SPORTS BRIEF: Women’s Hockey Assistant Earns Head Coaching Job at Union

Harvard women’s hockey assistant coach Claudia Asano ‘99 was named head coach of Union College’s program yesterday, ending her five-year coaching tenure with the Crimson.

“I’m truly excited about coming to Union College to lead the women’s ice hockey program,” said Asano in the school’s official press release. “I thank the College for the opportunity to begin my head coaching career at such a tremendous academic institution and I look forward to working with the current and future student-athletes.”

Asano will look to revitalize a Union team that finished 4-26 overall last season and has now lost 64 straight ECHACHL games—a streak that dates back to 2004. Harvard holds an 8-0-0 all-time record against Union. The Crimson has outscored Union 67-1 over those eight games.

Over the past three years, Asano has worked mostly with Harvard’s defensive unit and recruiting program after coaching the offense in her first two seasons.

Asano was a two-sport athlete for the Crimson, earning three letters in both hockey and lacrosse. As hockey co-captain in the 1998-99 campaign, she helped lead a Harvard team that capped off the season with a 30-game win streak on the way to the 1999 AWCHA National Championship.

After graduation, Asano was the head coach of the junior varsity women’s lacrosse team, assistant on the varsity ice hockey and field hockey teams, and the Associate Director of Athletics at the Middlesex School in Concord, Mass.

She then began her collegiate coaching career with Harvard under head coach Katey Stone. During Asano’s stint as an assistant, the Crimson made three straight appearances in the NCAA Frozen Four finals from

2003-05, and won three consecutive ECACHL championships from 2004-06.

Asano will graduate with a master’s degree this June from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and will assume her coaching duties at Union on May 3.