March 14, 2023 — One other all-time nice subject hockey coach retires

Linda Kreiser, who helped the U.S. ladies’s nationwide crew to a bronze-medal end on the 1979 World Championships and coached Hummelstown Decrease Dauphin (Pa.) with distinction for greater than 40 years, has introduced her retirement from teaching.

She is one more coach of veteran stature who has determined to hold up her whistle, following on the retirements of Enza Steele, Anne Parmenter, Karen Shelton, Lori Hussong, Karen Klassner, Lori Hussong, Ange Bradley, Ann Simons, Beth Arsenault, Lori Smith, Michele Martin-Moore, Sharon Coulton, Sharon Gallant, Jody Harmon, Gloria Hewitt, Pat Toner, and Becca Most important from numerous groups within the American collegiate and scholastic scenes.

Kreiser is an individual who has devoted her life to the sport of subject hockey. Her arc began at Millersville College, the place she not solely performed prime subject hockey, however was additionally a positive lacrosse, basketball, and even a squash participant.

She performed for the U.S. ladies’s nationwide crew and was within the pool of gamers for Vonnie Gros’ aspect for the 1980 Olympics, however the crew by no means bought to play due to the Western boycott. Kreiser nonetheless performed lengthy after her retirement from the nationwide crew, distinguishing herself in membership play with the Purple Rose subject hockey membership.

At Decrease Dauphin, she taught an unbroken blue line of athletes for 45 years. The gamers had been expert, mentally powerful, and in a position to make their teammates higher.

The Falcons have received seven state championships within the always-tough commonwealth of Pennsylvania, however there have been instances when Decrease Dauphin groups have been extra memorable in falling in need of state championship glory. On quite a few events, Decrease Dauphin would encounter Emmaus (Pa.) within the state semifinal spherical, and the groups typically performed video games which had been worthy of a grand last.

There was additionally a state of affairs within the early 2000s when Decrease Dauphin, crusing together with an undefeated common season document, and enjoying as nicely or higher than anybody else within the nation, obtained the highest seed of their District 3 championship, solely to fall out of the event within the first spherical, thereby lacking the state championship.

In 2019, Decrease Dauphin fell a aim quick in a penalty shootout in opposition to West Garden Wilson (Pa.). However the Falcons bought their revenge in 2022, beating Wilson in extra time of the state last.

It seems that was the final sport Kreiser coached.

She has been honored with membership in quite a few athletic Halls of Fame, and with co-naming of the bandbox of a hockey stadium simply north of the principle highschool that bears her identify and that of Bea Hallman. She additionally carried the American flag at the latest FIH World Masters championship and carried the Olympic torch earlier than the Salt Lake Olympics.

One may say that she additionally carried the torch for the sport of subject hockey in a extremely aggressive space of the nation.

And for that, I feel lots of of younger ladies in Dauphin County and elsewhere owe her a debt of gratitude.