Your Chips: The Sihota sisters

Family sometimes makes all the difference in the world.

For Brooke and Kim Sihota, sisters and members of the Central Michigan field hockey team, the transition to playing college athletics was helped by having a close friend in the other sister.

The Sihotas grew up in Richmond, British Columbia; 2,400 miles from Mount Pleasant, Michigan.  While some students dream about traveling to the Pacific Northwest, to attend a college that far from home would simply be out of the question.

“It’s always been a dream to play field hockey in college,” Kim said. “Both Brooke and I wanted to do it, no matter how far away we had to go to do it.”

“Coach (Christy) Frese was very persuasive in getting us to play here,” Brooke said. “The facilities and warm Midwestern feel of the people and the campus of Central Michigan was a big draw too.”

With the sisters being born 14 months apart, playing on the same team has always been an option. With Kim being the oldest and a senior this year, the sisters are realizing that this will be the last year they’ll be teammates.

“We know this is the last year we can be teammates,” Brooke said. “Ultimately, the goal is a MAC Championship. We want to make this last season together as enjoyable as possible.”

Through the first three games, the Sihotas are certainly making their presence known. Brooke leads the team with two goals, an impressive feat for her defensive position of back. But it all comes down to having a friend and a sister when it matters the most.

“We really are great friends and have great chemistry on-and-off the field,” Kim said. “Some sisters don’t really get along, that’s not the case with us.”

Based on early season statistics for the CMU Field Hockey team, any opportunity at a MAC Championship might depend on the chemistry of the sisters from British Columbia.