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Photo / Gopher Athletics, Submitted W hen Chaska Chanhassen coach Jackie Pieper walked over to chat with the opposing Wayzata coach ahead of a November 15 matchup, she was met with a friend, not foe in Taylor Williamson who played alongside Pieper at both Edina and the University of Minnesota. "It was really fun. I was looking over and thinking, that's my old coach. That's my old teammate. Now here we are taking on completely different roles," said Pieper, who like Williamson graduated college in May. "It was so much fun being able to coach against one of your really good friends." Both Pieper and Williamson, who is leading the Trojans with her father Dean, find themselves among a number of first-year head coaches at Minnesota girls high school programs giving back to communities. More, such as 2018 Olympic Gold Medalists Hannah Brandt at Hill-Murray and Kelly Pannek at Bloomington Jefferson, and both Emma May and Rachael Bona at Wayzata, help out programs as assistant coaches. These coaches help shape the lives and on-ice abilities of players not far removed from their own high school hockey playing days. "I want to give back to the game. I look at my experience. High school hockey gave me so much and I want to return the favor; give back too," said Northfield head coach Paige Haley. "A lot of my best friends from school are now entering positions in coaching and they feel similarly." Whether it's the alum starting a new chapter with her old team, the teacher finding her own path, or the new graduates getting bit by the coaching bug, this new generation of women's coaches, all under 26 and experts at the game, now find it important to be in coaching and leadership roles for young women. A COACH'S CALLING The days are long. Paige Haley begins hers at 4:30 a.m. Emma Stauber goes to work at Duluth Hockey Company before going to coach hockey at Hermantown/Proctor. She just finished her masters degree in sports leadership and management. Pieper is in grad- uate school for speech pathology, mixing school and coaching together. After starring at Edina and captaining the Golden Gophers (left), Taylor Williamson is developing the next generation of girls' hockey talent at Wayzata High School (right). b y N AT H A N W E L L S A new wave of former women's college hockey players are now leading high school hockey programs throughout the state CONVERTS CONVERTS COACHING COACHING 23 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M