DUDLEY, Mass. – Nichols College women's ice hockey head coach Mike O'Grady has announced the addition of Kaleigh Fratkin and Samantha Walther to his coaching staff.
 
Fratkin brings a plethora of collegiate and international playing experience to the program. She was a four-year member of the Boston University Terriers women's ice hockey team who graduated tied for the program lead in games played (151). Fratkin – a native of Burnaby, British Columbia – racked up 66 career points (9-57-66) – including a career-high 30 points as a senior (4-26-30), when she was named both a New England Division I All-Star and a Hockey East First Team All-Star, and later to the Hockey East All-Tournament Team. She led HEA in assists and ranked sixth nationally in power play helpers in 2013-14 as the Terriers captured their third-straight Hockey East Championship.
 
"I am very pleased to have Kaleigh join our staff," said O'Grady. "Kaleigh brings a huge desire to develop our student-athletes skills and will be a great addition to our coaching staff during games. She also brings a wealth of playing experience. Kaleigh understands our goals and how her playing experiences can help us continue to push the Nichols women's ice hockey program forward."
 
In her four years at BU, the Terriers posted a combined record of 112-40-9 (.724 winning pct.) and advanced to a pair of national championship games. Prior to Fratkin's arrival at BU, she became the first female to play on a British Columbia midget major boys' team when she joined the Vancouver North West Giants of the British Columbia Midget Major League. She eventually helped lead them to the 2010 Provincial Championship, this after winning a silver medal with the 2009 Canada National Women's Under-18 Team at the IIHF World Women's U18 Championship. A three-time Canadian National Champion with Team British Columbia (2008-10), Fratkin participated in three Team Canada Development camps (2006-09).
 
Fratkin graduated from BU with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism before earning her Master's Degree in Leadership from nearby Northeastern University in 2016. Following her collegiate playing career, Fratkin was an assistant coach at St. Marks (2014-15) and the head coach and hockey director at Greenwich Boys and Girls Club (2015-16). She also spent a year as an NHL analytics intern with the New York Islanders (2015-16). Fratkin is currently a professional hockey player in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL). A two-time all-star, Fratkin has played for the Connecticut Whale, New York Riveters, and Boston Pride.
 
Walther completed her Bachelor of Arts this past May at Hamilton College, where she was a four-year member of the women's ice hockey program as a goaltender. She is the Continentals all-time leader in goals against average (GAA) (1.40), save percentage (.948), and shutouts (26), and holds single-season records for save percentage (.960; set in 2017-18), shutouts (10; set in 2016-17), and GAA (1.08; set in 2016-17).
 
"I am very excited to announce Sam Walther will be joining our staff as our goalie coach," said O'Grady. "Sam was a stellar goaltender at Hamilton, finishing in the top five in the country this past year in goals against average. She plans to continue playing professionally with the Connecticut Whale. I truly believe that Sam brings a great perspective of what it takes to be a top goaltender and I am looking forward to her working with and mentoring our goalies."
 
Walther's record-breaking career spanned further than 'The Empire State,' as she also sits No. 2 in NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey history in shutouts (26) and save percentage (.948), while her .960 save percentage as a junior is the third-highest single-season mark in NCAA history. A two-time New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) First Team and All-America selection (2016-17, 2017-18), Walther was a finalist for both the NCAA Woman of the Year and Laura Hund NCAA Division III Player of the Year award as a senior.
 
Walther has served as a goaltending coach at Nelson Hockey 'Give it a Shot' since 2009 and, from 2016-18, worked as both a volunteer goalie coach for the CNY Bobcats Girls Hockey Association and as a mentor for elementary school girls at Strong Girls in New Hartford, N.Y. Most recently, Walther served as a goaltending coach at Pro Ambitions in Boston, Mass.
 
The Bison are coming off the most successful season in program history, having established a program-record for wins (12) while capturing the first playoff victory in school history.