ADRIAN, Michigan – After an extensive search to help the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association (CCWHA) reach new levels with continued success into the future, the league has named Maddy Maloney and Jeremy Pallot as their new Divisional Commissioners as voted by the League Commissioner, Board of Directors and Team Coaches.
CCWHA League Commissioner and CEO Steven John “SJ” Scansaroli gleamed with a smile as he introduced the new team members as he commented, “Maddy and Jeremy are excellent additions to the team and personify dedication, hard work and caring to grow our student athletes, fan base and womens hockey in North America.” He further commented, Jeremy will be Division I and Maddy Division 2 Commissioners.
When Maloney was asked about her newly appointed role as Divisional Commissioner, she said “I am so humbled to be named the youngest Assistant Commissioner in the Country and the only Female Representative of the CCWHA. I would like to thank everyone involved in the process of voting and nominations, as well as the previous Commissioner Sue McDowell and Assistant Commissioner Brett Berger for encouraging me to pursue this opportunity. I am confident in my ability and knowledge of the game and the league as well as the team I have beside me now. I am beyond excited to serve the higher educational institutions, coaches, students, families and fans at the highest level I can possibly provide them. There will be a lot of learning involved, but I am coming in with an open mind and positivity.”
“The addition of Maddy Maloney to the CCWHA staff is a huge benefit to the league and its players. Maddy was a great player and leader during her collegiate career and will bring those elite attributes to the direction of the league. I recruited Maddy several years ago due to her determination, dedication, leadership, and personality. Maddy is the type of person who will ensure the success of the league and invest the time to create a brighter future for all players and coaches involved. The CCWHA is very lucky to have Maddy on board, and I am confident she will be successful in her new role, as she has achieved success in all other aspects of her professional career.” -Brett Berger, former CCWHA Commissioner commented.
When asked what Maloney had planned for the CCWHA she replied, “My focus for this year is on the students and coaches. I want to ensure that everyone has a voice and their opinions and recommendations are implemented. I want to help grow women’s hockey and make it known that College Hockey is an attainable goal for many high school student athletes. I am here to serve the coaches and students of the league and hope that by doing so it will create a welcoming, growing environment, and positive experience for many years to come.”
Furthermore, Jeremy Pallot when interviewed about being named a Divisional Commissioner commented, “Words cannot describe how truly honored and grateful I am to be named one of the youngest Assistant Commissioners in the Country alongside Maddy. I know we both take great pride in the opportunity to help lead the new face of the CCWHA”, Pallot said. “Of course, I want to thank everyone involved in the process, especially previous Commissioner, Sue McDowell, for motivating me in pursuit of this extraordinary opportunity. I am extremely excited to get underway with the amazing team we have in place and see what the future holds, as well as what we can accomplish together to grow Women’s Collegiate Hockey within the CCWHA and around the United States and Canada.
When asked what Pallot had planned for the CCWHA he replied, “My focus for this year is on growing the league as best as we can, as well as making some changes that benefit all teams within the league. I want to ensure that the CCWHA continues to hold the title of the best women’s collegiate hockey conference in the U.S. and becomes a desired destination for younger student-athletes. Between Maddy and I, we both know that this could very well be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us as we’re just starting out in our careers. Being tasked with taking the helm of a league that’s nearly 30 years old, while both only being 25 years of age means that we do understand that we still have a lot to learn, we also believe that we have fresh ideas that everyone can benefit from. Aside from growth and a few changes, our biggest priority within the Commissioner’s Office is to serve the coaches and students of the league by creating a positive environment for the coaches, players, fans, and future student-athletes.
About Maddy Maloney
Maloney’s hockey career began when she was just 18 months old in California. She has 3 older brothers who all played hockey growing up at various levels. Maloney started her hockey career playing boys hockey for the Fresno Jr. Falcons Hockey Club (which later became the Fresno Jr. Monsters) and continued playing boys hockey through her sophomore year of high school. When she was only a junior in high school she moved to Colorado to play girls hockey and became the first Billet that the Colorado Select Association (now known as the Colorado 14ers) had seen. She played for Colorado Select U16AAA and served as a co-captain in her first year before moving up to the Colorado Select U19AAA team. From there she was recruited to play for Becker College’s NCAA D3 hockey team in Worcester, MA where she played 2 years. She took a year off of school and went back to California, where she played for the Fresno Ice Dogs in the Men’s ACHA D2. She then decided to return to school and play at Adrian College for their ACHA WD1 hockey team also earning her Bachelors in Exercise Science and a Certificate in Personal Training. After graduation she was the Assistant Coach for the Women’s ACHA D2 team at Adrian and this past year was promoted to Head Coach for the ACHA WD2 team where she plans to stay and coach another year. During her first year as head coach and 6th year of the program at Adrian, Maloney was nominated for Female Sport Coach of the Year and was able to take her team to the National Tournament in Boston, Massachusetts. She also held the inaugural Alumni Game for the Women’s ACHA D2 team at Adrian and plans on continuing this tradition alongside many others as the program continues to grow.
About Jeremy Pallot
Pallot’s hockey career started at the age of 3 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada in true Canadian fashion – on a backyard rink. “Everyone in my family played hockey. My dad, brother, cousins, uncles. It’s just something everyone does where I come from, my earliest memories are on a hockey rink” he said. Growing up he played in the Canadian minor hockey system before moving to the United States at the age of 12. That’s when he began playing AA hockey for the Soo Michigan Lakers in the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA). In his Junior year of high school, he split time playing for the Root River Rangers Midget AA team in Ontario and the Soo Firehawks Jr. A team in Sault, Michigan, where he got to play for now-coworker, Coach Matt Parker of the Lake Superior State University Women’s Hockey Team. A year later, when deciding on colleges, he decided to turn down his college hockey offers to pursue a scholarship and play baseball at Finlandia University (NCAA). Returning home to Sault Ste. Marie a couple years later to attend Lake Superior State University and play for Coach Steven Kaunisto’s ACHA D2 program. After the school decided to create an ACHA Division 3 men’s program, Pallot decided to try his hand at coaching, foregoing his remaining eligibility. For the past two seasons he’s been the head coach of the Lake State ACHA D3 men’s program as well as an assistant coach for both the Women’s ACHA D1 and Men’s ACHA D2 programs. He plans on continuing his coaching career in the future.
About the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association (CCWHA) is marking its 27th season of competition and is the largest Women’s Collegiate Hockey League in North America; also, the CCWHA is an affiliate of the ACHA.
The league comprises Division I and Division II. Adrian College (Bulldogs), Aquinas College (Saints), Bowling Green State University (Falcons), Central Michigan University (Chippewas), Concordia University Ann Arbor (Cardinals), Davenport University (Panthers), Grand Valley State University (Lakers), Lake Superior State University (Lady Lakers), Loyola University – Chicago (Ramblers), Miami University Ohio(Redhawks), University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (Wolverines), University of Michigan – Dearborn (Wolverine), Michigan State University (Spartans), Northern Michigan University (Wildcats), University of Notre Dame (Fighting Irish), Penn State University (Nittany Lions), and Sault College (Cougars). For more information, visit: http://www.d1.ccwha.net/ & http://www.d2.ccwha.net
