Last Founding Member of Washtenaw United Hockey Leads the Defending State Champs as Captain

When Sydney Clark walked into the Washtenaw United Hockey team’s lockeroom for the first time she knew the team would be unforgettable and that the bond they had would be irreplaceable. That was their inaugural season back in 2020.

Now four years later, Clark is helping to lead this year’s team as a captain.

The Sun Times News (STN) connected with her to ask about being the last member from that historical team while she and her teammates aim to keep up that scrappy, winning tradition.

“When I first started with Washtenaw United, I was beyond excited to have the privilege to play with older girls,” Clark said. “I was in the 8th grade at the time, so playing with and against a bunch of high school juniors and seniors was a big step for me.”

During the team’s inaugural season in 2020, Clark was the lone 8th grader on the team when Washtenaw was an affiliate team with the Michigan Girls High School Hockey League (MGHSHL). Technically they were a USA Hockey U19 team and thus Clark, then age 13, could play in the high school league.

Joining Washtenaw United

STN asked her how she felt when she first started with Washtenaw United.

“I was really nervous going in, but as I went throughout the season, my team really picked me up and made sure I knew that I could be just as good as the older girls,” she said. “I had always played on teams where I was the youngest, but this time there was a really big age gap. When I walked into the locker room for the first time, I knew that this team would be unforgettable and that the bond we had would be irreplaceable.”

What led her to Washtenaw United she said was after several seasons playing hockey with girls who didn’t value her and who weren’t always the nicest to her, she wanted to make sure that she had a team to support her.

“Coach Adam Winters told me about this team that he was starting up called Washtenaw United,” Clark said. “It would be high school girls from Dexter, Chelsea, Saline, Milan, and any other Washtenaw County school that didn’t have a girls’ hockey team. I knew some of the girls who were going to be on the team, and I loved playing with all of them, so I knew that it would be a great team. Luckily, Coach Adam was able to find a loophole for me to play, so I was able to play on Washtenaw United as an 8th grader.”

She is the only eighth-grader that has ever played for Washtenaw United.

Looking Back

She said looking back she vividly remembers her first game with the team.

“We were all sitting in our new jerseys and socks and I had this realization that this team that we had worked so hard to build was now a reality,” she said. “I was just so excited to play with these girls. Honestly, every game I play feels just like that first game. We work so hard for everything, and I have worked hard to be the best leader I can be.”

They won the state championship last year and she was absolutely ecstatic. She scored the short-handed game winning goal in the state final against Cranbrook last March.

“We deserved that win, and we worked incredibly hard all season to get there,” she said. “When I look back, I’m honestly just proud. Proud of what we’ve done and proud of who we are.”

A Love for Hockey

Her love for hockey starts with the competitiveness that is a foundational piece to the game. She loves the feeling of pushing someone into the boards and taking the puck from them.

“I’ve tried a lot of other sports in my life, and I’ve honestly hated a lot of them because you can’t even use your body, whereas in hockey, using your body to push people away and win puck battles is an essential part of the game,” she said. “I’ve just never experienced a sport with so much competitiveness, and for someone who is competitive in everything I do, that makes hockey really good for me.”

This Year’s Team

Wearing the C this year, Clark stands as the Washtenaw United’s all-time leader in points as she competes in her last high school season. She’s excited about this year’s team and what they are doing, especially because the concept of “team” is important.

“I’ve been on plenty of teams where we encounter issues all the time, but this team always seems to get along,” she said. “It’s a really special bond that we share, and I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of it while I’m in my senior season.”

Looking ahead, she said she does catch herself thinking about the future of this team a lot, and the one thing that she hopes for Washtenaw United in the future is that the bond between teammates stays strong.

“Being on this team has been like having a bunch of best friends and sisters,” she said. “I have great hope for what we can and have accomplished this season.”