Joakim Flygh (YO-a-kim FLEWG), who has spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the New England College men's hockey team, has been hired as the University of Minnesota Duluth's new assistant women's hockey coach.



Flygh's appointment will officially begin July 1. He replaces Stacy Wilson, who resigned after five years with the Bulldogs following the 2003-04 season to pursue other career opportunities.



Born and raised in Sweden, Flygh lettered for four seasons (1996-2000) as a defenseman at New England College, an NCAA Division III school, and, as a junior, was named the Pilgrims' Defensive Player of the Year in addition to earning All-Academic Team honors. He went on to play one year of professional hockey in Sweden for the Lysekil Vikings before returning to his alma mater in Henniker, NH, in 2002.



\"We were extremely impressed with Joakim and believe he'll make a great addition to the UMD coaching staff,\" said Maarit Torniainen, who chaired the search committee. \"He possess a great deal of experience and can speak four languages (Swedish, English, Danish, and Norwegian) which is a valuable asset in the world of women's college hockey.\"



In his new position, the 26-year old Flygh will work with the Bulldog defensemen, monitor team academic progress, and serve as a liaison with the UMD admissions office. While at New England College, Flygh was employed as an admissions counselor as well. He received a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from New England College in 2000 and a Master's degree in organizational management from the same institution one year later.



\"I feel good about the pool of candidates we interviewed and the individual we selected,\" said UMD head coach Shannon Miller, who has amassed an overall record of 128-31-15 (for a .779 winning percentage) and three NCAA Frozen Four titles (2001-03) during her five years behind the Bulldog bench. \"Joakim is a great choice in that he brings a respect for education, the student-athlete, and a depth of technical knowledge with regards to the game of hockey. We very much look forward to working with him.\"