Erik Strand enters his eighth season as head coach for the women’s ice hockey team in 2022-23 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Hired in May 2015, Strand became the second coach in program history.

In 2020-21, the Blugolds secured their second consecutive WIAC regular season title with a 9-3-1 record, and placed second in the O'Brien Cup tournament. Strand was given the title of the Co-WIAC Coach of the Year for 2020; an award he was the sole winnner of in 2016 and 2019. 

The Blugolds finished their 2019-20 season placing 1st in the WIAC with a 10-1-1 record, and a 22-4-2 record overall. Strand coached two Blugolds who earned 2020 All-American honors, Elizabeth Bauer and Erin Connolly. Connolly also earned WIAC Player of the Year honors, the second in the program's history. 

In 2018, Strand led the Blugolds to winning their first O'Brien Cup in program history. They reached the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive time in program history in 2020 after a 22-4-2 season. Due to COVID-19, the NCAA cancelled all winter championships taking place in the spring of 2020.

Strand, a 2002 men’s hockey alumnus, has been an assistant coach for the men’s team for the past eight seasons. The Bloomington, Minn. native played three years in juniors following high school and won the Anderson Cup and a national championship with the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) before starting his Blugold career where he played in 104 games.

Strand joined the Blugold coaching ranks in 2005 when current men’s head coach Matt Loen took the helm. Together, they have coached 10 First Team All-National Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) and 12 NCHA honorable mention recipients along with 34 NCHA All-Academic selections. In the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) they have coached 17 All-WIAC First Team and 19 All-WIAC Honorable Mention honorees in addition to four All-Americans and one CoSIDA Academic All-American. The Blugolds won NCHA and WIAC Championships in 2012 and 2013.

Following the 2013 season and the program’s first NCAA Division III National Championship, the coaching staff received national awards including USCHO and D3Hockey.com National Coach of the Year honors. Strand also earned the UW-Eau Claire Joe Merten Coaching Award, an award honoring Blugold basketball Hall of Famer Joe Merten who died in 2008. According to the family’s criteria for the award, the recipient “shall demonstrate a deep commitment to the student-athletes and embody a passion for lifelong learning and the ‘love of the game.’”

Strand managed the Blugold defense that holds several NCAA records, including season goalie save percentage (.972), goals-against average (.71) and goalie winning percentage (.944) (Jay Deo, set in 2014). 

In addition to his coaching duties, Strand is also a Commercial Relationship Manager at Security Financial Bank. Strand resides in Eau Claire with his wife, Andrea (’02), son, Gavin and daughter, Nora. 

Updated: 7/23/21