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Keady Norton Returns To Coach 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team

By USA Hockey , 03/01/24, 11:45AM EST

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Kennedy, Fryklund, Bruch and Picard Join Coaching Staff Alongside Keady Norton

Head coach of the 2025 Under-18 Women's World Championship Liz Keady Norton stands behind the bench , overlooking the ice.,

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Liz Keady Norton (Boston, Mass./Dartmouth College), currently the head women’s ice hockey coach at Dartmouth College, will return as the head coach of the 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team it was announced today by USA Hockey. 

Joining Keady Norton will be assistant coaches Courtney Kennedy (Woburn, Mass./Boston College), Amber Fryklund (Hibbing, Minn./Bemidji State University), goaltending coach Mackenzie Bruch (Powder Springs, Ga./Yale University) and intern coach Shelly Picard (Taunton, Mass./Long Island University). 

The 2025 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship will take place Jan. 5-12, 2025, in Vantaa, Finland. 

ABOUT KEADY NORTON

Keady Norton returns to the role of head coach, having most recently led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship in Switzerland. Prior to 2024, she served as an assistant coach for the 2023 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, winning bronze at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship. 

Keady Norton has held the role of head coach of the Dartmouth College women’s ice hockey team since 2021-22. 

Prior to Dartmouth, she spent four seasons (2017-21) with the Boston University women’s ice hockey program, two as associate head coach and two as assistant coach. She also served as an assistant women’s ice hockey coach for two seasons at Harvard University (2015-17) and one year (2014-15) at Union College. 

Keady Norton is a 2008 graduate of Princeton University where she was a four-year letter winner in women’s ice hockey. She represented the U.S. as a member of the 2004 Under-22 Select Team and spent the 2005-06 season with the U.S. Women’s National Team. 

ABOUT KENNEDY

Kennedy returns to international hockey after serving as an assistant coach for the 2022 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team that captured silver in Beijing. She was also an assistant coach with the 2021 U.S. Women’s National Team and four times served in the capacity for the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team (2013, 2014, 2017, 2018). 

Kennedy has been a part of the Boston College women’s ice hockey coaching staff for 17 seasons, having been promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach in 2012. 

As a player, Kennedy helped Team USA to a silver medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and bronze at the 2006 Games. She also was a member of the 2005 U.S. Women’s National Team that took home the country’s first-ever gold medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship. She was a two-time All-American at the University of Minnesota, leading the Gophers to a national title in 200

Assistant coach Courtney Kennedy, who is wearing a navy blue USA Hockey zip-up jacket, poses for a headshot

Courtney Kennedy

ABOUT FRYKLUND

Fryklund is making her international coaching debut as an assistant coach on the 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team. Fryklund has spent nine seasons with the Bemidji State University women’s ice hockey program, including four as associate head coach. She rejoined Bemidji’s bench after a three-year hiatus at the start of the 2023-24 season. 

Fryklund has previously spent the last four seasons working on the staff of multiple USA Hockey Development camps. 

As a player, Fryklund skated for Bemidji State from 2000-03, and is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 122 points, with her 59 goals tops at BSU all-time and her 63 assists second in the record books.

Amber Fryklund, who is wearing a black button up polo, poses for a headshot

Amber Fryklund

ABOUT BRUCH

Bruch joins the staff as goaltending coach for the 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team after having served in the same capacity for the U.S. Collegiate Women’s Select Team in both 2023 and 2022. 

Since October of 2021, Bruch has served as volunteer goaltending coach for the Yale University women’s ice hockey and is also in her sixth season as a head coach for Pro Crease Goaltending. 

A former Bemidji State University goalie, Bruch graduated from BSU in 2017 and returned for the 2017-18 as the director of hockey and video operations for the women’s ice hockey program.  

Mackenzie Bruch, who is wearing a navy blue USA Hockey quarter zip, poses for a headshot.

Mackenzie Bruch

ABOUT PICARD

Picard makes her international coaching debut as an intern coach of the 2025 U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team. She currently is in her first season as the assistant coach for the Long Island University women’s ice hockey team. Prior to LIU, Picard spent two seasons behind the bench as an assistant coach for the Princeton University women’s ice hockey team. 

On the ice, Picard skated for Team USA at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, capturing silver and skated at five IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold four times (2019, 2016, 2015, 2013) and silver once (2012).

Shelly Picard, who is wearing a gray Long Island University button up polo, poses for a photograph.

Shelly Picard

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