Joe Cranston - Head Women's Hockey Coach
Sept. 23, 2003

Joe Cranston starts his fifth season as women's hockey coach at UW-River Falls.

The Falcons had their best season ever in the school's four year history in 2003. They finished 20-6-4 overall and won the NCHA regular season title with a 12-1-3 record. They went on to win the NCHA playoff championship for the second time. The Falcons then got the team's first ever berth into the NCAA Div. III playoffs. In a first round game the Falcons beat St. Thomas, 5-1, and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. In Elmira, N.Y., the Falcons lost to the eventual national champions, Elmira, 2-1 in the semifinals. The 20 wins is a Falcon record for victories in a season.

In 2002 the Falcons finished 13-11-3 overall and 8-6-2 and finished third in the NCHA. UWRF won a first-round NCHA playoff game to reach the league playoff championship game for the second straight year. UWRF lost a close 2-1 decision to UW-Stevens Point in the title game in Stevens Point. In 2001 the Falcons finished 19-7-1 and finished second in the NCHA regular-season standings. Cranston then led the Falcons to the NCHA Playoff Championship. UWRF beat UW-Stevens Point, 4-1, in the playoff semifinals and then the Falcons topped regular-season champions, UW-Superior, 2-1 in the title game. He has a 55-39-8 record with the Falcons.

Cranston was the head coach of the Somerset boy's varsity high school team from 1990-1998. He was an assistant coach there from 1988-1990. He has been the head coach of the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association Midget Select teams since 1990 and coached the 1995 Section 1 Wisconsin Senior Select team. Cranston has conducted several hockey clinics and served on the WIAA All-State selection committee for two years. He has been a player evaluator for several Wisconsin and Minnesota youth hockey organizations.

A native of Fergus Falls, Minn., he played youth and high school hockey there. He played for the high school team from 1979-1983 and was the team captain as a senior. He played, and was the captain, of the 1983-84 North Iowa Huskies of the USHL. Cranston then returned to Fergus Falls to attend the community college where he played with that team in 1985-86. He was the team's captain, MVP and was ranked in the Top 10 in the nation in scoring.

He earned an AA degree from Fergus Falls Community College in 1986 and earned his undergraduate degree in elementary education from UW-River Falls in 1990. He taught third grade in the Somerset School District from 1990-97.

Contact Coach Cranston.

Joe Cranston


The Cranston File