Sydnie Crockett is enjoying her second season with the Team Colorado AAA girls program and has bought in to the philosophy that on-ice development can lead to individual and team success.

That way of understanding the system has led to the Wyoming native down the NCAA recruitment path, and she recently committed to play NCAA Division III hockey next season at Adrian College.

Adrian is located in Adrian, Mich., about 70 miles southwest of Detroit and about 35 miles southwest of Ann Arbor.

“The (Adrian) opportunity came up in Minnesota during the middle of our tournament,” said Crockett. “It is a major opportunity that I am so glad I got the chance at. They are one of the most elite teams in the NCAA, and I’m glad I get to become a part of that.”

Crockett noted that many aspects of the school drew her in and got her hooked.

“One, of course, was the high compete level for hockey as well as all their athletes,” Crockett said. “Another major one is the fact that 3-4 girls at Adrian have gone to the NWHL. Second was the high academics, with the addition of having both my majors, Criminal Justice and Psychology. When I got to tour the school, it’s a small campus, which I fell in love with, as well as the small class sizes.”

In Colorado, Crockett skated for the Rocky Mountain Lady RoughRiders since her second year of 14U before joining Team Colorado AAA. 

“My coaches with the RoughRiders were Molly and Trevor MacDonald, and they taught me everything I gained since then,” said Crockett. “They helped me through what I feel was the peak area of my growth. 

This is my second year at Team Colorado, and I could not ask for any better coaching.”

During her time with Team Colorado, Crockett has had an abundance of memories, on and off the ice.

“One of my most vivid memories from Team Colorado was last year when we were in Detroit and we were playing our rival Dallas,” Crockett said. “We tied them 1-1, and they had under 15 shots total throughout the whole game. 

“Other memories that are always fun to remember are all the travel days with the girls. They are always so fun, and memories happen so many times throughout those days.”

Prior to coming to Colorado, Crockett started playing hockey when she was two years old in Cheyenne, Wyo.

“I was actually born between my sister’s games,” Crockett said. “My two much-older siblings got me started young. I was hooked when I began to realize how fun the game truly was. It was always so fun to grow up with the same kids and always getting to play together. 

“My long-term hockey goal is to play four complete, high-competitive years of college hockey. For school, I want to get a minimum of a Ph.D. in Psychology.”

Recognizing that Team Colorado AAA is fast becoming a desired destination for college-ready hockey players, Crockett can’t say enough about the association.

“Team Colorado can help grow the sport in Colorado by doing more with younger girls to inspire them to play at the next level, doing more community events to get the word out on the team more, and keeping the compete level high,” she said.

— Matt Mackinder

(Dec. 22, 2020)