Focusing as much on the GCU mission as the competitive spirit of hockey, Natalie Rossi heads into her fifth year as the head women’s hockey coach at Grand Canyon University. Rossi brings over 20 years of playing and coaching experience to GCU, as well as a love for hockey that is reflected in her work ethic and determined coaching attitude.
Born in Staten Island, New York, and raised in Edison, New Jersey, Rossi grew up playing ice hockey and transitioned from boys’ hockey to girls’ hockey in high school. She played for the New Jersey Rockets girls’ club, and played collegiately for State University of New York at Oswego. Her knowledge of the game was the key to her ability to develop young players.
Upon graduating from SUNY Oswego, Rossi coached at all levels (from U8 to U19) with the New Jersey Rockets, where she helped grow the organization from two to ten teams while coaching with the Arizona Lady Coyotes, a local youth club. Rossi gained valuable coaching experience with the Lady Coyotes’ U19, U16, U14 and U12 teams. She even organized an International Girls Hockey weekend event for new local hockey players. Currently, Rossi is the state girls’ hockey representative for the Arizona Amateur Hockey Association, and within the last couple of years, began the Blueline Buddies Program, which connects young girls interested in hockey with older players in high school and college (including the Lopes’ players) to foster their excitement for the game.
After moving to Arizona, Rossi continued her education at Arizona State University, obtaining a speech-language pathology assistant license, and earned her Master’s degree in the same field.
