Coaches

Head Coach Brad Marshall

The 2011-2012 season will be Brad Marshall's seventh season as head coach of the St. Kate’s hockey program. Under Marshall's guidance the Wildcats have gone from only winning two games the season before he arrived, to being perennial MIAC playoff contenders.

The team's highest finish came in 2009-2010, as the team finished 18-5-2 (13-3-2 in MIAC play) earning them second in the regular season, falling just one point shy of the top spot. Coach Marshall was named the Coach-of-the-Year in the MIAC. The team went on to finish second in the conference playoffs, losing in the championship game to Gustavus.

During his tenure at St. Kate's Marshall has coached seventeen athletes to MIAC Conference Honors and had two athletes on the MIAC All-Rookie Team.

Coach Marshall came to St. Kate's after serving as the head coach of the North St. Paul High School girls hockey team for two years. During that time Coach Marshall compiled a 48-11 record and finished runner-up at the 2003 state tournament. Prior to that Marshall was an assistant coach with the University of St. Thomas men’s program for two seasons. In both 2001 and 2002 his teams made it to the NCAA tournament. Marshall's other coaching experience includes stints at Mounds View and Hill-Murray High Schools. During the off-season Coach Marshall lends his coaching expertise and assistance at numerous hockey camps and clinics around the state.

Marshall played his high school hockey at Hill-Murray High School and was part of the 1991 state championship team. Brad started his college career at the University of St. Thomas before leaving for the United States Hockey League’s Rochester Mustangs. Marshall spent the next two years playing for the Mustangs before returning to St. Thomas. In his final three season's of collegiate hockey Marshall was team captain, earned all-conference honors and recorded over 100 points.

Brad graduated from St.Thomas with his Minnesota teaching certificate in physical education and his high school coaching certificate. Brad and his wife Kerry, reside in Bloomington with their son's Charlie and Marty and their yellow lab April.

Assistant Coach Jeff Polski

Jeff Polski returns for his sixth season of working with the Wildcats. Coach Polski focuses his on ice work primarily on defense and goalies, but off the ice he also assists with recruiting and scouting.

While at St. Kate's, Polski has been instrumental in the development of 2011 graduate Mel Gerten. In 2011, Gerten was named the MIAC's Shelia Brown Award winner. Gerten had previously earned MIAC Honorable Mention honors, been named to the MIAC All-Rookie Team, and is at, or near, the top in every St. Kate's season and career statistical category for goaltenders including wins, saves, save percentage and minutes played.

Jeff graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Kinesiology and a minor in coaching. He is currently enrolled in the M.Ed. program at the University of Minnesota with a concentration in applied kinesiology. A resident of Eden Prairie, Minn., coach Polski is employed by the Hopkins School District. He also lends his assistance to several camps within the state, along with USA Hockey’s National Development Program Camps.

Assistant Coach Allie Thunstrom

St. Kate's hockey coach Brad Marshall has announced that a name familiar to women's hockey fans throughout the country, and especially the state of Minnesota, will be joining his staff. Team USA participant, and former Ms. Hockey Minnesota award winner, Allie Thunstrom will be an assistant coach at St. Kate’s starting this fall.

After capping her stellar high school career by winning the 2006 Ms. Hockey Minnesota award, Thunstrom went on to star for the Boston College women's hockey team. At BC Thunstrom had 138 points in 141 career games. She helped the Eagles qualify for the 2007 NCAA Women's Frozen Four. Thunstrom also led the team in scoring twice, never missed a game in her career, and made the Hockey East All-Star team three times. A few more of Thunstrom’s career highlights include attending four USA Hockey Player Development camps and participating in three USA Hockey National Festivals. This past season she played for the Minnesota Whitecaps in the Western Women’s Hockey League.

Thunstrom’s arrival to Coach Marshall’s staff isn’t without history. During Marshall’s early coaching days Thunstrom was one of his star pupils. Marshall coached Thunstrom when she was a sophomore and junior at North High School in St. Paul. The duo led the Polars to a runner-up finish at state in 2004. They are hoping that familiarity will led to a smooth transition as Thunstrom works with the Forwards and Power-Play units at St. Kate's this season.

When asked about Thunstrom’s addition to his staff Marshall said, "We're extremely happy to have Allie helping out this year. As a young coach she brings a lot of experience to our program. Her success as a player and a coach will help our players significantly, especially this season because we have a fairly young group of forwards.” Marshall continued to note that, “Allie's obviously very well known in the Minnesota hockey community from her time at North St. Paul High School, Boston College and with Team USA. We are certainly excited to have St. Kate’s added to the list of places where she will have a positive impact."

While Thunstrom's connection to Coach Marshall will allow her to jump right in with the Wildcats program, her connection to St. Kate’s won’t end on the ice. Thunstrom has recently enrolled as a student in St. Kate's renowned Nursing program. As a student at St. Catherine University she will be pursuing a second major after earning her degree in psychology at Boston College.

Clearly never one to take the easy road, Thunstrom’s unique coach-student-athlete role will kick off August 12 at the National Sports Center in Blaine. That is when she takes to the ice to train with Team USA for two weeks.

Click Here To see Coach Thunstrom's complete USA Hockey Bio.