Over the past 10 years, strong guidance has elevated ASU women's hockey into a program that's chasing a national championship.
During her time at Miami University (Ohio), ASU women's hockey head coach and Director of Hockey Operations Lindsey Ellis developed a passion for coaching. She took this interest back home with her to the desert, where she started the women's hockey program at ASU.
Under Ellis' leadership, the Sun Devils have competed in back-to-back national tournaments and two Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League conference championships. In the 2023-24 season, Ellis guided the Sun Devils to an 18-0 record in conference play. She's also earned three WWCHL Coach of the Year awards.
From the beginning, Ellis strived to recruit athletes who share her competitive nature and dedication to the sport, and over the past few seasons, she's cultivated a strong group.
"In the past couple years, we've gotten the right group of girls that really believe in that, and that work hard for it and are very skilled," Ellis said. "Now we've been at the national tournament the past three years."
To create such a competitive team culture, Ellis relies on the help of her "player leadership group."
Serving as the team's captain for the 2025-26 season is forward Sam Murphy, who is a graduate student studying public administration and has played under Ellis for the past five years.
Murphy is from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where she began playing hockey at the age of two. A family trip to Arizona inspired her to reach out to the team, and in a meeting with Ellis, she resonated with her aspirations.
"I fell in love with the school, fell in love with the culture she's built here and realized that I really wanted to finish up my hockey career playing for her," Murphy said.
In her time as a Sun Devil, Murphy has seen the team transform into one that is now "completely different" than her freshman year.
When she began playing for the team, she recalls having teammates who were still learning how to skate, versus now she is surrounded by peers who, together, could hold their own and compete "against NCAA programs."
A large motivating factor for the team is the idea Ellis instilled about "playing to win for each other," reminding the group of the importance of showing up for their teammates.
"You're not showing up and being like, 'Well, I guess I have to try hard because Lindsey needs me to,'" Murphy said. "You're trying hard because she's made it very well known that you need to win for your teammates, which is special."
Similar to Murphy, junior forward and alternative captain Paige Ring, who is studying communication, was drawn to Ellis' vision for the program.
Coming from Alberta, Canada, Ring was introduced to the Sun Devils through a prospect camp in Arizona.
"When she has a vision for the team, it just transpires to the rest of the team because she sees this as a winning program," Ring said. "You can see it in the people she recruits and the effort she puts in every year. So every year we're getting better and better."
Building a winning program starts with the team dynamics, and as a coach, Ellis prioritizes creating personal relationships with her athletes while fostering an environment where her athletes can grow.
"Creating close relationships with the players is always really important for me," Ellis said. "When they understand that we're here to support them and help them grow, I think that's when they compete the hardest for us."
By forming relationships with her athletes, they consider her personable and approachable. Add that to her experience with hockey and well-rounded coaching abilities, and she is a great role model for the team.
"She is on a different level of coaches in the way that she interacts with her players and builds strong relationships with us," Murphy said.
The investments Ellis made in her athletes laid the roots for a team with the potential to win a national title, her ultimate goal.
Said investments are still rewarding her to this day, as she's actively involved in the lives of many former players, even recently attending the wedding of an alumna.
"It's been really great to see young women grow into adults," Ellis said. "Just all of those relationships and all those things have really come to fruition in the past few years."
Edited by Alan Deutschendorf, Henry Smardo and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at cjoneil6@asu.edu and follow @cjojournalism on X.
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Char O’Neil is a junior studying sports journalism with a minor in special events management. This is her second semester with The State Press. She has also reported for AZPreps365, Blaze Radio and Phoenix College Basketball.
