Passion on the Ice

From Worcester State to Team USA, Clare Conway has made her mark on women’s ice hockey.

Allison Coppinger

Worcester State women’s ice hockey player Clare Conway celebrated her 23rd birthday on January 18 like no other—in front of 3,000 people, competing on Team USA in the International University Sports Federation (FISU) World University game against Canada.

The games are among the world’s largest collegiate winter multi-sports competitions, and they were held in Lake Placid, NY, over 10 days at the start of 2023. The women’s ice hockey team competed against Canada, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Japan.

“One of the coolest moments was wearing a Team USA jersey. I loved having the Team USA jersey with my last name on it,” said Conway.

During the game against Canada, Conway experienced a special moment with a young fan. “A little girl was banging on the glass as my back was facing towards her. I turned around, and she asked for my puck. That was crazy for me to experience that. I used to be her. It was one of the best birthdays,” said Conway. 

Conway, who grew up in Billerica, Mass., has been playing hockey for as long as she can remember, since she was about three years old. When her brother decided to play hockey, she wanted to follow in his footsteps. She also plays lacrosse, a sport she picked up around age eight.

Her Division III hockey playing began at Becker College where she tallied 25 goals and 32 assists for 57 points in 63 ice hockey games with the Hawks. When Becker closed, it was tough for Conway to process since Becker is where she found her first home in Worcester. Worcester State’s Athletic Director Michael Mudd offered a new home for Becker women’s ice hockey players by starting a program at Worcester State with former Becker coach Eliza Kelley. Conway also played a role in getting her Becker teammates excited to come to Worcester State, Kelley said. 

Worcester State’s women’s ice hockey program has had two seasons so far and has won the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Alliance (ECHA) championship both seasons. “Not too many second-year programs have 18 wins,” said Kelley. 

Clare has been a team captain for the past four seasons, and 2022-23 was her last season of play at Worcester State. She is known for having “a love for the game and being one of the loudest to celebrate her teammates. She is super tough and enjoys the pressure of playing at a high level. She carries herself with a ton of confidence, the type of player that you notice when she walks into a locker room or steps on the ice,” said Kelley.

Conway finished her Worcester State bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2022 and is earning a master’s in nonprofit organization management. She has experience volunteering and helping at nonprofits and coaching youth ice hockey and events for the Special Olympics.

“Clare has helped set the program up in her two years here at Worcester State. She’s leaving the program having made such a big impact and really has created a legacy for those that will follow behind her,” said Kelley.

Allison Coppinger is a 2023 Worcester State graduate and writing intern in the Worcester State Office of Communications.