The 2022 Rams Reflect is the seventh in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of Suffolk teams have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Suffolk.
For a complete listing of past and present Rams’ Reflections, click here.
Sydney Tietz, Women's Hockey | Hometown: East Gull Lake, Minn. | Major: Physical Therapy
After 19 years of hockey, it's hard to believe it's all come to an end. When I laced up the skates at three years old, who would've thought that hockey would have a significant impact on my life, it taught me some valuable lessons but, most importantly, has allowed me to meet amazing people along my journey. The days after I skated for the first time, I knew there wouldn't be a day that would pass by where I wouldn't want to spend my day at the rink. It was my second home.
When my high school season ended, I was not ready to leave behind all the memories and my friends. I wasn't prepared for the change. Throughout the summer, I was scared to go off into the big city and start a whole new chapter, but I didn't realize my choices would create the best chapter in my life. My family thought I was out of my mind for wanting to take a risk on a new program, but it was a risk I was willing to take. I was so excited and privileged to represent Suffolk University for the next four years.
Our inaugural season was nothing but unforgettable. Here I was in Boston with 21 other crazy girls who also decided to take a risk and help build this program from the ground up. Little did we know every time we would put on that jersey, we were all writing a story and creating history for future Rams to look upon. We were a very young team with 17 freshmen, but we all had passion and drive that developed a winning team. Since we were a new team, we didn't get ranked very high in the polling system, but that didn't stop us from showing up to the rink, hitting the weight room, and putting in work that would make us better than the day before making sure we proved everyone wrong. That season, we took second in the NEHC and finished the season 15-9-2. This program wouldn't have accomplished these milestones without our parents trusting the process and standing by our sides, Coach Taylor recruiting girls that all had the same drive and dedication, and everyone apart of the Suffolk Athletics Department who believed in us since day one.
The following season wasn't all how we wanted it to go, but we definitely accomplished goals that weren't expected for another few years down the road. Even though we finished the season 10-15-3, we knew we had so much more to prove and that playoffs is a whole other season. In the quarterfinals, we surpassed JWU, winning 2-1, and made history in the Suffolk women's hockey book for winning our first quarterfinal game. Our next match was against a more challenging opponent, but that wasn't intimidating; we just knew we had to play our hearts out. We beat Southern Maine in a nail-biter in the semifinals, with the final score being 2-1. The Rams were rolling and on their way to the NEHC championship against Norwich! I will never forget that moment. It was the best feeling in the world. Even though the game didn't pan out how we would've liked, it was an unforgettable experience, mainly because we had the lead over Norwich not once, but twice (after I dropped a bomb from the blue line). I remember Coach Taylor saying, don't hang your heads about this loss because this was a goal I had set for within the next year, and look where you guys are now!
Senior year was yet another unforgettable season with even more historical milestones. It was crazy how fast the time flew by; I couldn't believe this was going to be my last season in my hockey career. This season we finished second in the polls again and established Suffolk women's hockey's winningest season finishing the season 19-6-0. Every time I touched the ice, I knew I had to play like it would be my last. We were so surprised when we lost to Curry College in the quarterfinals 3-2. It really didn't hit me until I realized I wasn't going to be able to sit in my stall ever again; I wasn't going to get to put that jersey on, but what hit me the hardest was not getting to play with my Suffolk family. My teammates mean the world to me, and I will never forget you until the day I die; you all hold a very special place in my heart, and this isn't a goodbye, but a see you later; once a Ram, always a Ram.
Thank you to Coach Taylor and Coach Bridget for making me a better person on and off the ice and creating unforgettable experiences that will live with me forever. Thanks so much for creating this program and dedicating so much of your time to all of us. All of this wouldn't have been possible without you guys. Also a huge thank you to Anna, thanks for looking over us this season and making sure we were always in good hands (sorry about all my injuries).
These four years go by in a blink of an eye. I didn't believe it when I was a freshman because I remember high school felt like it dragged on forever. These four years definitely had it's ups and downs, but I wouldn't have wanted my chapter to be written any other way. Never take a day for granted. Make sure every time you touch the ice, you're playing like it's your last because you never know when your last is going to be. When you put on that Suffolk jersey, wear it with pride and make your college experience one you will never forget!
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