Isabelle Sumichrast
Two-time North Carolina State Champion Isabelle Sumichrast will join the Syracuse field hockey team for the 2017 season.
The Charlotte, North Carolina native is a three-year All-Conference, All-State, NC All Star, and Charlotte Observer Super Team member. She was also was recognized as an NFHCA All-Region player and honored on the NFHCA All-Academic honor roll back to back years from 2015 to 2016.
“I’m happy to welcome Isabelle to our family,” said head coach Ange Bradley. “She has improved immensely and I am excited to see her compete for a starting position this fall. She is a smart, calm, composed competitor with vision and a love for the game. This passion to compete and embrace the challenge to be the best will take her far. I am excited to begin working with her.”
Sumichrast played for the Charlotte Ambush club field hockey team for the past five years in addition to being selected for the North Carolina All-Star team for NCISAA Schools at Charlotte Latin School for the past three years.
“As soon as I began working with Isabelle I knew she had the ability to compete at an elite level in college,” said Ambush coach Sarah Kromboiz. “Her field awareness, ability to understand space, endurance and pass first mentality are great assets. I am excited to see her in action at Syracuse.”
Sumichrast has big aspirations for her time at Syracuse, as she hopes to challenge herself academically in the renown S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications while pushing herself athletically on the field.
“I chose Syracuse because I always wanted to go to school up North,” Sumichrast said. “Also, Coach Bradley is such a respected coach, and I believe she will push me to not only be the best field hockey player I can be, but also the best athlete I can be. Additionally, I want to try to maintain a [near perfect GPA] the entire time I am at Syracuse.”
Besides being the captain of the field hockey team, Sumichrast participated in many other extracurricular activities during her high school career, including Model United Nations, Girl Up Club, Mosaic (Diversity) Club, and Spirit Club. She hopes to further grow her leadership qualities while playing for the Orange.
“I want to leave behind a legacy that reminds people of the respect others have to me and the importance of working hard,” Sumichrast said. “It is important to me that my teammates trust me and can be trusted to do their job on and off the field. I want people to see me as a leader.”
Her high school coach agreed that the center midfielder will be able to spark team chemistry through her poise and communication on the field.
“Isabelle’s demeanor is quiet and unassuming, but her actions speak volumes about her character and who she is,” said high school Coach, Deb Savino. “She is a great teammate and competitor, setting an example through hard work, consistency and positive encouragement. Isabelle is a gift to treasure. She will keep on giving.”
The daughter of Marty and Cindy Sumichrast, Isabelle is confident in her ability to win a championship in an Orange uniform. She noted that playing on Coyne Field will help her to remember the history and legacy left by former players, and her to strive for that level of hard work.
While playing for Syracuse, Sumichrast said she hopes to emulate the success of Orange Alyssa Manley “because Alyssa Manley grew as a player like I think I will, and became one of the best Syracuse players, which I wants to be.”
Sumichrast is excited for the intensity that comes with ACC Competition.
“It means more than I could’ve ever hoped for or thought I was capable of doing [to play in the ACC],” she said. “It is definitely the hardest and most intense conference in field hockey, and I am so excited to play in it. Someday, I will be able to experience some of the best athletes in college field hockey, so I think I will be able to grow drastically.”
Stay tuned to Cuse.com over the coming weeks to learn more about coach Bradley’s newest additions to the Syracuse hockey family.
