RYHORCHUK:
YEAR-
BY-YEAR

Year	W	L	T
2000-01	22	7	1
2001-02	21	6	1
2002-03	11	10	6
2003-04	15	9	2
2004-05	11	13	3
Totals	80	45	13

WINONA, Minn. — In five years as the Saint Mary's University women's hockey coach, Duncan Ryhorchuk has guided the Cardinals to five straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoff appearances, one conference championship and a pair of national tournament showings.

Thursday evening, Ryhorchuk decided enough was enough.

"I wrestled with the decision for a long time — I just felt it was time for me to have a change, and I thought maybe it was time for the program to have a change" said Ryhorchuk, who officially told his team of his decision to step down at a meeting Thursday evening. "We achieved quite a bit in the five years I've been here, and maybe, with a new coach on board, this program can achieve even a little bit more.

"It's tough to leave Saint Mary's and the women's hockey program," continued Ryhorchuk, the MIAC's Coach of the Year in 2000-2001. "But I'm excited to be moving on to a new and different challenge."

Ryhorchuk, just the second coach in the history of the Cardinal women's hockey program, guided SMU to a 22-7-1 record and a berth in the American Women's Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament in his first year at the helm in 2000-2001.

A year later, SMU was back in the national spotlight, winning the MIAC playoff title and taking a 21-6-1 record into the first-ever NCAA Division III national tournament, where SMU lost to Gustavus 2-0. Over the next three seasons, the Cardinals compiled an overall mark of 37-32-11, qualifying for the conference's postseason playoffs each year.

"We're sad to see Duncan go — he's been a tremendous asset to our women's hockey program," said SMU athletic director Chris Kendall, who noted that a national search for Ryhorchuk's successor would begin immediately. "We wish Duncan all the best of luck with his future endeavors."