Steve Freeman (ice hockey)

Steve Freeman is an American men's college ice hockey coach. He has been the men's ice hockey head coach at Wisconsin–River Falls since 1996.

Steve Freeman
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamWisconsin–River Falls
ConferenceWIAC
Biographical details
BornNew Brighton, Minnesota, USA
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin–River Falls
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1987–1989Dubuque Fighting Saints
1989–1996Wisconsin–River Falls (assistant)
1996–PresentWisconsin–River Falls
Head coaching record
Overall410–233–61 (.626)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2007 NCHA regular season champion
2014 WIAC regular season champion
2015 WIAC tournament champion
2016 WIAC regular season champion
2021 WIAC regular season champion

Early life and education

Freeman was born in New Brighton, Minnesota. In his youth, he played on the hockey team at Irondale High School and for the Minneapolis Junior Bruins. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and a master's degree in education and professional development from University of Wisconsin–River Falls.[1]

Career

After graduating from college, Freeman became the head coach at Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) and led the team to four conference championships.[2] The performance brought Freeman recognition for his talent and he was brought in as the head coach/GM of the Dubuque Fighting Saints. After two rather poor years with the team, Freeman left and became an assistant at University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin–River Falls under Dean Talafous. While there, he earned a master's in education and helped the Falcons win the 1994 NCAA Championship, defeating previously unbeaten Fredonia State in the semifinals.[3]

After Talafous left in 1996, Freeman was promoted to head coach and had remained in that position since (as of 2021). Freeman's teams were often the second best in the NCHA but, because of the small number of at-large bids available, that wasn't always enough to earn the Falcons an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. River Falls made the Frozen four in 2001 but the team had spent most of the time in the shadow of the conference's dominant power, St. Norbert.[4]

In 2013, all five active WIAC teams left to form a new conference when the WIAC began sponsoring ice hockey as a sport. While this did provide more opportunity for Freeman's team, it also came at a price. Because the new conference didn't possess the minimum number of teams required to receive an automatic tournament berth (7), WIAC teams could only qualify for the national tournament based upon their record. Because of this, even when the Falcons won the conference championship in 2015 the were left sitting on the sidelines because the NCAA tournament didn't have to invite River Falls. Instead, Wisconsin–Stevens Point, who had won the regular season title and finished as the conference runners-up, were selected to participate.

In 2021, with many Division III teams not playing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Freeman led the Falcons to a conference title in an abbreviated season. Before the team could play their first playoff game, virus protocols forced the team to withdraw from the tournament.[5]

Freeman was inducted into the Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.[6]

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons (NCHA) (1996–2013)
1996–97 Wisconsin–River Falls 20–11–013–7–05thNCHA runner-up
1997–98 Wisconsin–River Falls 22–8–114–5–12ndNCAA Quarterfinals
1998–99 Wisconsin–River Falls 22–9–012–4–02ndNCHA runner-up
1999–00 Wisconsin–River Falls 16–9–48–4–24thNCHA Semifinals
2000–01 Wisconsin–River Falls 23–10–210–4–02ndNCAA third-place game (loss)
2001–02 Wisconsin–River Falls 18–9–27–5–24thNCHA Semifinals
2002–03 Wisconsin–River Falls 23–7–111–2–1T–2ndNCAA Quarterfinals
2003–04 Wisconsin–River Falls 21–6–48–3–32ndNCAA Quarterfinals
2004–05 Wisconsin–River Falls 17–9–29–5–03rdNCHA Semifinals
2005–06 Wisconsin–River Falls 17–7–39–4–12ndNCHA Quarterfinals
2006–07 Wisconsin–River Falls 21–6–210–3–1T–1stNCAA first round
2007–08 Wisconsin–River Falls 16–7–48–5–12ndNCHA Quarterfinals
2008–09 Wisconsin–River Falls 10–15–24–9–16thNCHA Quarterfinals
2009–10 Wisconsin–River Falls 18–9–29–7–23rdNCHA runner-up
2010–11 Wisconsin–River Falls 12–14–27–10–16thNCHA Semifinals
2011–12 Wisconsin–River Falls 16–9–210–6–2T–2ndNCHA Quarterfinals
2012–13 Wisconsin–River Falls 13–11–45–9–46thNCHA Semifinals
Wisconsin–River Falls: 305–156–37154–92–22
Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons (WIAC) (2013–present)
2013–14 Wisconsin–River Falls 15–9–38–4–01stWIAC Semifinals
2014–15 Wisconsin–River Falls 20–7–17–5–03rdWIAC Semifinals
2015–16 Wisconsin–River Falls 16–7–55–2–1T–1stWIAC Runner-Up
2016–17 Wisconsin–River Falls 12–13–23–4–13rdWIAC Semifinals
2017–18 Wisconsin–River Falls 8–17–41–6–15thWIAC Semifinals
2018–19 Wisconsin–River Falls 12–11–51–4–34thWIAC Semifinals
2019–20 Wisconsin–River Falls 16–10–37–6–2T–3rdWIAC Semifinals
2020–21 Wisconsin–River Falls 6–3–16–3–11stWIAC withdrawal
Wisconsin–River Falls: 105–77–2438–34–9
Total:410–233–61

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References
  1. "Steve Freeman - 2016 | wahahof.clearagility.com". www.wihockeyhalloffame.com. Retrieved 2022-10-05.
  2. "Steve Freeman". University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  3. "Division III Men's Ice Hockey Record Book" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  4. "UW-River Falls Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  5. "UW-Superior and UW-River Falls Men's Ice Hockey Semifinal Game Canceled". WIAC. March 10, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  6. "Steve Freeman - 2016". Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
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