Dave LaBaff enters his fourth season at the helm of the Wilkes Women’s Ice Hockey program in 2025-26 after being hired in June 2022.
In season one the Colonels tied the program high with four UCHC wins and LaBaff earned the Middle Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year award. He coached the program's first major award winner (MAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year), First Team All-MAC, and All-UCHC selection in defenseman Abigail Barcless. Barcless was named Honorable Mention All-UCHC and Bella Kaczorowski joined Barcless on the All-MAC team as a Second Team forward.
2023-24 saw a record-shattering season for the program, finishing with an 18-7-2 record and making their first postseason appearance. As the No. 5 seed, the team reached the UCHC Semifinals. Labaff mentored three All-UCHC selections with one on the First Team, one Honorable Mention, and all three on the All-Rookie Team while also claiming the Rookie of the Year award. The recipient of that award, Haylee Bouchard, was also named as a CCM/AHCA Second Team East All-American.
2024-25 saw the team set records yet again, finishing the year with a 22-5-1 record, winning the inaugural MAC Women's Ice Hockey Championship, culminating in the program's first ever NCAA Tournament berth. The team also saw their first national ranking in the USCHO.com Division III Poll on March 3, 2025. Five Colonels placed on the All-MAC Team, with Renee Ng being named MAC Rookie of the Year.
LaBaff joined Wilkes after spending the previous eight seasons as the head women’s ice hockey coach at SUNY Canton. LaBaff took over the Roos program prior to the 2014-15 season after serving as an assistant coach on the staff the previous two years.
During his time as head coach at SUNY Canton, LaBaff led the program to four postseason appearances including two semifinals. During the 2016-17 season he led the Roos to a program record 14 wins including the team’s first Colonial Hockey Conference (CHC) playoff victory. The following season the team also made the CHC semifinals during a 10-win season. LaBaff transitioned the program into the Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) during the 2019-20 season.
LaBaff, a Potsdam, N.Y. native, coached 15 all-conference student-athletes while at SUNY Canton, one Conference Player of the Year, and 48 All-Academic Team members. Through seven seasons as head coach, his team’s held a cumulative GPA of 3.6.
Also at SUNY Canton LaBaff served within the Department of Academics including Academic Recovery Mentor in 2018-19 and First Year Experience Program Professor from 2013-15. While serving as the assistant women’s ice hockey coach at SUNY Canton he also was the Director of Intramurals and Assistant Director of the Fitness Center/Pool. He also was a member of the SUNY Canton Diversity Committee and the SUNY Canton Athletics Fundraising Committee since 2020.
Prior to his move to SUNY Canton, LaBaff served as an assistant coach for the SUNY Morrisville men’s ice hockey team in 2011-12. LaBaff earned a Bachelor of Science from SUNY Morrisville in Human Performance and Health Promotion in May 2012 and was a three-year goaltender for the Mustangs where he appeared in 10 games and logged over 350 minutes between the pipes, making 168 saves.
LaBaff was appointed to the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship Committee on September 1, 2020 and will serve that role until August 31, 2024.
He has also served as the head coach of the CanAm Hockey Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. since 2019, the New York State Player Development Camp in Canton, N.Y. from 2014-16, the RUSH Spring Showcase in Brampton, Ontario from 2014-18, and the Blue Line Hockey Camps in Morrisville, N.Y. from 2012-14. He also served as a Goalie Coach at the Blue Line Goalie Camps from 2009-14. LaBaff holds certifications as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, and in CPR, AED, and First Aid.
LaBaff resides in Wilkes-Barre with his wife Ally, his daughter Lauren, and their dog Marty.
