It was the first collegiate women's ice hockey program in the United States, started in 1964.

[2] Brown University Women's Ice Hockey is widely regarded as being one of the premier collegiate programs globally.

In 1964, the Brown Bears men's coach Jim Fullerton arranged for Nancy Schieffelin to attend a team practice.

In February 1966, the Pandas (Brown Bears) women’s ice hockey team played their first game.

Coach Digit Murphy, who has been building the program since 1988, used virtually every player on her bench and eventually wore out opponents.

She even went so far as to take the advice of a volunteer assistant coach by allowing her centers to take turns choosing the wings on their lines.

Another record that she holds is five consecutive shutouts, set her junior season, in which she blanked Cornell (3–0), St. Lawrence (5–0), Niagara twice (6–0 both games), and Colby (9–0).