A new look at the game

By Haley Jung

Cardinal Staff

Senior Erin Stenseth has traded her days as a player on the Saint Mary’s women’s hockey team for a role on the team’s coaching staff after suffering a torn labrum.

This season the women’s hockey team has a new assistant coach with a familiar face to the players. It was only last year that Stenseth was a member of SMU’s women’s hockey team as well as the fastpitch softball team.

However, Stenseth is unable to play both sports this year due to a shoulder injury that occurred during last year’s softball season. She said the doctors found she had a torn labrum, which required surgery to fix.

“The whole view of the game has changed for me,” said Stenseth.

Knowing that she was unable to compete after her surgery, Stenseth said women’s hockey Coach Terry Mannor offered her a chance to be on the team as a coach. Still wanting to be part of the team and be around her friends, she accepted the role.

“It is still fun to be around the team,” said Stenseth. “At practice, I am comfortable telling the players what they can work on because I know they will give me feedback so I can improve as a coach as well.”

Stenseth said the hardest part about being a coach is seeing the frustration the team is feeling.  “Seeing them struggle is hard to see,” she said. She said she knows she can’t be out on the ice playing with them and helping them in game settings.