Evans looks down field after making a save against the Clear Creek Amana Clippers on April 13th. Photo by KCII’s Nate Gonner

Exposure during the amateur hockey season has helped a Washington senior land two college athletic opportunities on the ice and on the pitch in the state of New Hampshire.

Stephanie Evans, who moved to Washington from Knoxville, Illinois, in 2010, first got involved in hockey at the roller skate level in first grade. She progressed to ice hockey in third grade and shortly after started playing competitively as a right wing forward for the St Louis Lady Blues, an amateur girls’ hockey team of the Tier One Hockey League. After the Lady Blues weren’t able to field a full team this winter, Evans and some of her teammates were picked up by the Dallas Stars Elite, another Tier One Hockey program in Texas.

Evans also has a strong passion for soccer, starting in the net as the Demons’ goal keeper. She takes an aggressive approach to the position, consistently charging at offensive players in an attempt keep the ball from going in the goal. While she has given up 32 goals this season, she has also recorded over 100 saves. She is among the top 10 Iowa goalies for number of saves so far this season.

Evans says hockey has helped her play keeper in soccer. “It takes a lot of hand-eye coordination.” Evans said, “You also have to be quick, especially on one-on-one situations. You can’t let them plow you over and take over you have to be strong and I get those qualities from hockey.”

Her exposure on the ice led to several hockey offers from schools along the East Coast. Evans thought she would be leaving her soccer career behind when she went to college to focus solely on hockey. However, when it came down to narrowing college offers, she found one opportunity that would allow her to continue both athletic careers. “I found out they were looking for a keeper at Daniel Webster (College),” Evans said, “I asked myself, ‘Do I want to play soccer and hockey or do I want to go to another school to just play hockey?’ I ended up choosing Daniel Webster because I want to try and play both sports in college.”

Daniel Webster College is a Division III institution in Nashua, New Hampshire. Evans was in Nashua on April 24 to sign her letter of intent to play both hockey and soccer for the Eagles next season.

Before packing up for New Hampshire, Evans has eight games left in the net as the Washington Demon keeper.

Demon senior Stephanie Evans watches the ball during Washington’s non-conference match with the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks on April 14th. Photo by KCII’s Nate Gonner.