Sept. 29, 1999
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Former Notre Dame goaltender Greg Louder has returned to the Irish hockey program for the 1999-2000 season and will serve as the team’s volunteer assistant coach.
Louder-who is in the midst of completing the 12-month accelerated Masters of Business Administration program at Notre Dame-will work primarily with the Notre Dame goaltenders while assisting in other facets of the hockey program’s daily operation.
“Adding Greg to our staff provides an excellent opportunity for our young goalies to get regular and quality instruction, while also gaining new perspectives on how to play their position,” said fifth-year Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin, whose goaltending unit includes sophomore Jeremiah Kimento (who played 138 minutes as a freshman, with a 2.61 goals-against average and .914 save percentage), junior Kyle Kolquist and freshman Tony Zasowski.
“Being a Notre Dame graduate, Greg also has a keen sense of how far this program has progressed over the years and he has a lot invested in this opportunity. He knows how to handle the mental challenges of the position and will be a tremendous asset to our goalies throughout the season.”
Louder officially opened his coaching career on Sunday night, Sept. 26, as the Irish held an abbreviated workout for their first practice of the 1999-2000 season.
“I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to become involved again with the Notre Dame hockey program and am excited for the upcoming season,” said Louder, whose class schedule will allow him to attend most of the team’s weekly practices, in addition to scheduling separate sessions with the goalies.
“I can’t think of a better combination than coming back to Notre Dame to get my MBA and then also being able to help coach what is becoming one of the nation’s best hockey programs. I have watched the team’s progress over the past few years and it means a lot as a former player to see the program competing with some of the best teams in the nation.”
The Irish spent most of the 1998-99 season in the national top 10 and finished fourth in the rugged Central Collegiate Hockey Association before just missing a spot in the 12-team NCAA Tournament. Senior goaltender Forrest Karr was named Notre Dame’s team MVP for the ’98-’99 season, after starting every game and setting several Irish season and career records.
Louder spent the previous five years working in Bedford, Mass., for Scitex America Corp, which manufactures and sells digital prepress systems to the graphic arts market. He served as a regional account manager with Scitex from 1997-99, acting as the marketing contact for the eastern region sales force while providing marketing support for promotional programs, product specifications and new product systems.
He first joined Scitex in 1995 and served during his first year as a market analyst. He then became a sales specialist at Scitex in 1996-97, with his duties including consultations with the marketing, finance and legal department in the areas of effective sales and customer support. He also trained all new department employees and supervised temporary employees.
After graduating from Notre Dame in May of 1994 with a degree in business administration, Louder played one season of professional hockey in the Edmonton Oilers organization, which previously had selected Louder in the fifth round of the 1989 National Hockey League draft. His year in pro hockey included a stint with the Cape-Breton (Nova Scotia) Oilers of the American Hockey League and some time with the Wheeling (W.Va.) Thunderbirds of the East Coast Hockey League.
Louder was a mainstay in the nets throughout his four years with the Irish, amassing 5,523-plus career minutes of playing time to rank second in the Irish record book behind his predecessor, Lance Madson (he also now ranks behind 1998 graduate Matt Eisler on that list).
A four-year starter, Louder posted a 4.45 career goals-against average and an .859 save percentage in 103 games. He ranks seventh at Notre Dame for career saves (2,194) and is one of just six Irish goalies who have posted multiple career shutouts, with a 28-save win over Lake Forest on Dec. 8, 1990 (6-0) and another 28-save effort in a 4-0 win over visiting Ohio State on Jan, 9, 1993. Louder compiled a four-year record of 32-58-7 while playing on Irish teams that averaged just 3.3 goals per game during that four-year stretch.
Louder had a respectable debut season in 1990-91, setting still-standing Irish freshman records for victories (16-15-1), saves (935, currently fifth all-time in the Irish record book) and minutes (1,958, which ranks third all-time). He started every game and played 98.3 percent of Notre Dame’s minutes (all but 33) during that ’90-’91 season, which remains the highest percentage of minutes ever played by a Notre Dame goaltender.
In addition to being named Notre Dame’s team MVP for the 1990-91 season, Louder overcame the challenge of entering his freshman season as part of a four-man goaltending unit (two sophomores, tow freshmen) that had no Division I starts between them, following the graduation of four-year starter Madson.
Louder’s junior season saw Notre Dame return to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, after spending the previous eight seasons as an independent program. His career highlight came in his final season, when Louder made 34 saves to help upset Lake Superior State, 5-4 in overtime. The Lakers went on to capture the NCAA title, with a 31-10-4 overall record (second-year Irish hockey equipment manager Dave Gilbert was a student equipment manager with that talented LSSU squad).
Prior to attending Notre Dame, the native of Acton, Mass., played four seasons at Cushing Academy. He was a four-time league all-star and was named goalie of the year for the Massachusetts. He also was named tournament MVP at the prestigious Hockey Night in Boston all-star game.
Louder and his wife Laura-a 1993 graduate of nearby Saint Mary’s College-were married in June of 1996. The couple resides in Mishawaka, Ind.