Jackie Barto to Coach Women’s Hockey Team – Ohio State Buckeyes
12/14/1998 12:00:00 AM | General
December 14, 1998
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Director of Athletics Andy Geiger announced today that Jackie Barto has been named the head coach of the women’s hockey team at Ohio State University that will begin play in 1999-2000. Barto will start her coaching responsibilities at Ohio State Dec. 15.
Barto, who resigned as head coach of the Providence College women’s hockey program to accept the Ohio State position, led the Lady Friars to a 64-51-8 record and to great heights during her four years at the helm of the program. In 1994-95, her first season, she guided Providence to an 18-9-4 record and its fourth straight Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) title. The following season, the Lady Friars made their fifth consecutive appearance in the ECAC title game before losing to the University of New Hampshire in the contest’s fifth overtime. In 1996-97, the team recorded a 20-8-2 mark and posted the program’s eighth season with 20 or more wins. Last year PC reached the ECAC Tournament for the 15th consecutive year.
“I am very excited about the challenge of building a new hockey program,” Barto said. “At Ohio State, the administration has firmly committed the resources needed to build a new program. Everything needed to start building this program the right way will be in place and I can’t wait to get started. And I am very excited about playing in the OSU Arena. The rink will allow for some exciting crowds that will enhance the start-up of the sport of women’s hockey in Columbus.”
A native of Newton, Mass., and a 1984 graduate of Providence College with a degree in business management, Barto was a member of the first Providence College squad to win the ECAC title (1984). An assistant coach for the Lady Friars for six years before becoming head coach, Barto has been associated with three of Providence’s six ECAC crowns, winning one as a player (1984), as an assistant coach (1994) and as a head coach (1995).
As a player, Barto was one of the most prolific scorers to play at Providence. Her 113 career goals ranks third on the all-time goals list behind two of her star pupils, 1998 U.S. Olympian Cammi Granato (1989-93; 139 goals) and Stephanie O’Sullivan (1991-95; 126 goals). Barto ranks fifth on Providence’s all-time scoring list with 200 career points and seventh in assists with 87.
Barto, who watched as seven of her Providence student-athletes helped the United States win the women’s hockey Gold Medal at the Nagano Olympics, was a standout field hockey, ice hockey and softball player at Provicence College. She captained all three sports as a senior and set a number of school records during her stellar four-year career. In 1997 she was inducted into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Barto, whose husband Kurt is a trainer for Providence College, was the head coach of Providence’s highly successful field hockey program that won two BIG EAST titles (1989 & 1991), an ECAC crown (1988) and made three NCAA appearances (1987, ’89 and ’90) during her 14 years as coach.
Currently a club team, the OSU women’s hockey team competes in events sanctioned by the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association (CCWHA). Other teams in that league include the University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. The Buckeyes won the 1997-98 league championship by beating Western Michigan in the final round.
