Jon Masson | Wisconsin State Journal
Andrea Missureli has been named the new coach for the Madison La Follette/Madison East boys hockey team, according to an announcement from the two schools Monday.
Missureli accepted an offer to coach the Lakers once athletic play resumes in the Madison Metropolitan School District. The Madison school district isn’t competing in fall sports due to concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Missureli has been associated with hockey coaching since 2005. She previously was an assistant with the Lakers and also with the Stoughton Icebergs girls hockey co-op, according to a release.
“Coming back to coach the Lakers is like coming back home after a vacation,” Missureli said in a statement. “I'm excited to be back and get to work. There isn't another team I would rather be coaching. The heart and grit of the Lakers' players is what makes the Lakers’ team so special. So many people have paved the path for females in sports in Madison and I hope to continue to be a part of that legacy and inspire our youth.”
Missureli has taught at the middle and elementary level in the Madison school district and also had experience with several youth hockey programs in Wisconsin.
“We’re thrilled that Andrea is back home with the Lakers – as a La Follette alum, the daughter of a longtime East teacher and a former player on the team, Andrea is a lifelong and proud member of our community with a unique combination of ties to both schools in the Laker co-op,” Madison East athletic director T.J. Rogness said in the release. “We’re excited about the passion and enthusiasm for the game that she is bringing to the program.”
In making the announcement, school officials believed it might make Missureli the first female head coach of a boys hockey team in the state, after they checked with the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association.
“This may be true, and it hasn’t been 100% confirmed, but if it is, this is something that we can be proud of,” Madison La Follette athletic director Tim Rockhold said in a statement. “But we also have the right coach and a good one at that. Female coaches of male sports are nothing new at La Follette. We have tradition and you only have to look at (longtime tennis coach) Nan Perschon for that.”
However, it appears it makes her among females who have coached boys hockey teams in the state. Ashley Johnson coached the Sparta boys in 2016-17, according to a roster listing by WisconsinPrepHockey.net.
Missureli plans to develop current players, focusing on individual skills and team strategy that will permit the Lakers to address immediate needs.
She also plans to connect with youth programs that support the East and La Follette.
“We need to let our players know how good they actually are and revitalize the strong hockey tradition that the Lakers have,” she said.
The team, which has struggled in recent years, was 2-20-1 in the regular season in 2019-20, including 1-13-0 in the Big Eight Conference, and finished 2-21-1 overall after dropping a 10-2 decision to the Sauk Prairie co-op in the first round of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs last season.
This article was originally published by the Wisconsin State Journal on September 22, 2020. To view the full story on their website, please visit: https://madison.com/wsj/sports/high-school/hockey/prep-hockey-notes-madison-la-follette-east-boys-hockey-team-turns-to-andrea-missureli-as/article_5f11ca3c-8760-5da7-957f-a2a7f5b7707e.html