There's a new boss behind the bench at Stonehill.
The Skyhawks announced Tuesday that David Berard (Coventry, R.I.) will take over as the 12th head coach of the men's hockey program. He replaces David Borges (Taunton, Mass.), who retired in March after 11 seasons behind the bench.
Berard spent the last three seasons at Providence College as the assistant athletic director for men's and women's hockey.
"I am honored to be selected as the next head men's hockey coach at Stonehill College," Berard said. "I am confident with our shared vision, passion and commitment, that we will be successful in building a strong and competitive Division I hockey program. I am excited to start and look forward to the future."
Before Providence, Berard served as head coach at Holy Cross from 2014 to 2021. He led the Crusaders to an overall record of 84-116-34 and a 73-77-30 mark in Atlantic Hockey. Before Holy Cross, Berard was the interim coach at UConn during the 2012-13 season. The Huskies started 0-4-1 (0-3-0 AHA) before Berard assumed coaching duties. After, they went 19-10-3 (14-7-3 AHA).
At the Division 1 level, Berard has also been an assistant coach with Providence (1994-1996; 1998-2011), UConn (2011-2012) and Lake Superior State (1996-1998). He also served as an assistant at Colby College (Division 3) from 1992 to 1994. He is a former goaltender and 1992 graduate of Providence as well.
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Berard's son, Brett (East Greenwich, R.I.), is playing his first professional season with the AHL's Hartford Wolfpack after three seasons at Providence. He was a fifth-round pick of the New York Rangers in 2020. Berard's other son, Brady (East Greenwich, R.I.), is a sophomore forward with the Friars.
"We are thrilled to welcome David Berard to Stonehill as our men's ice hockey head coach and are excited for him to lead our student-athletes as together they build a program that is on the rise," athletic director Dean O'Keefe said. "David's strong understanding of today's collegiate hockey landscape, deep appreciation for the coach's role in mentoring student-athletes on and off the ice, and eagerness to embrace Stonehill's mission and values made him the ideal candidate for this role."
Stonehill made the transition to Division 1 before the 2022-23 season. The Skyhawks went 17-6-2 in their inaugural D1 season, still playing a primarily Division 2 schedule. Since the transition, they are 1-38-0 against Division 1 opponents.
Stonehill earned its first-ever win over a Division 1 program earlier this season, beating Lindenwood, 4-2, at home on Feb. 10. They finished the year at 2-34-0. Their schedule included the likes of Northeastern, Providence College, Merrimack, Michigan and Arizona State, among others. It was Stonehill’s first season with a near-complete Division 1 slate.
