Women's Hockey | 8/20/2015 3:26:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – Record-setting forward Kourtney Kunichika has become the fourth former player from the women's hockey team to sign a professional contract this summer, inking a deal with the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL).
Kunichika was a member of the Tigers from 2010-2014 as they made the transition from Division III champions to Division I championship contenders. She made an immediate impact in 2010-2011, leading all Division III first-year players in points with 43 (15-28-43). She set an NCAA Championship record with 10 points (5-5-10) in one tournament as RIT made it to the NCAA Championship game.
As a sophomore, Kunichika led the team in scoring and was fifth nationally with 45 points (20-25-45), earning CCM/Old Time Hockey Second Team All-American honors, while leading RIT to its first and only Division III NCAA Championship in school history.
Making the transition to Division I didn't slow down Kunichika, as she helped lead RIT to consecutive College Hockey of America (CHA) tournament appearances, including its first CHA Championship in 2013-14. She finished her career as RIT's all-time leader in postseason scoring with 24 points in 17 playoff games. Kunichika also is fourth in program history with 136 points (54-82-136), and second in power-play goals (24).
"I think it's another great pickup for the Buffalo Beauts to pick up someone of Kourtney's caliber," said RIT head coach
Scott McDonald. "She's a very crafty, intelligent player, who is fun to watch. When you build a team, that's a player you want to build your team around."
Kunichika joins
Lindsay Grigg (Oakville, Ontario/Oakville Hornets), Erin Zach, and
Celeste Brown (Great Falls, MT/National Sports Academy) as former Tigers that have signed pro contracts in the NWHL. Grigg and Zach will once again be teammates with Kunichika in Buffalo, while Brown will be playing for the New York Riveters.
"These girls were successful in both Division III and Division I," McDonald said. "It's not surprising that professional teams are picking up players like this that know how to win and come from a culture of championship hockey."
The NWHL launched in April 2015, with its inaugural season to debut on October 17. It is the first paid professional women's hockey league in North America. The NWHL will start with four teams and plans to expand the league with additional teams and locations across North America. The founding four teams are the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale and New York Riveters.
