Baldarotta Earns Wisconsin Friend of Hockey Award

     UW-Stevens Point men�s hockey coach Joe Baldarotta has been named the 2002 recipient of the George Baumann Friend of Hockey Award. The honor was presented by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association at its annual meeting in Madison on March 1.

     Baldarotta is the winningest coach in Pointer history, compiling a 204-105-2 record over his 11 seasons as head coach at UW-Stevens Point. He is the lone individual to have been involved in every one of UW-Stevens Point�s six NCAA Division III championship game appearances.

     Baldarotta has been named Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year four times and was the 1993 American Hockey Coaches Association Division III Coach of the Year. This season he helped the Pointers to an 18-9-2 record this season and was rewarded as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

     He began his coaching career at his alma mater Madison West High School, first as an assistant and then as the head coach. As the team�s head coach for four seasons, he compiled a 62-22-1 overall record and won the 1983 WIAA State Championship, earning State High School Coach of the Year honors.

     Baldarotta has represented Wisconsin as a member of the coaching staffs at the U.S. Olympic Festival and is involved with presentations at youth and high school coaching clinics as well as running a youth hockey camp at UW-Stevens Point in the summer time.