University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Meet the Newcomers: Sydney Scobee
6/15/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MINNEAPOLIS -- Get to know one of the newest Gophers, Sydney Scobee, a junior goaltender joining the Maroon & Gold after beginning her college career at the University of Vermont.
A native of Minnetrista, Minn., Scobee spent two seasons playing for the Catamounts to begin her collegiate career. Scobee played in 31 career games for Vermont, posting a .923 save percentage and a 2.59 goals against average. After appearing in just three games as a freshman in 2016-17, Scobee was the Catamounts' go-to goaltender in 2017-18, recording a 9-15-4 record with three shutouts. A high school teammate of Grace Zumwinkle, Scobee graduated from Breck in 2016 and was honored as a Let's Play Hockey Senior Goalie of the Year semifinalist.
Gopher Sports: How did you first get into hockey?
Sydney Scobee: Well, my brother and sister played hockey before me, and I wanted to be like them. When my brother was super young, he was scared to go on the ice alone so my mom decided I would take his place when I was about three years old.
GS: How did you pick goalie?
SS: My sister was a goalie, and I had to be just like her.
GS: Did you play any other sports growing up?
SS: Yes! I played volleyball for a little bit, then transferred to tennis because my mom started playing tennis – so I started playing tennis. I played summer softball up until my junior year of high school, too. The summer of my senior year was the first year that I played summer hockey.
GS: What was it about hockey that made you like it the best?
SS: Gosh, I don't know. I think I was better at hockey than other sports, so I decided to stick with it that way.
GS: Do you know what you want to major in or what career path you want to pursue?
SS: At Vermont, I was in the business school, so I'm looking for something business-related. I want to be an event planner for my career. I knew that I would go into business somehow because nothing else really interested me that much. I thought about going into communications because I liked the idea of working for a professional sports team, but I wanted to explore other options. I thought event planning could be another route I could go.
GS: Does that sort of thing come natural to you? Are you the event planner of your friend group?
SS: Kind-of! I can easily go with the flow, but if I need to I can whip up a plan.
GS: How did you decide to start your college career at Vermont?
SS: Since I'm the baby of the family, I decided I wanted to go far away because I was worried my parents would be showing up at my college all of the time. My sister went to college in Maine, so I decided I wanted to go to the east coast, too. I was set on playing hockey in college, and Vermont had the best opportunity for me at the time.
GS: What has your college experience been like so far? How did you decide to transfer to Minnesota?
SS: I definitely learned a ton about myself and gained a lot of experience. I'm very grateful for all that I experienced at Vermont, but I'm excited for the next chapter. I learned to not take things too seriously and have fun. I feel like I learned mental toughness, too. Being away from home, I didn't know anyone at Vermont. I was the only Minnesota kid. I think that helped me grow as a person.
When I decided I wanted to transfer, I knew I wanted to come home if I could. I didn't want to talk to a lot of schools at once; I couldn't believe I was essentially going through the recruiting process again. I talked to Minnesota, came here and visited, and it all worked out. I feel super lucky.
GS: Were you a Gopher fan growing up?
SS: Yes, I was. My sister loved the Gophers too, so we would always come to the games. When it came to the recruiting process, I just knew I wanted to go out east. Everybody wants to beat the Gophers so at first, I felt like I wanted to beat the Gophers, too. There's always a target on this team.
GS: What are you most looking forward to about being a Gopher?
SS: I'm really looking forward to meeting the team and having all those experiences here. I'm excited to be close to home. When I came here with Vermont and played the Gophers last year, all of my family was there, I realized I actually really missed that. I'm excited to have my family and friends there at games and have the opportunity to soak up all of the different experiences I'll have here.
GS: What would you do if you had a day free from all obligations?
SS: Go out on the lake. Hang out and relax. There's always something – you always have to be somewhere, so I'd like to relax if I had the chance. I'd love to go out on the lake and do nothing. Occasionally, I like to go tubing, but most of the time I just like being on the water.
GS: How would you describe your relationship with hockey?
SS: I love the sport. Sometimes I hate it because it can be terrible to me. It has always been a part of me. I can't imagine life without it as of now.
Faceoff with Sydney Scobee
How many times a week do you purchase coffee: Maybe once?
Hot coffee or iced coffee: Iced coffee.
Favorite movie: Deadpool. It's so funny.
If you could play another sport in college, it would be: Tennis.
Favorite animal: Dog. My family has three dogs, a Great Dane, a mixed terrier, and a Chihuahua.
Who is the best player you've ever played against: Megan Keller.
Name one word that describes you: Sociable.
Favorite Netflix series: The Office.
Name one thing on your bucket list: Travel more.
Biggest pet peeve: When people leave their blinker on when they're driving.
Name one food you could never live without: Cereal.
Name one food you refuse to eat: Sushi.
If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, it would be: Lauren Oshie.
Advice for a young athlete: Have fun and don't narrow your focus too early. People are worried about being recruited at such a young age, and I never even thought about that – I loved playing multiple sports.
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