Mercyhurst University Men's Ice Hockey

Gotkin enters his 29th season as head coach of the Mercyhurst University mens hockey team. Since coming to Erie in 1988, Gotkin has spent more than two decades instilling a winning tradition in the mens hockey program. Gotkin, the only coach in NCAA history to take a team to the NCAA Tournament at all three levels, has guided the Lakers to over 500 wins, six NCAA tournament appearances and five league championships. Overall, he has accumulated a 510-367-80 record, which includes a Division I mark of 358-192-60. His teams have averaged 18 wins a season and have made the postseason in 27 of the 29 years he has been at Mercyhurst. In June of 2015, Gotkin was inducted into the Erie Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Last season, the Lakers had an overall record of 17-15-4 and a conference record of 15-9-4. They defeated out-of-conference Colgate and Ohio State in the process. The Lakers reached the AHA Quarterfinals, before falling to RIT. Gotkin recorded his 500th win during Atlantic Hockey play against Air Force on Saturday November 7. After the season end, three of Gotkin's players signed professional contracts, one being with the Washington Capitals of the NHL. In 2014-15, the Lakers won 19 games and defeated out-of-conference opponents Merrimack and Colgate in the process. Mercyhurst also played to a 2-2 overtime tie against Ohio State in early January at the Erie Insurance Arena. The Lakers reached the championship game of the Atlantic Hockey Conference playoffs before bowing to RIT. After the season, eight of Gotkin's players signed professional contracts while 18 were named to the Atlantic Hockey conference All-Academic Team. In 2013-14, the Lakers won their first Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) regular season title since joining the conference in 2003. The season ended when the Lakers bowed 5-4 in double overtime to Canisius in the conference semifinals. Junior goaltender Jimmy Sarjeant was named the AHA's Player of the Year and earned the Goaltender of the Year honors. It marked the first time since the league's inception in 2003-04 that a Mercyhurst player garnered the Player of the Year award. Gotkin himself was named the league's Coach of the Year for the first time. It was his first Coach-of-the-Year honors since 2001 when Mercyhurst was a member of the MAAC Hockey League. During the 2012-13 season, Gotkin became the 26th coach in NCAA history, at any division, to record 450 career wins when the Lakers defeated Army in game two of the first round of the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) playoffs. He guided the Lakers to a 19-17-5 overall record and helped Mercyhurst to the AHA title game for the first time since 2009. During his tenure, Gotkin has produced seven All Americans, four ECAC Players of the Year, three ECAC Rookies of the Year, five MAAC First-Team selections, an AHA Player-of-the-Year, 24 AHA All-Conference selections, and two AHA Rookies of the Year. In 2001, Gotkin was also a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award. Additionally, many of his players who have been honored have gone on to have successful professional careers, including Jamie Hunt (2003-06), who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Washington Capitals. A number of Mercyhurst alums have played in the American Hockey League, while numerous have spent time in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the United Hockey League (UHL). Outside of Mercyhurst, Gotkin spends a great deal of time helping others in the sport. Gotkin is very active with USA Hockey, having coached several USA Select National Festival Teams throughout the years. He has been involved with the NCAA Youth Education Through Sports (YES) Program. Gotkin has also been a featured speaker at many USA Hockey coaching clinics and symposiums. He has served on the Hobey Baker Award Committee and currently serves on four other national committees: the American Hockey Coaches Association Division I Committee, the US College Hockey Online.com National Poll Committee, the Division I East region advisory committee, and the USA Today/American Hockey Magazine College Hockey Poll. Along with their coach, the Lakers have been very active outside of school as well. Under Gotkins direction, players have volunteered their time each year with the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center, the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the annual college food drive and the Skating Club of Erie. The Lakers also perform at the annual Gliding Stars of Erie show - an organization that helps disabled kids learn how to skate. In 1995, the varsity hockey team won the Sister Rita Panciera Award given annually to the Mercyhurst College group that best exemplifies the values of mercy. In March of 1998, the team was honored again, this time by the Erie Achievement Center for its work with the disabled. Meanwhile, during Gotkins stay at Mercyhurst, the teams cumulative QPA has been consistently good with his players majoring in such fields as Criminal Justice, Accounting, Pre-Dental, History, and Business Administration. Last season, defenseman Jones was named the conferences student-athlete of the year while 17 of his players made the AHA All-Academic team. Gotkin is married to the former Diane Kaminski of Erie, Pa. They are the parents of two children: Lindsey Ann was born September 2, 1991, and Brandon Reed arrived April 1, 1995. Lindsey, a Mercyhurst alum, is studying law at DePaul University in Chicago while Brandon is a member of the varsity hockey team. The family resides in Erie, Pa.      

Gardner enters his third season with the Laker coaching staff.   Last season, Last season, the Lakers had an overall record of 17-15-4 and a conference record of 15-9-4. They defeated out-of-conference Colgate and Ohio State in the process. The Lakers reached the AHA Quarterfinals, before falling to RIT. After the season end, three players signed professional contracts, one being a freshman goaltender Adam Carlson, who signed with the Washington Capitals of the NHL. In 2014-15, the Lakers won 19 games and defeated out-of-conference opponents Merrimack and Colgate in the process. Mercyhurst also played to a 2-2 overtime tie against Ohio State in early January at the Erie Insurance Arena. The Lakers reached the championship game of the Atlantic Hockey Conference playoffs before bowing to RIT.   Prior to Mercyhurst, Gardner spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Princeton University, where he, among other tasks, was responsible for coordinating and monitoring all aspects of the recruiting process and overall team and individual player development and physical conditioning.   While at Princeton, Gardner also monitored the academic progress of the team, which averaged more than 20 players on the Ivy League's All-Academic Team each year. He also contributed to the development of four players that went on to sign National Hockey League contracts and recruited multiple Ontario Hockey League and United States Hockey League draft picks.   Prior to joining Princeton's coaching staff, Gardner spent five seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Niagara University, from 2006 to 2011. There, he helped lead the Purple Eagles to two CHA regular-season championships, one CHA tournament championship, and one NCAA tournament appearance. He coached five players that signed National Hockey League contracts and one All-American, in 2011, during his tenure at Niagara.   Gardner was a standout goaltender for Niagara from 1996 to 2000, graduating cum laude from the University in 2000 with a degree in commerce (marketing concentration) and a minor in psychology. On the ice, he led the NCAA in goals against average during the 1999-2000 season (1.53), setting an NCAA record for shutouts in a season (12) in the process. That year, he was named the CHA Player of the Year and led the Purple Eagles to the CHA regular season and tournament titles and an appearance in the NCAA tournament.   In 2000, Gardner was named Niagara University's Student-Athlete of the Year and earned the school's Ockerman Award for being the top business student.   After graduating from Niagara, he became the first-ever player signed to an NHL contract by the then-expansion Columbus Blue Jackets. He was also the first player signed to an NHL contract from Niagara University.   During his seven-year professional career, Gardner spent time with Rochester and Syracuse in the American Hockey League along with Mississippi and Dayton in the East Coast Hockey League from 2000 to 2004 before heading overseas to play in Germany for ESBG Bundesliga from 2004 to 2006. He was an All-ECHL Second Team selection in 2003 and was the Bundesliga Goaltender of the Year in 2006.