MADISON, Wis.—After being named the All-Conference player of the year a week ago, women's hockey captain and goalie, Erin Connolly (Sr. – Mequon, WI/Homestead) has been named the 2020 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Judy Kruckman Women's Ice Hockey Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
Connolly is majoring in kinesiology/human performance, while also pursuing a minor in psychology. She has been a multi-semester member of UWEC Dean's List, is a three-time American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-Academic selection, a Mark of Excellence Award and Community Engagement Award recipient, and has maintained a 3.86 GPA. She has spent countless hours helping out around the Chippewa Area with high school hockey and the USA Hockey Central District.
Erin also earned first team honors this year and holds the national lead for shutouts with nine and sits atop the conference in save percentage (95%), goals against average (0.911), and wins (20). She is a four-time first team All-WIAC recipient and had reached her 100th-game played during the semifinal series against UW-Stevens Point on February 28th. Connolly is the first Blugold women's hockey player to receive four first team awards.
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Judy Kruckman who served as Assistant Commissioner for the WIAC from 1996-98. Prior to this appointment, she was Commissioner of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC) from October, 1984 - September, 1996. Kruckman was the women's athletics director at UW-Eau Claire from 1974-84, and one of the original representatives to the WWIAC when it formed in 1971. She was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.
