Senior goaltender Sydney Scobee was a force for the Gophers’ women’s hockey team this season. She helped lead the Gophers to the top of the ranks, held a .928 save percentage on the season and helped the team secure another bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Since the premature end to the hockey season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Scobee has been recognized for her outstanding play. She was named the WCHA Goalie of the Year, the WCHA Goaltending Champion and earned All-WCHA First Team honors. Scobee was the first Gophers’ goaltender to earn All-WCHA First Team honors since Noora Raty in 2012-13.
Most recently, Scobee was named Minnesota’s Breakthrough Female Athlete of the Year, an award given by the University’s athletics department at its annual student-athlete awards ceremony.
“It’s a huge honor. Being honest, I had no idea I was even up for the award,” she said. “It was so special to see my name up there in a group with other hard working athletes that competed at a high level in the Big 10 Conference.”
Scobee sees the award not just as recognition of her own individual play, but as a recognition of the women’s hockey program as a whole.
“I think the award will provide some traction towards our sport also. It shows how special the women’s hockey program is with everyone involved, my teammates and coaches,” Scobee said. “What you put into this program is what you get out of it. I’m proud to say my teammates, coaches and I went all-in this season.”
Throughout the season, Scobee’s teammates and coaches have been vocal about her leadership on the ice. Head coach Brad Frost has regularly praised Scobee’s consistency in the net. Games for the Gophers were rarely out of reach, as Scobee held a 1.68 goals against average.
But it wasn’t an easy road for Scobee prior to the start of her senior season. She spent the offseason recovering from a torn shoulder suffered during her junior year.
“I wasn’t even cleared to touch the ice till late August 2019, but I focused to stay cool mentally and be calm in myself to trust the process,” Scobee said. “Getting myself motivated for my senior season without playing hockey for awhile, and strengthening things I wouldn’t normally focus on was a different, yet worthwhile experience.”
The mental toughness that came after recovering from surgery certainly carried over into the season. After returning from her injury, Scobee’s mind was clear and laser-focused for her last ride as a Gopher, evident from her outstanding play in the net.
Since the end of the season, Scobee has graduated with a degree in human resource development, and is currently working full-time as a recruiter for AeroTek and is “loving it” so far. She is also looking to stay on the ice, possibly in the PWHPA.
