Chippewas of Rama First Nation citizen makes international debut
By Sam Laskaris
BURKETON – Sydney Sawyer has had a taste of international hockey.
And the 17-year-old Chippewas of Rama First Nation citizen is hoping some more experiences donning a Canadian jersey will soon be on the way.
Sawyer, who plays defence, was a member of the Canadian women’s Under 18 squad that played three recent exhibition contests against their United States counterparts.
The matches were held between Aug. 14-17 at the Canada Games Park in Thorold, Ont.
Sawyer and her Canadian teammates won their first two contests against the Americans and lost the third game in a shootout.
Sawyer, who lives in the Clarington village of Burketon, said she thoroughly enjoyed her first action that she had wearing the Canadian team jersey.
“Each game I felt very comfortable and confident,” she said. “It was very cool.”
Sawyer is now hoping she will also get to represent Canada at the world women’s Under 18 championships. That event is scheduled for Jan. 5-12 in Vantaa, Finland.
“It would honestly be a dream come true to get to play against other countries,” Sawyer said.
She had just missed out on playing at this year’s world tourney, held this past January in Switzerland.
Sawyer was named an alternate player for the Canadian club but did not travel with the team to Switzerland.
Canadian team officials will not necessarily be icing the exact same roster for the upcoming world tournament as they did in the three-game series against the United States.
Club representatives will continue to evaluate players in the coming months before naming those who will be selected to go to Finland.
And one of the requirements for those hoping to be named to the squad is that they must represent their province or territory at the national under-18 championships. That event will be held Nov. 3-9 in Quispamsis, N.B.
Ontario will be sending two teams to the Canadian tourney.
Sawyer was a member of one of the Ontario sides that won the gold medal at last year’s nationals.
Sawyer is now gearing up for her final year of high school studies. She’ll be a Grade 12 student at Clarington Central Secondary School.
Besides excelling on the ice, Sawyer is also a high achiever in the classroom. She had an over-all average of about 90 per cent in her Grade 11 classes.
Sawyer already knows where she will be continuing her post-secondary academic and athletic pursuits.
Last September she accepted an athletic scholarship offer from New York’s Colgate University.
Several other NCAA Division 1 schools had also expressed interest in Sawyer.
“Colgate just kind of felt right for me,” she said, adding she committed to the school after a visit last September.
Sawyer believes having already accepted her university offer, helped alleviate some stress for her as she no longer has to worry about where she will play in the future.
Sawyer had suited up for the Whitby Jr. Wolves in the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association’s Under 22 Elite league the past two seasons.
Though she’ll continue to play in the same circuit, she is making a switch for the 2024-25 campaign. She’s signed on to play for the Etobicoke Jr. Dolphins.