Women's Ice Hockey

MIAC women’s hockey alumnae, officials selected for 2026 Olympic Games

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – A pair of former Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) women's hockey players and current conference officials have been nominated to serve on the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced.

Gustavus Adolphus College alumna Melissa Doyle (2010-14) is among 12 women's hockey referees worldwide selected by the IIHF, while Augsburg University alumna Sarah Buckner (2012-16) is one of ten linespersons from six different nations to make the cut. St. Scholastica alumna Alex (Blair) Clarke (2011-15), who played for the Saints when they were members of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), will also serve as a linesperson at the 2026 Olympic Games.
 
A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Buckner played both hockey and softball for the Auggies from 2012-16. Lining up as a defender in the winter and a catcher in the spring, Buckner competed in 235 collegiate games across both sports.
 
Doyle, who hails from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, earned All-MIAC honors and became a member of the 50-point club during her four seasons as a forward on the Gusties' women's hockey team from 2010-14. Doyle tallied 63 points on 34 goals and 29 assists in 111 career games. 
 
Both Buckner and Doyle turned to officiating after graduating from their MIAC institutions as a way to stay on the ice and remain connected to the sport. Doyle first began officiating MIAC games during the 2017-18 season, while Buckner joined the officiating staff the following year. In addition to working MIAC women's hockey games, both women are also on the officiating staffs of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), and have officiated at multiple IIHF Women's World Championships.
 
Representing her home country of Canada, Clarke will be making her second appearance at the Winter Olympics. The former All-American defender at St. Scholastica and the first woman in history to officiate a game in Canada's Western Hockey League previously served as a linesperson at the 2022 Games in Beijing, China.
 
The 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place from February 5-19, 2026, in Milan, Italy. Pool play for women's hockey will take place from February 5-10, with quarterfinals on February 13-14, semifinals on February 16, and the gold and bronze medal games on February 19.

| IIHF Release |