Brown Bears women ' s ice hockey The Brown Bears women ’ s ice hockey program is the oldest women ' s hockey program in the United States . It was the first collegiate women ' s ice hockey program in the United States , started in 1964 . The team is led by Head Coach Margaret ( " Digit " ) Murphy , who became the winningest coach in Division I women ' s ice hockey history during her 18th season at Brown ( 2006 – 2007 ) . History . Brown University women ' s ice hockey is widely regarded as being one of the premier collegiate programs globally . Several former players are Olympic medal winners . In 1964 , the Brown Bears men ' s coach Jim Fullerton arranged for Nancy Schieffelin to attend a team practice . She was an experienced player and came to the practice disguised in full uniform . A year later , Brown University would have the first women ’ s ice hockey program . The team was known as the Pembroke Pandas . The Pandas would have to borrow equipment , and sell hockey rule sheets at the Bears men ' s games to raise money for equipment . In February 1966 , the Pandas ( Brown Bears ) women ’ s ice hockey team played their first game . Against the Walpole Brooms , the club lost by a 4 - 1 score . In 1976 , Brown would host the first ever Ivy League women ' s ice hockey tournament . The other competing schools were Cornell , Princeton and Yale . The Big Red would win the tournament . Between 1994 and 1997 , the Bears won three consecutive ECAC regular season championships . During that time span , the Bears were undefeated in the league during the 1995 - 96 and 1996 - 97 seasons . The undefeated streak spanned 49 ECAC games . The Bears competed in the first AWCHA Division I National Ice Hockey Championship . Contested in March 1998 , the Bears were defeated by the New Hampshire Wildcats by a 4 - 1 score . In 1999 - 2000 , Brown reach its second national championship final in three years . Coach Digit Murphy , who has been building the program since 1988 , used virtually every player on her bench and eventually wore out opponents . She even went so far as to take the advice of a volunteer assistant coach by allowing her centers to take turns choosing the wings on their lines . The team withstood a season - ending ACL injury to its best player , U . S . Olympic defenseman Tara Mounsey , and went on to win nine straight games entering the 2000 national championship game . Ali Brewer holds every Brown goaltending record for a season or a career . In her four seasons with the Bears , she posted a 1 . 37 goals - against average and a . 943 save percentage . In addition , she had 2 , 490 saves and posting 39 shutouts . Numerous records were set by Brewer including , a 0 . 94 GAA and . 957 save percentage in her freshman season , 13 shutouts in her junior season , and 25 wins in her senior campaign . Another record that she holds is five consecutive shutouts , set her junior season , in which she blanked Cornell ( 3 - 0 ) , St . Lawrence ( 5 - 0 ) , Niagara twice ( 6 - 0 both games ) , and Colby ( 9 - 0 ) . During Brewer ’ s four seasons , the Bears never won fewer than 20 games in a season . The Bears won ECAC Championships in 1998 and 2000 , with Brewer earning MVP honors during the 2000 Championship . The Bears also played in the AWCHA Tournament three times from 1998 – 2000 , finishing as the National Runner - Up twice . Awards and honors . Sakuma Award . The Sakuma Award is a team award given for perfect attendance at practices and games .