Karen Koch
Encyclopedia
Karen Koch [pronounced "Cook"] (born October 3, 1951) was an American ice hockey
goaltender
for the Marquette Iron Rangers
during the 1969-70 season. She signed a contract for $40 per game which made her the first professional female hockey player in North America. As of 2000, as far as her coach, Leonard "Oakie" Brumm, knew, she was the first in the world.
welcomed her as the first female professional hockey player when she was only 18. At the time, the Iron Rangers were the defending champs. Leonard "Oakie" Brumm, then coach for the past eighteen seasons, has said her only drawback was her size and that, since they were larger, the team's other goalies "stopped more pucks by accident than she did on purpose."
Her addition to the team brought complaints from the other players, despite their admittance that she was good. It also brought national publicity as the team got calls from the Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters, and newspapers, radio and TV stations from all over the U.S. and Canada. And when it came time to cut the team down to eighteen players and two goalies, the coach adjusted the numbers so that he could keep her on the team. Her presence caused such a stir that the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
officials insisted that she be announced as the starting goalie to swell attendance. They also set up a pre-game penalty shot with the mayor, who had been a hockey player in the past. Karen received a standing ovation when she stopped the mayor's shot.
She was eventually let go from the Iron Rangers after repeatedly going against her coach's orders and removing her mask during the after-Christmas games. There were ten games left in the schedule at the time. She went on to play in the Toronto area and made national headlines again when she was barred by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
from playing on men's teams.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
for the Marquette Iron Rangers
Marquette Iron Rangers
Marquette Iron Rangers were a semi-pro senior ice hockey team from Marquette, Michigan that played in the United States Hockey League from 1964-1976 where they were five-time champions...
during the 1969-70 season. She signed a contract for $40 per game which made her the first professional female hockey player in North America. As of 2000, as far as her coach, Leonard "Oakie" Brumm, knew, she was the first in the world.
Personal life
Since her hockey days, she has earned a bachelor's and a master's degree, both in English Literature, from the Wayne State University and the University of Dayton respectively. She holds a black belt in judo and a brown belt in jujitsu. Karen loves birds and all creatures of the wild.Hockey career
The USHLUnited States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
welcomed her as the first female professional hockey player when she was only 18. At the time, the Iron Rangers were the defending champs. Leonard "Oakie" Brumm, then coach for the past eighteen seasons, has said her only drawback was her size and that, since they were larger, the team's other goalies "stopped more pucks by accident than she did on purpose."
Her addition to the team brought complaints from the other players, despite their admittance that she was good. It also brought national publicity as the team got calls from the Associated Press, United Press International, Reuters, and newspapers, radio and TV stations from all over the U.S. and Canada. And when it came time to cut the team down to eighteen players and two goalies, the coach adjusted the numbers so that he could keep her on the team. Her presence caused such a stir that the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
officials insisted that she be announced as the starting goalie to swell attendance. They also set up a pre-game penalty shot with the mayor, who had been a hockey player in the past. Karen received a standing ovation when she stopped the mayor's shot.
She was eventually let go from the Iron Rangers after repeatedly going against her coach's orders and removing her mask during the after-Christmas games. There were ten games left in the schedule at the time. She went on to play in the Toronto area and made national headlines again when she was barred by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey play in Canada from 1914 until 1994 when it merged with the Canadian Hockey Association or Hockey Canada....
from playing on men's teams.
About Koch
- "She's got a lot of guts. It's hard to believe a girl would just stand there and let us shoot at her. She's not scared." - Robert Caster, Iron Ranger left winger.