Commitment to NCAA D-III NEC brings ‘really cool environment’ to Colorado Springs native Roy

Sydney Roy developed her game across Colorado during her youth hockey days, eventually landing with Team Colorado AAA.

Next season, the Colorado Springs native will start her four-year college journey at NCAA Division III New England College, a school located in Heniker, N.H.

“The opportunity to commit to New England College started when I originally applied to the school,” said Roy. “At first, I wasn’t planning on pursuing the program because I didn’t know much about it. However, after reaching out to Coach (Mackenzie) Meegan, she was very open to connecting with me and seeing where I could potentially fit within the team. In January, I was invited to visit campus, meet the coaches and players, and see the facilities. That visit completely shifted my perspective. The environment, the culture, and the vision for the program stood out to me in a way I didn’t expect. When Coach Meegan officially offered me a spot, it showed how confident she was in what I could bring to the program. That belief and consistency ultimately made my decision clear.

“What stood out to me the most about NEC hockey was the vision the coaches and the players have for the program and how the girls on the team are all driven and competitive and put the team first. The coaches believe in their team and have a clear vision for what they want from their players and what they want for the program. Academically, NEC offers a really cool environment with smaller class sizes and being as close as they are to Concord places students at a great place for connections with internship opportunities. School has always been important to me and I’m sure the academics at NEC will be challenging.”

Roy said she will be majoring in history with hopes to eventually go to law school.

When asked to reflect on how she got involved in hockey, Roy’s story has a unique beginning.

“My mom worked long hours at a hospital on the U.S. Air Force base in Colorado Springs,” Roy said. “Because of this, the school on base would take us to the Boys and Girls Club, which is eventually how I got into hockey. I started playing for the Falcon Hockey Club and grew up playing and practicing at Clune Arena. My family eventually started getting season tickets to the Air Force hockey games and my love for the sport definitely came from watching those games growing up.”

In Colorado, Roy also played for the Colorado Rampage, Colorado Springs Tigers and Air Academy High School.

“I was part of the first 19U AA Tigers girls program,” remembered Roy. “My junior year of high school, I wanted to branch out and get more exposure to hopefully, eventually, play for Team Colorado, so I played for the Rocky Mountain Lady RoughRiders for a season and eventually made Team Colorado my senior season.

“My most influential coaches were my goalie coaches, Coach Sample and Coach Lorenz. They both saw my potential from the time I started working with them my freshman year of high school. I am very grateful for their coaching because without them, I would not be where I am today. Another influential coach was my Tigers coach, Veronica Collins. She was always a positive influence and was passionate about building up girls hockey in Colorado Springs.”

Her college commitment in place and a busy summer ahead, Roy has started to think of future accomplishments.

“My short-term goals are to come into NEC and be a strong force in the net that the coaches can count on whenever I’m called on, work hard in school, and be a good teammate,” Roy said. “My long-term goals are to hopefully get a full-ride scholarship to Pepperdine Law School in California. I would love to work in corporate law and possibly become a politician at some point in my life.”

Photo/Be Feral Media