Longtime Watertown coach, former Aberdeen girls' standout player set to be inducted on April 12
Adam Sullivan of Watertown and Abby (Taffe) Trettin of Aberdeen are two of the 12 people set to be inducted into the South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association Hall of Fame next month.
Sullivan, a longtime coach, referee and leader in the Watertown Hockey Association, is being inducted as a coach along with Rob Kittay of Pierre during an induction celebration scheduled for Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. in the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
Trettin is being inducted as a former player along with Cash Anderson and Cody Bishop of Pierre and Jacolby Anderson, Robb McClemans and Jesse Rounds of Brookings.
Other inductees include Jim Becker of SIoux Falls, Dave Nelson of Pierre and Dave Spencer of Yankton in the building category and official Doug Sorensen of Brookings.
Tickets for the induction ceremony and banquet are available for $60, reserved tables for eight avaiable for $480 and event sponsorship tables are available for $800. For additional details on the new Hall of Fame members or to purchase tickets, visit www.sdaha.org.
Adam Sullivan
Sullivan played hockey in his hometown of Crookston (Minn.) and later received a minor degree in athletic coaching at Minnesota Duluth. He coached in the Duluth Hockey Association from 1992-1995 before moving to Watertown and coaching in the WHA from 1995 through 2021.
He coached the Lakers' varsity boys hockey teams for 15 years and led Watertown to SDAHA state titles in 1996 and 2007, earning state Coach of the Year honors. He also coached the Watertown bantam and mites' teams for 11 years and Solar Bear Hockey for five years as well as filling in for Team South Dakota.
Sullivan served on the WHA coaching committee for 10 years and the design committee for the new Prairie Lakes Ice Arena for 10 years. He is currently the vice president of the WHA. Sullivan also was a South Dakota Development Camp Evaluator for two years, WHA Initiation Hockey on Ice Director for three years and the Try Hockey for Free co-chair for three years.
In addition, he was the creator and director of the Watertown Laker Golf Tournament for 10 years and the Watertown Terry Redlin Concert Fundraiser Director for eight years.
Sullivan has also been a certified hockey referee since 2009 and is currently a Level 3 referee. He was selected to referee the SDAHA Varsity Girls State Tournament. He served as a referee coordinator for the WHA for five years and a referee mentor for the WHA for 14 years.
Abby (Taffe) Trettin
The 2010 Aberdeen Central High School graduate enjoyed a stellar prep career with the Aberdeen Cougars varsity girls hockey teanm, recording 673 goals and 289 assists.
She later continued her hockey career at Concordia-Moorhead. The 5-foot-4 Taffe played in 105 games for the Cobbers and finished her college career in 2014 with 85 points (42 goals and 43 assists). She is currently sixth in program history in points and goals and seventh in assists.
Trettin is now an optometrist in Hutchinson, Minn.
More on the SDAHA Hall of Fame
The South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association Hall of Fame (HOF) was founded in 2022 to establish a memorial to those who have developed the sport of hockey in South Dakota.
The SDAHA Hall of Fame exists in order to honor and memorialize individuals who have brought special distinction to the game of hockey and those who made outstanding contributions to the development and advancement of hockey anywhere in the State of South Dakota and also to collect, research, preserve, exhibit and promote objects, images and other historical materials connected with the game at all levels.
The Hall of Fame will be comprised of members from four different influential groups within the sport of hockey. They include players, coaches, officials and builders (executives).
The inagural class of the hall was inducted in 2023.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: The S.D. Hockey Association Hall of Fame to induct 12 new members in 2024
