Head Coach Jackie Barto
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Under the guidance of Barto, Ohio State has collected numerous honors both on and off the ice. Over her eight years, three Buckeyes have been named AHCA All-Americans, including defenseman Tessa Bonhomme in the 2006-07 season when she was also the fourth OSU Top 10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, given to the top Div. 1 women's hockey student-athlete in the nation. Last year, a team-record four Buckeyes also were named All-WCHA, increasing the program total to 11 all-conference honors. The defensive duo of Bonhomme and Amber Bowman earned Third Team All-USCHO nods while forward Erin Keys was named the most improved player in the nation.
The awards for Ohio State in the classroom have been even more impressive, including 12 AWHCA Scholar All-Americans, six WCHA Scholar-Athletes, 39 WCHA All-Academic Team members and 76 OSU Scholar-Athletes.
The 2006-07 season was a record-setting one for Barto and the Buckeyes. OSU reached the 20-win mark for the first time in program history, finishing 20-13-4 and setting the record for the longest unbeaten streak at 10 games (9-0-1, Oct. 28-Dec. 8). Ohio State also posted a team-best 30 points in the WCHA (13-11-4), tied the school record with five league wins in a row, and went 12-5-3 on home ice. The Buckeyes played host to a WCHA playoff series for the first time, sweeping Minnesota State in the best-of-three series and advancing to the WCHA playoff championship in Minneapolis. The Buckeyes completed the season as the 10th-ranked team in the national polls.
On Nov. 10, 2006, Barto coached in her 400th career ice hockey game and after 13 years as a head coach, she has compiled a 192-196-38 record (.495). Barto has led the Buckeyes to a 122-143-28 (.464) record with a 79-103-22 WCHA mark in a conference that has won all seven NCAA championships. She reached her 100th OSU win Jan. 28, 2006 in a 3-2 (ot) win against Minnesota. Over the last four seasons, the Buckeyes have an overall record of 66-64-15 (.507) and in eight years have never finished lower than fifth in the WCHA standings.
Barto has been extensively involved with ice hockey on the national level. She recently was a member of the selection committee for the 2006 Winter Olympic U.S. National Women's Hockey team. Barto also was an assistant coach for the 2003 U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team who played a three-game exhibition series against Canada and also competed at the 2003 USA Hockey Women's National Festival in Lake Placid, N.Y. In August 1999, she was a head coach at the USA Hockey Women's Festival in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Barto served on the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship Committee from 2000-06 and is a member of the American Women's Hockey Coaches Association. From 2000-03, she served on the board of governors for the American Hockey Coaches Association and was the president of the AWHCA from 2000-02.
Prior to her arrival at OSU, Barto coached both ice hockey and field hockey at her alma mater, Providence College, leading the Friars to great success in both sports. As a student-athlete at Providence, Barto (formerly Gladu) scored 113 career goals, third on the all-time Friar list, and also excelled in field hockey and softball. In 1997, Barto was inducted into the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame and in 1995 was selected as the New England Hockey Writer's Coach of the Year. She twice was voted Providence College's Female Athlete of the Year and was honored as Rhode Island's Female Athlete of the Year. In 2004, Barto was inducted into the Newton North HS Hall of Fame.
A native of Newton, Mass., Barto graduated from Providence in 1984 with a degree in business management. She and her husband, Kurt, reside in Lewis Center, Ohio.