Coach takes Gustavus to greatness

As part of a sprawling, athletic family of six boys and one girl, Mike Carroll always had hoped to become a college hockey coach. He got his shot in 1999, though not in the manner he might have predicted.

Carroll already was the baseball coach at Gustavus Adolphus College -- a part-time position -- as well as coach of the Mankato West boys' high school hockey team and manager of the city's All Seasons Arena. Sons Mike and Matt were nearing college age. When Carroll was offered the chance to add Gusties' women's hockey to his duties at the school, the dad part of his brain did the math: Coaching two sports would make him a full-time employee, which equaled a tuition benefit for his boys.

A decade later, Gustavus remains the party reaping the greatest benefits. Carroll's quiet dynasty in St. Peter won its sixth consecutive MIAC playoff title last weekend with back-to-back shutouts of St. Olaf and St. Thomas, extending its unbeaten streak to 26 games and its shutout string to seven. The top-ranked Gusties (22-1-4), who haven't lost since their first game of the season, play host to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday to open the NCAA Division III tournament.

"I didn't really take the traditional route into coaching hockey,'' said Carroll, whose teams have gone 68-1-3 in MIAC play over the past four years. "Gustavus was a good place to work, and it happened to be good timing for my family. And as a good academic school with a rink on campus, I thought there was a lot of potential here.''

Carroll set about realizing it in short order. His teams have won seven MIAC regular-season championships and have advanced to the NCAA tournament in seven of the past nine seasons. The Gusties went 18-0 in league play last season, marking the first undefeated and untied season in MIAC women's hockey history, and have not lost a league game in more than two years.

Gustavus has built its reputation -- and a 72-7-4 mark since 2006 -- with a constant flow of overachieving, highly competitive Minnesota athletes and a coach who knows how to transform many into one. This year's team is split nearly evenly between rookies and returnees, with 11 freshmen and 12 upperclassmen.

With so many newcomers, Carroll realized this season required some early team building. He planned a long road trip to start the season, betting that friends and leaders would be born on a 500-mile bus ride to Adrian College in Michigan. The Gusties lost their opener 2-1 in overtime, discussed their shortcomings in a productive postgame meeting, then beat the Bulldogs the following day and have not lost since.

"Our freshmen stepped up very quickly for us and took on some big roles,'' said junior forward Melissa Mackley, whose 27 points lead a roster with 10 scorers in double figures. "We have very different personalities on our team, but one common goal. We all want to achieve, and we've been able to do that with our depth and the way we push each other.''

In the Gusties' star-free zone, scoring and stout defense come from sources across the roster. Freshman goaltenders Emily Klatt of Woodbury (11-0-0, 0.69 goals-against average, .945 save percentage) and Danielle Justice of Alexandria (11-1-4, 0.71, .954), coached by Carroll's brother Steve, are the top two goalies in Division III. Ten players have scored game-winning goals.

Carroll watched his team evolve steadily until January, when it defeated top-ranked Amherst College 3-0 in one of its rare games as an underdog. Mackley and senior co-captain Jenny Pusch said that victory accomplished two aims: It solidified the Gusties' confidence, and it struck a blow for the Midwest in a division still heavily tilted toward Eastern teams.

More work remains, though. The Gusties have lost their NCAA tournament opener in each of the past three seasons, and all seven NCAA titles have been won by Eastern schools. Carroll hopes the increasingly rigorous competition of the MIAC will have his team better prepared this time.

His players are counting on it. "In the past, I think we've overlooked the [first game] of the national tournament,'' Pusch said. "This year, there is no other game but this. I've been waiting for this all season.''

Rachel Blount is at rblount@startribune.com