Wesleyan University

Tara Connolly, a native of Simsbury, Conn. and 2013 graduate of Bowdoin College, joins the Cardinal coaching staff as an intern and women's ice hockey assistant for a second season in 2016-17. She served as an athletics communications assistant at UConn for the 2013-14 year, where she acted as the primary sports information contact for several Husky teams and assisted with the national champion women’s basketball and field hockey programs. 

At Bowdoin, Connolly was a goalie in both ice hockey and lacrosse, helping ice hockey capture the 2013 NESCAC Championship and earn its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005. She posted an overall record of 21-11-3 during her four years with a 2.21 career goals-against average and a career save percentage of .914, which ranks fourth all-time in Bowdoin’s record books. 

On the turf, she paced the lacrosse team to national rankings in each of her four years and two NCAA tournament appearances. In 2011, she led the Polar Bears to the team’s first-ever NCAA Final Four berth, eventually finishing as the National runner-up. She garnered First-Team All-NESCAC and Second-Team All-America honors in 2013, graduating with the program record in goaltender wins (48) and minutes played (3785).

She earned her bachelor’s degree in history and teaching. In addition to her coaching duties at Wesleyan, she will be pursuing a Master’s degree in Liberal Studies.