| Women's
Ice Hockey Coaches
Kristin Steele enters her seventh season as the head women's ice hockey coach at Connecticut College. Under Steele’s direction, Connecticut College Women’s Ice Hockey has developed from a its early stages into a contender in the talent-rich New England Small College Athletic Conference. Steele recruited the largest recruiting class to New London for the 2002-2003 season. Just one season later, Steele and the Camels reached the post-season championship tournament for the first time in the history of the program. Prior to joining the Camel program, Steele spent three years as the assistant women's ice hockey coach and recruiting coordinator at Niagara University and helped build the Purple Eagles into a top 10 Division I program. She began her collegiate coaching career in 1997 as an assistant for the women's ice hockey program at Colgate University.
Before her arrival at Colgate, she spent three years at her prep school alma mater, Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts. In 1996, Steele was the head coach of the varsity ice hockey team at Northfield Mount Hermon. She also served as an assistant coach for the soccer and softball teams while teaching environmental studies and biology.
Along with her collegiate coaching duties, Steele has coached at the USA Hockey Girls 19 and under festival in Lake Placid, New York for two years. From 2001-2005, Steele has worked at the Empire State Games in New York, coaching the gold and silver medal-winning Western teams. Steele has also worked as an evaluator for numerous U.S. hockey districts. She served as the lead coach of the Atlantic District Select 34 camp and the New York state development camp at Morrisville. In September of 2004, Steele was appointed to the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Committee.
A native of Gill, Massachusetts, Steele is a 1994 graduate of the University of Maine. At Maine, Steele was a four-year member of the women's ice hockey program, a three-year captain, and a First Team AWCHA selection on defense. She also competed on the Black Bear softball team and was a second Team All-North Atlantic Conference selection in 1993. Steele earned NAC All-Academic Team honors in '93.
Ellissa Popoff, a 2006 graduate of Williams College, enters her second season as assistant coach of the Camel women's ice hockey program. Popoff was a four-year starter for the Ephs, tallying 14 goals, 26 assists and 40 points from her defensive position. In her rookie season at Williamstown, Popoff dished out eight assists and had 11 points, earning a spot on the All-NESCAC team. In her sophomore year, Popoff garnered All-NESCAC honors as a first team selection, contributing nine assists and 13 points while anchoring the defensive corps. Popoff earned degrees in history and psychology from Williams. Prior to her enrollment in college, Popoff played a year of hockey in Northern Sweden for Modo Hockey.
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