Aurora University head women's hockey coach Jackie Kooistra announced she will step down from her position at the helm of the Spartan program after five years.

Kooistra began her tenure at AU in July of 2019 when she was named the second Head Coach of the AU women's hockey program. In her five seasons, the Spartans had a 82-38-4 overall record and were 49-20-3 in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. This year's Spartans went 16-10-2 overall and finished third in the NCHA with an 11-4-1 record. The 2021-2022 Spartans went 22-7 and made a run in the NCHA Slaats Cup Tournament and making a trip to the NCAA Division III tournament.

"I want to thank Jackie for her time and efforts to make AU Women's Hockey a nationally competitive program. She walked into year three of a brand-new program, won a Slaats Cup and made a trip to the NCAA tournament," said AU VP for Athletics Jim Hamad. "The AU women's hockey program is in a very strong place for years to come because of her leadership."

A national search for the next head coach of the women's hockey program at Aurora University is underway.