peters - Assistant Coach

      Joining the Cardinal coaching staff for the first time in 2009-10 as a part-time assistant, Caitlin Peters, now in her third season, was a four-year varsity women's ice hockey stalwart at Division I Quinnipiac University.  Graduating in 2005, Caitlin was a team captain as a senior while serving as an assistant captain the prior year.  She was a participant in the 2002 Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinic at the NCAA Womens Frozen Four Division I National Championship.
    
     Receiving her degree in biology at Quinnipiac, Caitlin currently works full-time as a biology teacher at the Greater Hartford Academy for the Arts.  For three years following her graduation, Caitlin worked for Protein Sciences in Meriden, Conn. as a quality control analyst.  During the summers of 2002, 2003 and 2005, Caitlin gained experience as a director, coach or counselor at various sports camps in Connecticut and Minnesota.