Rocky Hill’s Conneely Makes Voyage to Vermont

Rocky Hill's Hannah Conneely (left) will play soccer at St. Michael's College. Conneely is pictured with soccer teammate and friend, Mia Valente 

 Hannah Conneely, a 2021 graduate at Rocky Hill High School, will play soccer and advance her education at St. Michael’s College in Vermont.

“One of the big selling points of Saint Michaels is the location,” stated Conneely, “Colchester, Vermont is gorgeous all year round. It is also so close to Burlington and Lake Champlain, which is a beautiful area filled with activity. Another factor that made me choose Saint Michaels is the academics. They had the major I wanted, which is Health Science, and it is a great program.”

Conneely was involved in sports year-round at RHHS, playing soccer, basketball, and tennis. She earned All-Conference in soccer and tennis, and was the energy that guided Terriers basketball in the winter.

Basketball head coach James McKinnon said the combination of extraordinary stamina and even-keeled demeanor made Conneely a valued player, “I would play her 31 minutes of out a possible 32 and she would be just as fast and quick in the 4th quarter as she would be in the 1st quarter. She never got too high or too low, and her composure was consistent. I could always count on Hannah to maintain her poise in the most pressure-filled moments.”

Outside of sports, she was a member of student council and an avid volunteer, donating her time at HARC, helping and completing activities with people who have intellectual disabilities, along with helping feed the homeless. She would also volunteer at the Hartford Marathon.

Conneely resume in Rocky Hill is full of activity and memories. She played soccer and basketball since childhood and picked up tennis as a freshman at RHHS. She called the decision to play tennis “the best I’ve made.”

RHHS tennis coach Mike Dudis said this of Conneely, who was the Terriers #3 single player this spring, “Tennis is a vibe for Hannah. She went 15-4 and was unbelievable for us this year.”

“I loved everything about high school, I almost wish I had another year. I’ll miss everything about it, but what made it so good was the friendships that were formed within the different sports teams I played. This made me become friends with a whole variety of people which was awesome,” stated Connelly, “I’ll miss the teachers, they’ve had such a big impact on me and they deserve so much credit. High school really goes by way too fast, but I know I’m ready for the next chapter in my life.

She’ll join a Purple Knights team in Vermont led by longtime head coach Wendy Elles.  

“What excites me about competing in college is that it’s almost like a whole new game. The competition is going to be a lot more intense and the training for this level is also intense, so I’m ready for this drastic difference,” added Conneely.

​Conneely’s soccer coach at RHHS, Annmarie Catania, believes she has the tools to succeed at the next level
 
“Hannah is a driven player who leaves it all on the field. Her demeanor is comforting to her teammates, she leads by example, and makes no excuses for anything less than the best,” said Catania, “Hannah is rare because she is able to see her weaknesses and admit them and work on them. I have no doubt she will excel in college and have a positive impact on the program.”