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BUCKSHOT THE MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2020
GOALIE
17
GUILD
ECA tenders work closely with UW-EC starter Erin Connolly By Jack Goods Eau Claire Area girls hockey goalies don’t have to look too far to find a role model. The pair of Stars tenders, Alesha Smith and Naomi Stow, get to work hands on at practice with UW-Eau Claire women’s hockey starting goalie Erin Connolly. That is, when Connolly can fit the ECA practices into her crazy schedule. Connolly, a senior with the Blugolds, is in her third year as an assistant with the Stars. She’s balancing school, work, coaching and her playing career, which brings her all over the Midwest playing for nationally-ranked UWEC. It’s a grueling slate at points, but a fulfilling one. “Even if it is stressful at times, it definitely is worth it,” Connolly said during a February Stars practice just prior to heading straight to work. “I have a lot of opportunities to do a lot of things that I’m really interested in. So, it’s important for
me to pursue an opportunity like this.” When she is at the rink, she’s able to give the Star goalies positional-specific instructions, something the other coaches can’t provide. Playing goalie is just about getting in the way of the puck, but of course, it’s not that simple in practice. “It’s definitely good that she knows what it takes to be at a college level,” said Smith, who played in 22 regular season games for the Stars. “She takes everything she’s learned from her experience playing on the Blugolds and she really cares to make us better. She applies all that and takes it to our practices.” On the ice, Connolly was a star at the high school level. With the Lakeshore Lightning she was named Wisconsin’s Ms. Hockey, given to the top girls player in the state, and the winner of the Jessie Vetter Award, given to the top girls hockey goalie in the state, in 2016. With the Blugolds, she’s been a backbone of a team consistently in the Division III rankings.
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STAFF PHOTO BY DAN REILAND
UW-Eau Claire hockey goalie Erin Connolly, center, works with ECA Stars goalies Alesha Smith, left, and Naomi Stow on Feb. 18. View more photos at LeaderTelegramPhotos.com.
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