Hockey sticks belonging to the Michigan State team on the bench at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan on Nov. 21, 2024. In front of a sold out crowd, the Spartans captured a convincing 6-2 victory, showcasing why they deserve their ranking of number two in the nation.
A women’s hockey player from Adrian College is suing a Michigan State University rival player after a violent hit allegedly left her severely injured.
Kathleen Droba, a member of Adrian Bulldogs Women’s Ice Hockey team, claims that MSU Spartans Women’s Ice Hockey-Division II Team player Sydney Crawford bodychecked her without warning at a Feb. 19, 2023 game at Munn Ice Arena.
During the second period of the match, Crawford skated towards Droba and "violently struck" her, causing Droba "to strike the surface of the ice with great force and lose consciousness," according to the lawsuit.
Bodychecking is prohibited in women's ice hockey under NCAA and ACHA rules.
In subsequent court filings, Crawford’s lawyer acknowledged "contact" between the two players that caused Droba to fall to the ground, but denied that the move was outside the rules of play.
As a result of the hit, Droba suffered spinal fractures, nausea, loss of balance, memory loss, "impaired cognitive ability," and bowel and bladder control issues, among other things, according to the lawsuit.
MSU is not named as a defendant; the women’s hockey team is a club team, so it is not overseen by the university’s athletics department.
U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids is deciding the case.
An MSU spokesperson declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.
R. Michael John, an attorney for Garan Lucow Miller Law who is representing Crawford, did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Michael Szparaga, an attorney for Grewal Law who is representing Droba, also did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
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