Orange Add World-Class Talent to Field Hockey Coaching Staff
4/26/2017 11:28:00 AM | Field Hockey
Kolojejchick joins Bradley's staff following 2016 Olympic run with U.S. National Team
Head coach Ange Bradley has added one of the nation's most decorated field hockey players to her staff, welcoming 2016 U.S. Olympic Team member and the first four-time First Team All-American in North Carolina field hockey history, Kelsey Kolojejchick, to her coaching staff.
Kolojejchick, who is taking time off from the U.S. National Team with 104 international caps in order to seek her coaching opportunity with the Orange, has had numerous career highlights on the field both at the international and collegiate level.
"I'm excited and thankful for this opportunity," Kolojejchick said. "Syracuse is an amazing program, one of the best in the country and ACC. I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to get back into the ACC and am excited to learn from some of the best in Ange and Allan [Law].
"At this point in my career I'm excited to bring what I was able to learn from my time with the national team to younger players and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to bring what I learned from my experiences to Syracuse."
A member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team that placed fifth in Rio de Janiero, Kolojejchick earned gold with the U.S. National Team at the 2015 Pan American Games, 2014 Champions Challenge and 2013 World League Round 2, as well as numerous other medals since playing her first cap with the team in 2010.
A Larksville, Pa. native who attended Wyoming Seminary, Kolojejchick was a dangerous offensive threat for the Tar Heels, concluding her career ranked third in assists (48) and points (185) and fourth in goals (68) at UNC. She led Carolina to four NCAA Championship game appearances in her time in Chapel Hill, taking home the 2009 title.
"I am thrilled to have KK join our Syracuse family," Bradley said. "She is one of my favorite college players of all-time to watch. The passion, work ethic, grit, teamwork and competitive spirit Kelsey displayed as a player embodies our Syracuse Hockey culture. I couldn't be more excited to have a coach with her playing ability and experience join our team. She will be able to immediately influence our front-five team play. Her experience competing as an elite athlete as well as winning an NCAA Championship, four final fours and ACC Championships embodies where our women want to be. She will be an excellent teacher and role model for our athletes.
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"As an assistant coach Kelsey will provide me the opportunity to do two of my favorite things - be a student and teacher of the game. I can't wait to get started mentoring Kelsey in the coaching profession and I'm honored that she chose to be a part of our team."
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Kolojejchick was a team captain as a senior in 2012 and was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2011 and NFHCA South Region Player of the Year in 2012, as well as earning All-ACC and NFHCA All-Region accolades all-four years in addition to her four First Team All-America nods. She was also a graduate of the Richard A. Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy, considered one of the nation's premier programs for leadership development among student-athletes.
Before Carolina, she was the National High School Coaches Association Field Hockey Athlete of the Year and a three-time high school All-American.
As a member of the Orange coaching staff, Kolojejchick inherits an offensive unit that finished sixth nationally in scoring average last season, averaging 3.37 goals per game. 'Cuse also boasts the best record in ACC play – widely considered the nation's best conference – since joining the league in 2013. Syracuse enters the 2017 season having earned one of the nation's top-four seeds in the NCAA Tournament each of the last-four seasons, which is the longest active streak in the country.
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Kolojejchick, who is taking time off from the U.S. National Team with 104 international caps in order to seek her coaching opportunity with the Orange, has had numerous career highlights on the field both at the international and collegiate level.
"I'm excited and thankful for this opportunity," Kolojejchick said. "Syracuse is an amazing program, one of the best in the country and ACC. I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to get back into the ACC and am excited to learn from some of the best in Ange and Allan [Law].
"At this point in my career I'm excited to bring what I was able to learn from my time with the national team to younger players and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to bring what I learned from my experiences to Syracuse."
A member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team that placed fifth in Rio de Janiero, Kolojejchick earned gold with the U.S. National Team at the 2015 Pan American Games, 2014 Champions Challenge and 2013 World League Round 2, as well as numerous other medals since playing her first cap with the team in 2010.
A Larksville, Pa. native who attended Wyoming Seminary, Kolojejchick was a dangerous offensive threat for the Tar Heels, concluding her career ranked third in assists (48) and points (185) and fourth in goals (68) at UNC. She led Carolina to four NCAA Championship game appearances in her time in Chapel Hill, taking home the 2009 title.
"I am thrilled to have KK join our Syracuse family," Bradley said. "She is one of my favorite college players of all-time to watch. The passion, work ethic, grit, teamwork and competitive spirit Kelsey displayed as a player embodies our Syracuse Hockey culture. I couldn't be more excited to have a coach with her playing ability and experience join our team. She will be able to immediately influence our front-five team play. Her experience competing as an elite athlete as well as winning an NCAA Championship, four final fours and ACC Championships embodies where our women want to be. She will be an excellent teacher and role model for our athletes.
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"As an assistant coach Kelsey will provide me the opportunity to do two of my favorite things - be a student and teacher of the game. I can't wait to get started mentoring Kelsey in the coaching profession and I'm honored that she chose to be a part of our team."
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Kolojejchick was a team captain as a senior in 2012 and was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year in 2011 and NFHCA South Region Player of the Year in 2012, as well as earning All-ACC and NFHCA All-Region accolades all-four years in addition to her four First Team All-America nods. She was also a graduate of the Richard A. Baddour Carolina Leadership Academy, considered one of the nation's premier programs for leadership development among student-athletes.
Before Carolina, she was the National High School Coaches Association Field Hockey Athlete of the Year and a three-time high school All-American.
As a member of the Orange coaching staff, Kolojejchick inherits an offensive unit that finished sixth nationally in scoring average last season, averaging 3.37 goals per game. 'Cuse also boasts the best record in ACC play – widely considered the nation's best conference – since joining the league in 2013. Syracuse enters the 2017 season having earned one of the nation's top-four seeds in the NCAA Tournament each of the last-four seasons, which is the longest active streak in the country.
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