UW-Eau Claire goalie Erin

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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.

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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What she says to Smith and Stow comes with a lot of weight, especially since she’s been in their shoes so recently. She knows what it’s like to be at a high school practice, what pressures they face.

“We’ve become really close,” Stow said. “Whatever we need, she’s there for us. She supports us through everything.”

Connolly doesn’t just understand what it’s like to be a goalie, but a female goalie. Stow, Smith and Connolly all agreed that brings them even closer together.

“She definitely understands the struggles of being a girls hockey player,” Stow said. “We can really talk about anything.”

It’s a relationship Connolly said she wishes she had growing up as a player. “It’s definitely something that we’re moving toward as a hockey community, having more female coaches in general,” Connolly said. “It’s something that they can look up to and they can take advice from. ... I’m just really fortunate that I’m in the position where I can be that person.”

Stars coach Tom Bernhardt said the Stars have always had a goalie-specific coach on staff since he took over the program. It is likely the most important position on the ice, after all. A great team can easily be squandered by a mediocre player in the crease.

“I think it’s important for the goaltenders to have that individual time,” Bernhardt said. “We always do a lot of positional splits with the forwards and the defensemen, and those are days where Erin can take her 20 minutes to a half an hour and do nothing but work with the goaltenders.”

How often Connolly can make it to practice depends on the time of year. At the start of the Stars’ season, the only major hurdle is her class schedule. Once the college hockey season heats up, she’s often packed toward the later half of the week when the Blugolds play a majority of their games.

Bernhardt said the team has even started adjusting practice times to fit in with Connolly’s schedule.

The results speak for themselves. Entering the postseason, Smith ranked fourth in the state with a 1.56 goals against average and seventh in the state with a .928 save percentage. Stow isn’t too far back when it comes to goals against, slotting in at No. 7 in Wisconsin with a 1.76 average.

“I don’t think I’d be here, where I’m at today, without her,” Stow said.

The duo have backstopped ECA to a top seed in its sectional as the team looks to return to Madison for the state tournament.

“They’re great students,” Connolly said. “It’s super rewarding to see them succeed with the team, to see them take something that I taught them or I’ve been working on with them and see them improve in that is awesome.” The young Stars goalies aren’t the only ones benefitting from the relationship, either.

“It’s helped me as a player,” Connolly said. “When I’m teaching kids the fundamentals and helping them improve their fundamentals it reminds me of what I should be doing in my practices.” Connolly said the long-term plan is to continue coaching following her playing career in some form or capacity. She’ll walk out the Zorn Arena doors following graduation already with plenty of experience, giving her a leg-up on some others.

“It’s awesome,” Connolly said. “I’m definitely in a very good situation. I’ve been blessed to have the opportunities that I have.”

STAFF PHOTO BY STEVE KINDERMAN ECA Stars goaltender Naomi Stow shut out Hayward 3-0 in her team’s sectional semifinal win Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019 at Hobbs Ice Arena.

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