Brooke Whitney, Class of 2003, has been elected to the Northeastern University Hall of Fame for excellence in the sport of ice hockey.
As a senior in 2002, she received the Patty Kazmaier Award, the highest honor bestowed in women's hockey and became the very first Northeastern athlete to receive a national award for being the best.
Whitney came to Huntington Avenue as a tested "Blue Chip" athlete from Bothell High School in Snohomish, Wash. She had won numerous letters in soccer, volleyball, basketball and softball. In hockey, she played for the Sno Kings and was All-League and All-State for four years. In 1996 she was also a member of the United States Junior National Team.
In her freshman season of 1998-99, she justified her "Blue Chip" status by scoring 42 points in 35 games with 16 goals and 26 assists that included four game-winning goals. The Huskies enjoyed a 25-7-3 season and were 18-4-3 in the ECAC. That season they advanced to the ECAC semifinals.
In her sophomore season, Whitney suffered a broken ankle and missed half the year. However, she still had 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points in only 16 games. NU finished 22-9-3 that season and 15-6-3 in the league, and once again advanced to the ECAC semifinals.
By her junior season, she was a recognized star. She had 26 goals and 14 assists for 40 points, including seven game-winning goals. The team slumped to 16-15-1 and 13-10-1 in league play, but still made the playoffs. She was voted All-ECAC and second-team All-America.
Her senior season could not have been any better. She was elected captain, and she scored 32 goals with 24 assists for 56 points, including nine game-winning goals. Her 32 goals were second-best in NU history, while her 56 points were sixth-best. Her nine game-winning goals were the most by an NU player. Whitney was voted All-New England, All-ECAC and All-America. She received the Jeanne Rowlands Award as the Huskies' top senior scholar-athlete. She was named the New England and ECAC Player of the Year and then won the Kazmaier Award, her crowning achievement. That season the Huskies finished 27-7-1 and 15-5-1 in the ECAC. They made the ECAC final only to fall to Providence 1-0.
Her career statistics are near Northeastern's pinnacle. Her 22 game-winning goals are tops. Her 172 points and 88 assists are fourth in the record book, and her 86 goals are good for third place. She accomplished all of this and still graduated with Dean's List honors.
In her fifth year, she played for the Brampton Thunder of the National Women's Hockey League and, in 2004, she was a member of the U.S. National Team and the Vancouver team in the NWHL.
