Jessica Sibley, who hails from Luseland, is now in her second year with Syracuse University in New York playing on the Syracuse Orange women's hockey team.. She appears to be lining up for another successful year.
After her last-second goal lifted the Orange to a 2-2 tie with UConn last month, Sibley was named CHA Player of the Week.
She assisted on all three Orange goals in the team's 3-3 tie with Providence Saturday and followed that up by deflecting another player's shot into the net for the game-tying goal with less than one second remaining Sunday to preserve the 2-2 tie with UConn.
In Sibley's freshman year with Syracuse, she was named to the All-CHA rookie team and was awarded CHA Rookie of the Month honours two months in a row. She finished as the third leading scorer on the team with 12 goals and 14 assists, while playing in all 37 games. She scored her first collegiate goal in her first collegiate game on a power play. Sibley had had two three-point games in her collegiate hockey thus far.
Before Sibley headed to Syracuse University she was honoured as the 2012-13 JWHL Offensive Player of the Year with a 41-goal, 26-assist, 67-point season. She also played in the Junior Women's Hockey League all-star game and was a member of Team Saskatchewan. Sibley was voted most valuable player in her senior year at Warner School.
"It's always nice to get rewarded for stuff like that, builds up your confidence," says Sibley. "I would never have got it without the work of line mates and teammates."
Sibley says knowing she is working everyday to improve her skills drives her to be successful.
"Having the opportunity to play against some of the best female hockey players there are just makes me want to succeed and get better every day."
Sibley says balance between hockey and school is also important.
" I plan out each week at a time and know exactly what I have to get done and when it has to be done. I try not to leave things to the very last minute but it happens sometimes when you are busy with hockey and school."
Sibley says her ultimate goal is to be the best she can be every day, on and off ice.
"I want to keep improving. Having the opportunity to keep playing hockey as long as I can."
Jessica's parents, Tanis and Kevin, are proud of her accomplishments. Kevin enjoys livestreaming of his daughter's games in the UK where he lives and shares Jessica's accomplishments on Facebook while wearing his Syracuse Orange hat with her name and number embroidered on it. Mom Tanis watches in the same manner and says they miss her, but are enjoying her success right along with her.
"Jess keeps raising the level of how proud we are of her. Her hard work and commitment is showing," Kevin says.
"Her motto of 'if you dream it, you can live it' is so true."
