Sydney Kowalczyk was a defender on Wagner College’s field hockey team, a Division I school in Staten Island, in 2024. She was not playing, having issues with teammates, and just didn’t feel like Wagner was the right fit for her.
“It started off pretty good,” Kowalczyk said. “But I had some issues with the environment, and it just wasn’t the right place for me. I’ve always been close to my family, and I wasn’t able to get that same support there. I knew pretty early on that I probably wasn’t going to stay.”
After a tough year at Wagner, Kowalczyk entered the transfer portal searching for a new home and a better fit. Her transformation was nothing short of impressive.
Kowalcyzk just wrapped a regular season at Rowan as the leading scorer for the team and in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). She’s been a key piece for the Profs in winning their fifth-straight regular season title.
Because Kowalczyk preserved another year of eligibility, she came in and set herself up to have one of the best freshman seasons in the country.
“When I went into the transfer portal, Coach [Michelle] Andre was nothing but open and helpful,” Kowalczyk said. “Even if it wasn’t here, she told me she’d help me find my place. But I was always going to be attracted to Rowan. I knew the girls, I knew the culture, and it just felt like home.”
Head coach Michelle Andre said she had known Kowalczyk before her time in Glassboro. She found Kowalczyk before she was in college, while the forward was playing club field hockey. When she saw Kowalczyk in the portal, it was a no-brainer to bring her in.
“We were aware of Sid from her club days,” Andre said. “When we saw she was in the portal, I reached out right away. She was a great fit; she could fill multiple roles for us. She has a well-polished field hockey game that’s still growing.”
One might think the transition from defender to attacker would be a tough one. Learning a whole different skill set, being on the opposite side of the field. It could be overwhelming for some, but Kowalczyk has plenty of attacking experience. While at Moorestown High School, Kowalczyk totaled 32 goals as team captain, and she was recognized with an All-State Third Team nod.
“It just happened organically,” Andre said. “She has such good forward motion speed. She’s not afraid to take the ball up the field and create her own space in the circle. And because she’s a good defender, she can win the ball back and create her own offense.”
This two-way mindset allowed the Medford-native to raise her game no matter where she was on the field.
“Being a defender, you know what it takes to stop attackers,” Kowalczyk explained. “So when I’m on offense, I know what the defender’s going to do before they do it. That helps me be more successful.”
When Kowalczyk got to Rowan, there wasn’t that much of a transition period needed for her, as she was already familiar with some of her new teammates. Kowalczyk trained and played with several of them in club and summer tournaments, and that chemistry quickly carried over onto the field.
“The girls are definitely the biggest part of what’s made this experience so special,” Kowalczyk said. “We’re all so close and so supportive of one another. Everyone just wants what’s best for the team.”
Senior captain Tess Herman said Kowalczyk’s energy and instincts made an immediate impact.
“She’s so quick and really smart with her decisions,” Herman said. “She knows how to get the ball in the net. She’s a great addition, I love having her on the team.”
Coach Andre wants the Profs to be an attacking team, a team at the forefront dominating possession, and Kowalczyk fits right in. With her goals, the Profs went undefeated in NJAC play and secured home-field advantage throughout the conference tournament.
“She’s always in the right spot when we need her to be,” Andre said. “She makes the people around her better. And she’s just getting started — she has three more years after this one, which is super exciting for us.”
For Kowalczyk, success isn’t about personal accolades but about returning to the joy of competition.
“I’ve always loved playing field hockey. So going somewhere that I wasn’t enjoying it, and it was ultimately like ruining, like ruining the sport for me, was really hard.”
From defender to dominant scorer, from uncertainty to confidence, Sydney Kowalczyk has found her place, and she’s making the most of it.
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