As the Girls Varsity Hockey season comes to a close, one final individual achievement has been rewarded to Head Coach Erin Stoney, who was named the Girls High School Hockey Coach of the Year by the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI). This honor reflects both an extremely successful season, alongside a developing culture of effort, unity, and pure enjoyment for the game which Stoney strives to build.
Despite her immense enthusiasm for coaching, Erin Stoney, who has played hockey for most of her life as a native from Minnesota, is no newcomer to the game at all. On top of previously coaching the Girls Youth Warhawks U14 team and off ice training the entire girls program, she played collegiate hockey for the University of Madison Wisconsin’s ACHA Girls Hockey Team, leading her team to victory in both the 2001-2002 season, as well as the 2003-2004 season. Above this team accolade, she also was named Most Valuable Player in the ACHA league in 2003.
When interviewed with the Spectator about this year’s success, Stoney stated, “It comes down to effort above all else,” she explained. That has been her driving message. Effort not only on the ice and in the game, but effort into building relationships with teammates, effort into showing up on time, and effort into purely enjoying the game. Although losing ten seniors the previous season, Coach Stoney admitted that she wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of talent on the ice, but quickly recognized the manifestation of work outshining talent.
Finishing 2-2-2, the Girls Varsity Hockey Team sealed their season with an even record. While the optics of those numbers might not scream success, the newfound love for hockey many students have found, is what Stoney finds most valuable above all. “She just really cares,” Serena Gilani ‘26 said, “she’d much rather have us come off the ice and say ‘I had so much fun,’ rather than ‘I played terribly,’ and I think it’s that kind of attitude that sort of pushes us to be better.”
Looking ahead, Coach Stoney aims to expand recruitment and continue growing the girl’s programs competitive strength. As the award she is earning is much deserved, the culture she is continuing to build at LFA will be her lasting legacy on the school and on each girl she has inspired to take an interest in the game of hockey.
