University of Minnesota Athletics
Five Minutes with Sydney Baldwin
9/28/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- Gophers co-captain Sydney Baldwin caught up with the voice of Gopher Women's Hockey Dan Hamann before last week's exhibition game. Baldwin reflects on wearing the 'C' for the Gophers, this year's freshmen class, and more.
Listen to Sydney Baldwin's pregame interview with Dan Hamann.
Dan Hamann: What was it like learning you would be one of the team captains this year?
Sydney Baldwin: Super honored. Super honored to be a captain this year, especially alongside one of my best friends, Cara (Piazza). I think we've had such great leadership in the past couple years that we've learned so much from with captains like Lee Stecklein, Dani Cameranesi, Kate (Schipper), all those different people. Even in previous years, I know my captains from freshman year really stand out to me, Rachel Ramsey and Rachael Bona, so I'm really excited to be a captain this year, and doing it alongside Cara makes it all the more special.
DH: What kind of duties or responsibilities does wearing the 'C' entail?
SB: I think being a captain is about being a good leader both on and off the ice. I think that incorporates a lot of hard work, doing good in the classroom and the weight room, and being a good role model and leader for the rest of the team and try to bring everyone towards a common vision and a common goal.
DH: Does wearing the 'C' change your preparation for the season?
SB: I think as you get older you realize a little bit more what you need in the summer, and for me that was staying on the ice a little bit more and incorporating different styles of working out and traveling, which is really good for my mental health in the summer so I try to do that. I try to stay on the ice quite a bit and just work on different skills. We had informal captains practices with the rest of the team, which was really good for us too.
DH: What's it like looking to others to step up due to losing key contributors to the Olympic year?
SB: Definitely, I think there is a lot of room for other people to fill roles and like you said, there's a lot of goals we lost, 120 goals I think from last year was the statistic. You have to make it up somewhere and I think that everyone has to put in a little bit more and participate in the scoring and making offensive plays, which is a huge part, but also on the defensive side, too.
DH: What's it like leading this year's freshmen class?
SB: They've been great. Most have been here throughout the summer, so that helps them get acclimated a little bit more to the campus, the classes, the hockey too, so I think during the beginning couple weeks of the year and season we really try to do more team bonding stuff, whether that's staying on the ice a little bit longer, doing team activities up at cabins, stuff like that so they've been fitting in great. I think they're really enjoying their time. It usually takes a couple of weeks to get everything in the flow of the season and school, but they seem to be fitting in just great.
DH: What is your impression of the freshmen class so far? Who stands out the most?
SB: They all stand out in different ways. Some of them have different personalities. I don't think I can pick one that stood out more than another. They're all unique in their own ways and bring something to the team, so we're really excited for the year with them.
DH: You mentioned traveling over the summer. Tell us about your travels to Iceland and Italy over the summer.
SB: Yeah I love to travel, I have ever since I started traveling with my sister and my family, but Iceland, I don't know why, we chose Iceland. It's a super outdoorsy country. We did a lot of camping and hiking, which is right up my alley. Being in the outdoors a lot was super fun. Italy was more of a relaxing vacation. I've always wanted to go there, so I'm super lucky to be able to do that.
DH: What was your favorite place in Iceland?
SB: There's this place in Iceland called Fludir that was one of my favorite spots there. Just a super cool, outdoorsy country, it's twenty-three hours of daylight there, so you're staying up all night hiking and doing a lot of fun stuff so it was awesome.
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