Girls Varsity Ice Hockey

Dan Allen is Assistant Director of Admissions and Head Coach, Girls Varsity Ice Hockey. A native of Brookfield and graduate of Immaculate High School and Proctor Academy, Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Connecticut State University, where he played hockey and baseball. Prior to joining FGS, he served as a history teacher and Head Ice Hockey Coach at Vermont Academy. He was also the academy’s Head Coach for Varsity Boys Golf and Assistant Coach for Varsity Boys Soccer. Dan served as Director of Danbury Arena Hockey and Assistant Coach for the NCAA Division II hockey team at St. Michael’s College. He was a camp coach for the New York Rangers and Elite Hockey as well as a USA Hockey instructor and evaluator in Vermont.

Ellissa Popoff is the Assistant Dean of Faculty, Head House Parent in Emerson, and a member of the History Department faculty as well as Assistant Coach for Girls Varsity Crew. Born in Vancouver, Canada, Elissa grew up in Pennsylvania, Old Lyme, Connecticut, and Taiwan. A graduate of Tabor Academy, she holds a bachelor's degree in history and psychology from Williams College and a master’s in psychology from Connecticut College. Prior to joining The Frederick Gunn School, Ellissa taught in the Social Sciences Department at Tilton School in New Hampshire. In her last year there, she  served as Assistant Coach for Girls Varsity Ice Hockey, and as a dorm parent, and ran the grade 12/post-graduate level program. Fun fact: Ellissa lived in Northern Sweden (in the town of Ornskoldsvik) for a year between high school and college. In her free time, she likes to hike, knit, crochet, and travel. She lives on campus with her boyfriend, Nick Sceggell, her dog, Marla, and cats, Alvie and Simon.