A pioneer in women's hockey, Cindy Curley is a four-time member of the U.S. Women's National Team who has helped influence the growth of the sport across the country, including in her home state of Massachusetts.

Curley played collegiately at Providence College where she today ranks third all-time at the school with 225 career points. Her 115 assists are also third best in Friar annals, while her 110 goals are fourth best all-time. She helped Providence capture the 1984 and 1985 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament titles. As co-captain her senior season in 1984-85, she was named the College Player of the Year and also to the ECAC All-Star Team after posting 62 points (33-29) in just 21 games. She received Providence's Paul Connolly Memorial Award in 1985, which is presented annually to the senior female athlete who has distinguished herself among peers both athletically and academically. Curley was inducted into the PC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

Curley starred for Team USA in the 1990s, collecting three silver medals at International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championships. At the inaugural IIHF Women's World Championship in 1990, she received all-tournament honors. The 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points she tallied in five games remain single-tournament records at the IIHF Women's World Championship. She wore the red, white and blue again at the 1992 and 1994 IIHF Women's World Championships. In 15 career games, Curley accumulated 34 points, including 15 goals and 19 assists. Additionally, she helped the U.S. earn the silver medal at the 1995 IIHF Women's Pacific Rim Championship.

Since retiring as a player, Curley has continued to champion girls' and women's hockey as a coach and official. Her dedication to improving grassroots hockey opportunities, as well as her extraordinary playing career, helped earn her induction into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.

Curley has been active during her career with USA Hockey, serving as a volunteer in a variety of capacities, including as an athlete director (1995-2006), and as a member of the youth council 1999-2006), legal council (2005-07), girls/women's section (2000-05) and safety & protective equipment committee (2001-07). Additionally, she was a member of the U.S. Olympic Athlete Advisory Committee from 2005-08.