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Sports

Milford's Making a Mark on Notre Dame Girls Hockey

Coach Kerri Rowland and five players are Milford residents.

Whether it is through sports or politics, lifelong Milford resident Kerri Rowland continues to make a difference in the local community and have a positive impact on peoples' lives.

She is in the midst of her sixth year as the head coach for the Notre Dame (ND) of Fairfield girls hockey team and is partially responsible for recruiting girls from Foran and Jonathan Law to participate in the distinguished ND hockey program. Rowland, 41, is a former Democratic member of the Board of Alderman and its candidate for mayor in 2007.

Prior to joining ND, Rowland (who was a goalie) played scholastic hockey at the Taft School in Waterbury and Boston College. After graduation, she was an assistant girls hockey coach at Sacred Heart University and Guilford High School.

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In 2005, during an SHU practice at the Milford Ice Pavilion, Rowland was approached by Lancer boys hockey Coach Marty Roos and asked to give her opinion on the budget requirements for a Notre Dame girls hockey team. During the conversation, Rowland asked Roos whom he had in mind for a coach. Smiling, Roos asked Rowland if she would be interested in taking on the position. Without hesitating, Rowland said she replied: “Absolutely!”

A few weeks later, Rowland met with the members of the ND Athletic Club and was asked several questions regarding her hockey background.

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“The people at Notre Dame were very pleasant and welcoming. The principal, Father Bill Sangiovanni, had already had a Notre Dame hockey jacket ready for me, and the moment I saw that jacket I knew that they had already made their decision about me,” Rowland said.

In late 2005, the Lancers’ girls hockey team started its first season with 11 girls, which is the minimum number of players required for league competition. The girls finished the season with a record of .500 and had won an FCIAC Christmas tournament.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself not to win games, but to give the girls the best possible experience I could give them. Watching the girls, some of whom had never skated before, scoring goals and making plays, assured me that our program was going to be a successful one,” Rowland said.

The following year, in spite of the challenge of holding onto their numbers, the ND girls maintained their .500 season record. And, in 2008, they made it to the semifinals of the CCGHL tournament at Yale, and senior Emilie Capaldo, who had scored more than 100 points in her ND career, was voted All-State.

Prior to 2010, Rowland had talked about extending the ND hockey program to include girls from Jonathan Law and Foran.

“I felt that it would not only ease our worries of having the required number of players, but also give the high school girls in my hometown of Milford an opportunity to participate in the sport,” she said.

Since the Lancers play their games in Milford, the plan was perfect and went off without a hitch.

ND currently has five girls from Milford participating in its hockey program: Captain Carly Ericson, a senior from Law and effective defensive anchor; left-wing Tarah Kelly, a sophomore from Law and an assist leader/offensive powerhouse; goalie Brooke Bonetti, a freshman from Law and a future leader who can play every position; offensive player Bailie Brown, a sophomore from Foran who just started a few years ago and already has a goal and several assists – definitely going to be a future powerhouse; and defensive player Sabryna Busky, a sophomore from Foran who has really sparked the power play unit.

“The girls love the sport, and there's a lot of pride in the program. Every year is a challenge for us to live up to the expectations of the fans and the success of the boys program. I have yet to experience a disappointing season with these girls. Our ultimate goals are to win the CCGHL and the state championship, but it's the small successes that I love the most: a block, an assist, a victory, a goal from a girl who hasn't gotten one yet, etcetera,” Rowland said in a proud and confident tone.

This year, Rowland and assistant coach Michele Gintoli have the team off to 3-3-2 start.

Fans can catch the ND girls hockey team in action at 4:15 p.m. on Jan. 19, when it plays Darien at home, at the . Then, on Jan. 25, ND will play arch rival West Haven High at the Bennett Rink in West Haven, starting at 6:30 p.m.

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