Sydney Bard Goes From Watching the Game to in the Game in Boston

It was just like any other afternoon for Sydney Bard.

Following a day of practice at powerhouse Colgate, the fifth-year blueliner was looking forward to some downtime with her roommate and fellow teammate Allyson Simpson.

Whether that was to catch up on schoolwork or recover from that day’s on-ice session, it was yet another day in the life of one of the top NCAA defenders in the country.

That’s until one push of a button had both Bard and Simpson glued to their television screen.

They were watching the PWHL, live from the comfort of their dorm room.

“(We came) home from practice in college and turned on a pro game and sat there on the couch and was like, ‘wow, this could be us,'" recalled Bard.

It was a pivotal moment amid her dominant season at Colgate—where she amassed 28 more points to her 112 total that has cemented her as the leading point scorer by a defender in program history—that inspired her to make her dreams come alive.

Because for the longest time, those dreams started and ended at the rink. Bard could have been the best player on whatever ice sheet she was on—which she often was—but the reality remained the same. The options to play hockey at the next level were limited, and they came with a plethora of obstacles.

But that one afternoon, Bard saw it with her own eyes. It was tangible, and it excited her.

“You never really believe it can happen until you’re seeing the best of your sport on TV in front of you,” she said.

Months later, Bard and Simpson are two of six Colgate players drafted to the PWHL in the 2024 draft. The 23-year-old was taken off the board in the fourth round as the 22nd overall selection by Boston before inking a two-year contract with the club in July.

Simpson was taken 16th overall in the third round by New York.

The PWHL provided Bard and the entire crop of rising players in women’s hockey with professional aspirations that extra level of comfort and eagerness to double down on their dreams.

“It gives a lot of girls that were in my position comfort and knowing that this could be a profession that I could have later on and it doesn’t have to end in college,” said Bard. “Knowing that the league had such a good year that it did, it makes people excited.”

Aside from being the all-time point scorer as a defender, Bard leaves Colgate tied for first in the games played category with 180 with Danielle Serdachny, another teammate of Bard’s this season. Bard missed just one game throughout her career at Colgate.

Bard is entering the PWHL after another successful year at Colgate that accounted for a dominant 32-7-1 mark and a ECAC tournament crown before falling to Wisconsin in the Frozen Four last March.

“It prepared me so well for this draft, and having the opportunity,” said Bard of her time at Colgate. “We were very competitive in practice and always wanting to get better. I think we had that mindset.”

It’s a good thing that Bard likes to win, as Boston hopes to do just that after falling in the PWHL Finals to Minnesota in the inaugural season.

“Boston was up there for me, and it kind of worked out that it happened,” said Bard. “I couldn’t be more happy to be in this market and in this area and be picked by such a dominant team coming off a great season and a finals run.”

And it didn’t take long for Bard to be welcomed to Boston.

“Immediately after the draft, I got a text from Hilary Knight, Megan Keller, and Jamie Lee Rattray,” she said. “Having the leadership group of your new team reach out right away was just super special, and something that I’ll always remember in my career. I think it speaks a lot to how Boston operates and what their values are and wanting to make rookie players feel at home.”

From there, Bard has been taking every opportunity she can to acclimate herself to the city in any way she can. That effort has even gone as far as helping out at some local hockey camps in the area.

“Definitely just trying to get situated and try to get my training up and keep confident with that, but also trying to do some opportunities within the community and immerse myself within the Boston culture,” she said.

Bard was even welcomed to New England Patriots training camp last week, where she met up with Patriots rookie Ja’Lynn Polk to make a connection as two newcomers to the Boston sports scene.

“That was definitely one of the coolest moments I’ve had so far,” she said. “Just to be able to be on the sidelines and watch different pro athletes at work was really cool and being able to meet another rookie in the same market. There’s few opportunities to do that, so I’m really lucky to be there and kind of see what the Patriots are about.”

While she hasn’t been introduced to the Tsongas Center or the Boston Sports Institute just yet, Bard has been skating in the Boston area with Keller and other players from the area. Compared to her summers in college, her first professional offseason is shaping to be a lot longer than she’s used to. That comes with a learning curve.

“This is the best of the best, so trying to sharpen everything you can going into your rookie year (is the goal),” Bard said. “The difference I found is that with college and that offseason, it’s a little shorter than the pro offseason. Usually you’re getting to campus in mid-August and you’re gearing up for the start of training camp and practice. You have a couple more months here as a pro, so it’s more so being mature and realizing there’s times to peak in your training and trying to maximize yourself for the start of the year. It’s something that’s a little different for me, and I think a lot of players are experiencing that.”

Another change Bard will have to navigate is checking, as it wasn’t allowed at the college level. Bard will be the first to tell you she isn’t the biggest skater at 5’3”, but she is also used to playing a physical style of hockey.

“It will be new, but I also think the way that we played at Colgate and our style, we played a pretty tough game. I would get penalties for hitting and stuff like that, so maybe being a little too physical,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t know if that will slide to next year, but I’m trying to be as strong as I can and as powerful as I can this offseason and trying to stick to my game.”

Bard’s game is a dynamic one, who prides herself on taking care of the defensive zone first, but also possesses an ability to create offense with her feet.

Bard was actually recruited to Colgate as a forward, but after a midseason injury during her first year to the team’s defensive corp called for reinforcements, Bard answered the bell. It turned out to be a perfect fit.

“They told me they might keep me here for the rest of the year, and that turned into five,” she recalled with a laugh. “It was kind of crazy how it worked out and an interesting way to have a career. It ended up being okay.”

It sure did, taking her offensive qualities and combining them with a fierce mentality to defend.

“Being able to move pucks quick, defending, and doing whatever I can to keep the puck out of the back of the net but also a good transition game and hoping to create some offense with chances in the neutral zone,” she said of her strengths.

Boston welcomes Bard’s skill set with open arms as they approach a revenge tour this fall with their eyes set on the Walter Cup.

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