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After a four-year rowing career at Syracuse, Haley Uliasz wasn’t fulfilled. Her childhood dream was to play Division I hockey like her two sisters — Nicole (Wisconsin) and Brianna (Connecticut). With one more year of eligibility left, Uliasz reached out to the SU ice hockey coaching staff and asked to try out.

Despite not playing competitive hockey since high school, Uliasz made the team. She finally earned the chance to complete her goal and hasn’t taken the opportunity for granted.

“(Uliasz is) one of our hardest workers,” said Syracuse head coach Britni Smith. “She really sticks to coming in, working hard and learning everyday to get herself back into (hockey).”

Through four years playing at Kent School (CT), Uliasz received limited D-I interest to play hockey. But she also picked up rowing at Kent — becoming rowing team captain as a junior. Uliasz garnered offers to continue her rowing career at the D-I level, ultimately accepting an offer from Syracuse that paid nearly 75% of her tuition. While she assumed her dreams were dashed, she kept her desire to play hockey close.

“Syracuse gave me a better offer with rowing,” Uliasz said. “I never thought I was going to have the opportunity to play hockey again.”

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Uliasz spent the majority of her high school athletic career as a hockey player, making the transition to D-I tougher. Yet, according to SU women’s rowing head coach Luke McGee, Uliasz impressed from the get-go.

“Coming in and learning that and building trust within was really huge,” McGee said.

Uliasz progressively improved throughout her SU rowing career. After her spring season as a freshman was canceled because of COVID-19, Uliasz got back to training with Syracuse in the fall and elevated her knowledge of the sport.

By her junior season, Uliasz advanced to the second varsity 8 and remained on the same crew entering her senior year. But with Syracuse appearing in the national championship the year prior, Uliasz constantly had to compete to keep her spot.

During a preseason scrimmage against Virginia on Mar. 18, Uliasz’s boat lost to UVA’s competing second varsity 8. Afterward, Uliasz and a few other members were demoted to varsity 4 crew.

“We kind of decided when both of us were moved out of that boat we would do everything we could to get back in,” said Louise Rath, Uliasz’s teammate who was also removed. “We felt like we had a chip on our shoulders, we had something to prove.”

Two weeks later, Uliasz, along with Rath, Junior Ognovich, Mae Sweeney and Alice McNeill on the varsity 4, competed at the 2023 Doc Hosea Invitational. Uliasz and her crew defeated Penn, Northeastern and Bucknell in every race to win the invitational.

“The collective mindset of the boat was ‘F-Yeah, F-Yeah,’” Rath said. “That was always the attitude I felt Haley had towards racing: If it hurts, bring it on. If it’s going to be hard, bring it on.”

After three races, Uliasz earned back a spot on the second varsity 8. Uliasz’s final rowing season finished with her boat coming in third at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. At the NCAA Championship, Uliasz’s crew came in 17th.

As a rower, Uliasz’s drive to play hockey was apparent. Ognovich said that Uliasz often rollerbladed around Syracuse’s campus to stay in skating shape. She also worked on her skills when at home during school breaks. Her sister Nicole is the girls’ ice hockey head coach at The Lawrenceville School (NJ), where Uliasz practiced.

Once she completed her senior season as a rower, Uliasz’s itch to return to the ice nagged at her. She enjoyed playing hockey and wanted to follow her siblings’ lead.

“I think hockey was always a big proponent and my dad always wanted me to play,” Uliasz said. “Not to knock rowing, but I felt like it was something that I was missing from my family.”

After impressing at her ensuing tryout with SU ice hockey and accepting its offer to join, Uliasz needed to adjust her routine yet again. To fully return to hockey shape, Uliasz spent much of her time weight training as opposed to the lengthy cardio sessions that rowing requires.

Seventeen games into the 2023-24 season, Uliasz is living out her ultimate goal as a fifth-year forward. Uliasz’s former rowing teammates knew what her true passion was, and were thrilled to see her make the switch.

“I think hockey was a sport that held a lot of nostalgia for her,” said Uliasz’s former teammate Olivia Schaertl. “I thought it was super exciting to hear that she was gonna take a break or be done with rowing to pick up hockey again.”

Published on November 30, 2023 at 12:12 am

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky