Women’s ice hockey junior forward Kahlen Lamarche has quickly become one of the most talked about names in college ice hockey.
Her seven goal performance in the Bobcats weekend sweep of the Northeastern Huskies, on Oct. 17 and 18 made her the first player since 2018, on both Quinnipiac’s men’s and women’s teams, to score seven goals in a weekend, and rightfully got people talking about her.
“It’s always an honor to set a record like that,” Lamarche said.
It’s the kind of performance that can define a career, but for Lamarche, it’s just the latest chapter in a journey that started long before she dawned Bobcat gold. From her early days on the ice as a kid, to her breakout year in Hamden, Lamarche has built her success on quiet confidence and steady improvement.
Under all of the accomplishments and accolades lies one question: Who is Kahlen Lamarche?
Off the ice, she’s the kind of person you love to be around.
“I’m just a bubbly person,” she said. “I like having fun.”
However, on the ice it’s a different story.
“I like bringing my presence to the ice. I want my opponents to know that I’m here,” she said. “I wanna be that person that they’re scared to play.”
Lamarche’s story on the ice began when she was five years old. After trying her hand at figure skating, she decided to follow in the footsteps of her two brothers, Dexter and Taylor, making the switch to ice hockey. Lamarche also credits her brothers on making her the player she is today.
A graduate from the Everest Academy class of 2023, Lamarche soared throughout her time in high school. She was named Athlete of the Year all four years of high school, as well as awarded the Athletic-Academic-Attitude Award in her senior year.
While in high school, she was a member of the Ontario Women’s Hockey League’s (OWHL) Mississauga Hurricanes. During her time with the team, she broke the single season goal and point records previously held by current Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) star Daryl Watts.
Lamarche credits Watts as a figure she looks up to in the professional hockey scene.
“I just love the way she plays,” Lamarche said. “She has such a high IQ and it’s something that I value in her … hopefully I can be like her one day.”
With such a high prestige to her name, Lamarche became a high value prospect in recruiting. However, it was the consistency from head coach Cass Turner and assistant coach Brent Hill that made Quinnipiac feel like the place to be.
“I knew that this is somewhere where I would come and I would develop,” Lamarche said. “I’ve never seen myself on a penalty kill and here I am on a penalty kill. I just knew that this was going to be a place where I can grow into a person and player that I want to be and I think that’s exactly what’s happening right now.”
That growth is a reflection of the trust she’s built with Turner. The two share a close bond rooted in mutual respect and understanding, something Lamarche says has made all the difference.
“She’s someone that you can go to and she’s actually willing to listen. That’s very hard to find in these kinds of coaches,” she said, “She’s just such an amazing person and coach, she knows what she’s doing, and you gotta just trust her because at the end of the day, she knows what’s best for the team.”
Turner has also spoken very highly of Lamarache during this hot streak.
“She’s always had a special shot and I think she’s very confident with how she’s shooting the puck,” Turner said. “She’s worked so hard to get to where she is.”
In her first year wearing Bobcat gold, Lamarche lived up to the high expectations set. She recorded 11 goals and 34 points over 37 games played, finishing second on the team in assists with 23. This performance would get her named to the ECAC All-Rookie team, earn her the Rookie of the Month title in November and Rookie of the Week twice, in January and February.
And her sophomore campaign was no different.
She would finish the season leading the team in points (33) and assists with 19. The Sudbury, Ontario native finished second on the team in goals (14), also appearing in all 38 games during that season. She also recorded her first hat-trick of her career and earned ECAC Hockey All-Academic honors.
Now, 12 games into her junior season, she’s second in the nation in points with 19 and in goals, with 17, while placing second on the team in assists, with seven. Lamarche credited her breakout year to offseason grinding, hours spent shooting pucks when the rink was empty, refining the small details that separate good players from great ones.
That commitment, she said, also comes with embracing a new role on the team. As one of the older players on the squad, Lamarche has learned what it means to lead — to set an example that younger teammates can follow and buy into.
“When you have great leaders like we have this year on this team, we’re going to be unstoppable,” she said.
That status comes with knowledge of her time at Quinnipiac coming to a close. By the time she hangs up the jersey, she wants to leave it in a better place that she found it.
“No bad blood between anyone,” she added.
Lamarche also expressed her professional desires once her time in Hamden is done.
“The goal is to enter the PWHL and get drafted,” she said.
If she was to be drafted, she would join a prestigious list of 14 Bobcats who’ve gone pro. Most recently, goaltender Kaley Doyle ’25, forward and defensemen Maddy Samoskevich ‘25, forward Maya Labad ‘25 and defensemen Kendall Cooper ’25 were the latest Bobcats to achieve their professional aspirations.
When her hockey career comes to a close, Lamarche intends to use her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice to pursue a career in law enforcement.
“I want to be a detective or in the canine unit,” she said.
But for now, Kahlen remains focused on the ice, leading, growing and leaving her mark on the program that helped shape who she is. She’s already etched her name in history, but for her, it’s never been about the numbers. It’s about being the kind of player her younger self dreamed she would become.
From the five-year-old who traded figure skates for hockey skates, to the junior forward who is now leading one of the nation’s top programs, Lamarche’s story is one of drive, grit and determination.
“I want to be remembered as a good person,” she said. “A good teammate, someone who was always there for everyone.”
When Kahlen Lamarche leaves Hamden in 2027, she will leave behind more than goals or records. She’ll leave behind a legacy of leadership, humility and love for the game who made her who she is.
