Leclerc Named Top Assistant, Decosse Promoted to Assistant Coach
Colgate head coach Greg Fargo announced Monday the promotions of Sophie Leclerc to lead assistant coach and Stefan Decosse to assistant coach for the Raider women’s hockey team.
“I’m thrilled about these two promotions and the fact that we are returning two great people on our staff moving forward,” Fargo said. “Both Sophie and Stefan came on board a year ago, and the impact was immediately felt by all of us.
“We are keeping two very hard working, passionate and caring people on our team with this news, and everyone is looking forward to having them back in a larger role.”
Leclerc enters her second season at Colgate after helping the Raiders to a record-setting campaign in 2015-16.
Colgate finished with a No. 8 national ranking after climbing into the top 10 for the first time in program history. The Raiders posted a 22-9-7 overall record for a .671 winning percentage. Both the victory total and percentage were program records, and the Raiders also made history by finishing fourth in the ECAC Hockey standings and hosting a league tournament quarterfinal series for the first time.
Colgate captured that series in dramatic fashion, defeating Harvard 2-games-to-1 thanks to an overtime goal in the decisive third game. That overtime tally came in the final collegiate contest played inside historic Starr Rink and further etched the storybook finish into Colgate lore.
Leclerc came to Colgate after two seasons as the primary assistant coach at Norwich. While there, she helped the Cadets to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, including a Division III national runner-up finish in 2014.
Volunteer Coach Last Season
Decosse volunteered for the Colgate coaching staff during the 2015-16 season, assisting with all aspects of the program. He helped prepare the daily practice plan, design game strategies, evaluate postgame film, and manage the program’s analytical and video efforts.
Decosse currently serves as the co-director for the Colgate Women’s Hockey Elite and Exposure Camps.
“Stefan brings an unmatched passion for coaching and player development, both of which are felt and appreciated by everyone in our program,” Fargo said. “He is a forward-thinking coach, extremely spirited about Colgate University and our hockey program.
“Without a doubt, he is the perfect person to help us grow in the next chapter of our history.”
The North Vancouver, British Columbia, native played collegiately at SUNY Geneseo. Decosse was the team’s assistant captain during his final two seasons and was the Knights top scorer during the 2009-10 season. He was also a four-year member of the SUNYAC All-Academic Team.
Decosse graduated from SUNY Geneseo with degrees in International Relations and Geography in 2012. He received his master’s in geography from Toronto’s York University in 2015.