skip navigation

Pride Coaching Staff

Coaches Named for 2024-2025 Season

U14 Major - 
U16 - Chad Ziegler
U19 - Kush Sidhu
Goalies - Sid Molnar
Sport Performance - Michelle Baccari

Kush Sidhu - Director U19 Head Coach

Kush Sidhu has been coaching female ice hockey players since 1988, having served the game in many capacities. Kush started out as an Assistant Coach at Northeastern University in 1988 and in his 4 years there, helped the Huskies reach the Final Four each season - including a National title in 1989. Several players from those teams went on to represent the US and Canadian Olympic Teams. Kush also served as a Coach with the USA Hockey Women's Development Program since 1989. This included terms with the US National Team as the goalie coach for the 1990 Women's World Championships in Ottawa, and as a training camp Coach for the 1992 and 1994 National Teams in Lake Placid, NY. He subsequently served as: Massachusetts District Girls Head Coach, Southeast District Girl’s Representative, Southeast District Girls Head Coach, and National, Regional, and District player evaluator. Kush participated in USA Hockey's Coaches Program of Merit (1991, 1992), Master Level CEP training (1992) and the High Performance Program (2015) which were all held at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO.  He is currently an instructor in USA Hockey's Coaching Education Program and an Associate Coach-in-Chief for the Southeast District.  Kush served as a Head Coach at USA Hockey's Select 15 Player Development Camps in 2013, 2016, and 2018, and as a Head Coach at the Girls Under-18 Select Camps in 2014 and 2015. He also served as Assistant On-Ice Director for the Select 15 Camp in 2017.  He now serves as a Mentor Coach for USA Hockey's Coaching Intern Program.  

After leaving the college ranks and relocating to the Washington, DC area, Kush formed the regions first ‘travel’ girls hockey program in the mid-90's, now known as The Washington Pride.  This team gave DC area players their first opportunity to compete with more experienced girls in the Northeast and Midwestern US as well as Canada and even Europe.  The Pride has helped many girls move on to college hockey programs from the Washington DC area. Forming the team also kick-started the growth of girls hockey throughout the Southeast. Kush's teams have represented the Southeast District at every USA Hockey National Championship since the program started.  in 1996, a 'Senior A' version of this team won the very first National Championship for the Southeast District at any level (boys, girls, men, women).   

In 1993, Kush created the RinkSport College Development Hockey Program, which brings together prospects and coaches from over 25 NCAA hockey programs to train.  The camps have operated all over North America, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Vancouver, and also in Chamonix, France.  The RinkSport camp has proven to be very popular with college scouts and college prospects alike, as they have filled to capacity each year.  The program is currently held at Babson College in Wellesley, MA.

In 2007, Kush co-founded the Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) which is the first known 'Junior' style hockey league for females.  The JWHL competes at the U19 and U16 levels and has teams across Canada and in the Northeastern US.  His Washington Pride team won the JWHL Championship in 2016.  The JWHL's flagship event, the 'JWHL Challenge Cup', is hosted by The Pride and supported by the NHL's Washington Capitals - and is regarded as one of North America's top girls hockey tournaments.  

Kush's focus on quality and commitment to excellence has paid off for his players. Nearly every Pride graduate has been offered a position on an NCAA Varsity program. Several alumnae have been selected as captains of their college teams, and many have been invited to participate in the US National Team development program. Several players have made various US and foreign National teams.  Jessie Lutz ('11 UConn) won a Bronze Medal for the Swiss Olympic Team at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and Haley Skarupa ('16 Boston College) won a Gold Medal in the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.  Many players have received Conference, Student-Athlete, and Player of the Week awards at the collegiate level - and a few have also won NCAA National Championships!  Most impressive is the number of alumnae who have earned their degrees and moved on in their professional careers. Pride alums can be found in graduate/professional schools or working full time in government, finance, education, and even coaching! 

In 2011, the American Hockey Coaches Association recognized Coach Kush with the Joe Burke Award for his contributions and dedication to Women's Ice Hockey.  In 2013, USA Hockey honored Kush and The Pride with the first USA Hockey Female Honors Award for leadership in the growth and development of ice hockey for females in the US.

Click here to email Coach Kush.

Grace Fisher - U16 Head Coach

Grace Fisher returns to The Pride as our U16 Head Coach.  Grace was born in Vienna, VA and played for The Pride throughout High School - including being a member of the 2016 JWHL Championship Team in her senior year. 

Grace went on to play NCAA hockey at UMass-Boston in the DIII New England Hockey Conference where she was a starting defenseman.  She was also named to the NEHC All-Academic team in each of her 4 years as a Beacon. 

Upon returning to the DMV, Grace worked with the St. James U14AA program, winning the NGHL Blue Championship.  Outside of hockey, Grace works as a contracts specialist for a defense company and successfully obtained her Graduate Certificate in Contract and Procurement Management from UVA last fall. 

Chad Ziegler - U14 Major Head Coach

Chad will be entering his 2nd season with The Pride, this year taking on Head Coaching duties for our U14 Major team.  Chad is a USA Hockey Level 4 coach, and also serves as the Hagerstown Ice Rink Hockey Director.  He has been involved in many levels of hockey, including co-founding the Elite Development Hockey program, and working with the Tri-City Eagles, Mason-Dixon Elite, and 1494 Hockey.  

Chad is employed with the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, and in 2021 was honored with the DJS Hero Award.  

Michelle Baccari - Sport Performance Coach

Michelle returns to The Pride in 2022 as our Sports Performance Coach. Michelle graduated from Florida Atlantic University where she received her degree in Exercise Science. She went on to work as a Sports Performance Coach at FTX Wellness where she developed athletes and teams from a variety of sports from youth to collegiate. While at FTX Michelle had the privilege to work with Lynn University’s hockey team as well as run off ice training at a camp for NHL prospects.

Currently Michelle is CSCS certified Sports Performance Coach at Georgetown University and Maret High School.

Sidney Molnar - Goalie Coach

Sidney enters her 2nd season with The Pride as the clubs Goalie Coach.  Sid graduated from Hamilton College in 2022 where she played for Pride Alumna Emily McNamara.  There, she was a 4-year starter, playing in 42 games, and was voted Team MVP in her senior season.  

Sid also works with Wolfe Goaltending while also working on her Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering at Univ. Maryland.  

Fun Fact: Sid played in a State Championship game that ended in a tie.