EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Erin Connolly has been promoted to Assistant Women's Hockey Coach, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire head coach Erik Strand announced Friday. Connolly previously served as the team's goalie coach for three seasons.

Connolly was a standout goaltender while playing for UW-Eau Claire from 2016-20. She was named a CCM/AHCA All-American, WIAC Player of the Year and WIAC Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete as a senior in 2020. She was a four-time member of the All-WIAC team and helped the Blugolds win O'Brien Cup championships in 2018 and 2019. She helped the Blugolds reach the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

She joined the coaching staff upon graduation. She is one of several Blugold alumni to get into the coaching world following their playing days. That list includes Connolly, Elizabeth Bauer (head coach at Augsburg), Paige (Moilanen) Turner (assistant coach at Northland College), Emma Peterson (assistant coach at UW-Superior) and Danielle Slominski (assistant coach at Vermont).

Chris Lombardo, who served as an assistant coach for the last seven seasons and helped the Blugolds build one of the top defensive units in Division III, has stepped into a volunteer assistant role.

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