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UM-Dearborn sophomore Amy Palaian has her favorite Team USA hockey jersey hanging up in her living room. But the number isn’t one that hockey standouts like Chris Chelios or Hilary Knight wore.

It’s 55 — the number Palaian wears on the UM-Dearborn Fieldhouse’s ice. The Dearborn Wolverine defenseman recently switched from maize and blue to red, white and blue when she represented Team USA. Palaian played for the United States Women's National University Team last month at the 2025 Winter World University Games in Torino, Italy. It’s the first time a UM-Dearborn Women’s Ice Hockey member played for Team USA.

“It was a surreal experience being on the ice and representing my country,” says Palaian, who scored a goal from behind the blue line while playing against Great Britain. “I always put my heart into playing — but when you are chosen to play for your country, you need to give 110% every moment you are on the ice.” Team USA earned fifth place in the games, beating Great Britain and Kazakhstan.

Palaian, who played ice hockey with her father from about the time she could walk, says she attended UM-Dearborn so she could continue to play a sport that she loved. But the biological sciences major didn’t realize that it would lead to representing her country. 

After Team USA coaches reviewed footage from last hockey season, Palaian — who had 14 assists and six goals her freshman year — made the roster, which included 23 American Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Division I players representing 11 different states. Palaian says UM-Dearborn Women’s Ice Hockey Coach Carrie Sirola contacted her over the summer and said she wanted to nominate Palaian to play on the national team — less than a month later, they learned Palaian made the team.

“Team USA Coach Lindsay Ellis called and said they’d love to have me on the team,” Palaian says. “I immediately wanted to say yes, but needed to check with my parents first. My parents were just as excited as I was. My family went to Italy to watch me play — including my grandmas, who never did a trip like that before. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I was able to share with my family.”

That’s important to Palaian — who’s played on travel hockey leagues and school teams — because of the support that her family has given to her hockey career. Palaian says her family helped get her to the world stage by driving to practices, purchasing equipment, cheering for her at games, playing hockey together and more. “Even when I was little, I’d go with my dad to a league on Saturday mornings where he’d play with friends. We’d be there at 6 a.m. They let me play too. My dad and older brother played hockey and I wanted to be like them,” she says. 

Palaian did a little sightseeing in Italy and says the food was outstanding, but the bulk of her time was spent on the ice with practices, scrimmages and games. She met new friends — even some from UM-Dearborn’s rival teams. “There were girls from Adrian College on Team USA — we are definitely rivals on the ice, but it’s cool to get to know people beyond that,” she says. “We played recently and were friendly, but went back to being aggressive as soon as we stepped on the ice.”

Palaian says playing for Team USA was a great hockey experience — and it’s one of many more to come while she wears No. 55. The UM-Dearborn Women’s Ice Hockey Team heads into the Central Collegiate Women’s Hockey Association Playoffs on Thursday. .

“I love playing for UM-Dearborn. I love my team. They are my family here and we don’t stop working. We support each other and know that we only get breaks when we sleep — we’re OK with that,” she says. “I know that we’ll win some and lose some, but what matters is what you learn, what you give and what you take from it. Hockey, and this team, has given me so much and I’m going to continue to give it my all too.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury