Counting on College Hockey: A Goaltender’s Journey
May 26, 2022 | Women's Hockey
BY TIA MARTIN
UW Brand Communications
College hockey has meant the world to Kennedy Blair. Her story? Unique.
A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, she spent her entire childhood dreaming of growing up to play college hockey. She fought to make that dream come true.
She signed her National Letter of Intent to play at the University of North Dakota. She redshirted her freshman year but never got the chance to take the ice in competition. The university cut the women’s hockey program the spring of her freshman year, leaving her wondering what would come next.
Blair immediately began reaching out to schools but no one she contacted was in need of a goaltender. When she thought her chances were over, Mercyhurst found her. They already had three of four goaltender positions on the roster filled, but Blair took the chance and moved to Erie, Pennsylvania. It proved to be the right choice and she earned the starting goalie position her freshman season there. She ended up spending three seasons with the Lakers.
Then the pandemic hit. College hockey was a mess, seasons were cut short and no one knew what was going on. What Blair did know was that she wanted to transfer and a handful of schools were losing their starting goalies. One of those schools was Wisconsin.
“I entered the transfer portal, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best,” said Blair.
After a long process and many conversations, Blair was able to transfer to Wisconsin as a graduate student. The goaltender had one year of eligibility left but the pandemic altered plans even more and the NCAA ruled that student-athletes could take an extra year of eligibility. So she did.
“When I first came to Wisconsin I thought I was only going to have one year, but I was lucky enough and got two.”
Many student-athletes got to benefit from this ruling. Blair got to continue playing hockey while she finished her graduate degree. This wasn’t initially the plan but when the opportunity presented itself, there was no way she could say no.
Wisconsin was a dream.
“This university and program are everything and more,” she said. “I would like to thank the coaching staff for taking a chance on me as a transfer. I know that can be difficult to do but they never gave up on me and believed in me every second I was here.”
She gave them more than enough reasons to believe in her, proving herself in so many ways. With Wisconsin, she was named WCHA Goalie of the Week four times, a two-time WCHA Goalie of the Month and was a top-10 finalist for HCA Goalie of the Year among many other accolades.
But now her time as a student-athlete has come to an end.
“This university and program are everything and more. I would like to thank the coaching staff for taking a chance on me as a transfer. I know that can be difficult to do but they never gave up on me and believed in me every second I was here.”Kennedy Blair
When you add it all up, her college career totaled six years, three programs and one national title. What she can’t count are the memories created and lessons learned.
“I did not ever envision this path for my college hockey career, but I wouldn’t change it one bit,” said Blair. “There were so many life lessons that I learned at each university that also helped me grow into the person I am today.”
She learned resilience, learned to never take a day for granted, learned to overcome adversity and learned that the right people will always have your back.
For her, that’s been her teammates and coaches at Wisconsin these past two seasons.
The coaching staff made it a point to put her as a person before her as a hockey player, which was a breath of fresh air for her. Her teammates took her in, embraced her personality and trusted her to fill a vital role on the ice. She valued them all too, for what they saw in her and for who they are as people.
“I value every single individual in this program. From the staff members, coaches, academic individuals, lunch ladies, you name it. This program is everything and more. The urge of competition, grit, dedication, and pride is the definition of this program.”
As her time in front of the net comes to an end, she’s done a lot reflecting.
“From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, each program had a powerful impact and helped shape me into the person I am today.”
She plans to move back to North Dakota and hopes to coach youth hockey and softball, as well as enjoy time outdoors and with her family. It’s the end of her college playing career, but it’s certainly not the end of hockey for her.
“Although the storybook ending wasn't what I hoped for, I’m forever thankful for this journey. I may have one of the most unique careers and as I look back at it, I wouldn’t regret it one bit.”
Gallery: Kennedy Blair
