Rochester Institute of Technology Women's Ice Hockey

Celeste Brown '15 enters her sixth season as the Bruce B. Bates Women's Hockey Coach at her alma mater in 2025-26. Brown was a member of RIT's 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship team before starring the next three seasons during the Tigers' move to Division I. She went on to become the first player in program history to sign a professional contract before kicking off a coaching career, which included last three years as an assistant coach at Penn State University. Brown returned to Rochester following a stint at Penn State where she worked primarily with the Nittany Lions' forwards and power play unit. Under her tutelage, Penn State advanced to three-consecutive College Hockey America Tournament semifinals. Brown played for the New York Riveters during the inaugural season of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) in 2015-16 while also kicking off her coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Division III Manhattanville. She played the following season with the NWHL's Connecticut Whale while also serving as an assistant coach at Division III Connecticut College. Brown's prolific career in a Tiger uniform started with 21 points on 12 goals and nine assists during her freshman campaign, culminating with the go-ahead goal and two assists in the third period of RIT's 4-1 victory over Norwich (Vt.) to clinch the national title. She was also on the ice when the Tigers scored the overtime game-winner to defeat Plattsburgh, 2-1, in the national semifinals. Brown contin

Jordin Pardoski enters her sixth season as an assistant women's hockey coach in 2025-26. Pardoski spent two seasons in the same role at Brown University, assisting in all aspects of the program, including recruiting and team operations, with a focus on defensive player skill development. She was an assistant coach at Division III Elmira from 2016-18, helping the Soaring Eagles to back-to-back United Collegiate Hockey Conference (ECHC) Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. Elmira finished the 2017-18 season with a 25-3-2 record, playing to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament. Pardoski helped mentor two All-Americans at Elmira, including 2018 first-team selection Sarah Hughson who signed with the NWHL Connecticut Whale, and second-team pick Kelcey Crawford. She graduated from Penn State in 2016 following a standout four-year career as a defender for the Nittany Lions. Voted an assistant captain her sophomore year, she served as a co-captain the following two seasons while making 143 career appearances and totaling 25 points on eight goals and 17 assists. Pardoski was honored with Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, All-Big Ten Academic Team and All-CHA Academic Team accolades. She earned a bachelor's degree in human development and family studies from Penn State and completed a master's degree in general education at Elmira in 2018.

Josh Graser is in his sixth season as a coach at RIT in 2025-26. Graser came to RIT after having spent the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach at Division III Utica. With the Pioneers, Graser focused on all facets of the program, including day-to-day operations, scouting, recruiting, game and practice preparation, as well as film breakdown. Graser's last Division I stop came the previous season at Colgate in a dual role of assistant coach and director of hockey operations. The Raiders captured 40 wins and a pair of ECAC Hockey Tournament appearances while Graser was with the team, including a 23-win 2018-19 campaign which saw Colgate advance to the ECAC Hockey Tournament semifinals. Graser spent the previous season at the University of Vermont, handling travel arrangements and assisting with scouting and film breakdown. He helped the Catamounts knock off future national champion Clarkson, WCHA champion Minnesota, and Hockey East champion Northeastern twice. Graduating with a degree in sports management from Cortland in 2015, Graser's first collegiate hockey role came at Canisius, where he served as director of men's hockey operations. In that role, he spearheaded film breakdown, assisted with scouting and planned team travel. In 2016-17, he helped the Golden Griffins to a 21-11-7 season, including an 18-4-6 mark in Atlantic Hockey which vaulted the squad to a regular season league title. Graser's resume also includes winning a gold medal as video coach with the US Women's Na