position Assistant Coach
Kelsey Cline enters her first season with the Ohio State women’s hockey team after being named director of operations in August of 2021. She brings an extensive resume of experience from all levels of the game, including coaching and playing, to the Buckeye staff.
“I am extremely excited to join the Buckeye family and have the opportunity to work alongside a world class staff,” Cline said. “I have great respect for Coach Muzerall, as I have seen her work ethic and passion for developing the women’s game and sincere care for her athletes and staff as both a player and now a staff member. The team of staff that Coach Muzerall has developed and put together to provide a first-class experience, not only for these women as athletes but as women in life after hockey, is a staff unlike any other and to be a piece of the puzzle is a great honor. The standard of excellence and culture that Coach Muzerall has established within the Ohio State women’s hockey program created the perfect fit for me to bring my experiences as a player and coach to add further value to a program that will be a leader for years to come.”
Cline is no stranger to working with Ohio State head coach Nadine Muzerall, as she played for Muzerall at the University of Minnesota from 2013 to 2017. During her time with the Gophers, Cline won two national championships and skated in 161 games. She recorded 29 points (5 goals, 24 assists) and blocked 102 shots in her collegiate career.
In 2019, the Bloomington, Minn. native made her WNHL debut, signing with the Minnesota Whitecaps for the 2019-20 season. She played in 12 games, scoring a goal, adding three assists and finishing the season with a +10 on ice.
Prior to joining the Ohio State staff, Cline served as the associate head coach at the Blake School for the 2020-21 season and at Jefferson High School from 2017-2020. She was also the operations manager and coach for OS Hockey, assisting in organizing hockey programming and operating the Upper Midwest High School Elite League.
Cline graduated in 2017 with a degree in marketing from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management.
