Honors and Accomplishments
• In 2014, Sykes became the first male head coach to make an appearance at the NCAA Semifinals since the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Tournament was established in 1981.
• Seven NCAA Tournament appearances
• Led the Great Danes to seven America East Conference Championship Titles - 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022
• Two-time NFHCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year - 2014, 2022
• 2014 ECAC Coach of the Year
• Three-time America East Conference Coach of the Year - 2008, 2009, 2014
• Has coached:
• Six NFHCA All-Americans
• 22 NFHCA All-Region selections
• One Honda Award finalist - Paula Heuser
• 11 America East Players of the Year
• 3 America East Rookies of the Year
• 4 America East Midfielders of the Year
• 2 America East Offensive Players of the Year
• 1 America East Defensive Player of the Year
• Seven NFHCA Scholars of Distinction
• 44 NFHCA National Academic Squad members
• Five America East Field Hockey Scholar-Athletes
Coaching Career
• Head Coach, University at Albany (2004-present)
• Interim Head Coach, Cornell University (2003)
• Assistant Coach, Towson University (2001-02)
• Volunteer Assistant Coach, University of California Davis (1998-99)
Education
• Kinesiology, California State University, Hayward (1999)
At UAlbany
2022
The Great Danes saw a second place regular-season finish in the America East at the conclusion of the 2022 season. Holding a 12-4 record ahead of the America East Tournament, UAlbany finished the season with just two conference losses. Competing against four top-25 teams throughout the regular season, the Great Danes defeated #16 Boston College and #18 UMass - both in double overtime. Shortly after the ranked wins, the Purple and Gold entered the top-25 at no. 21. Ending the regular season with five-straight victories, UAlbany entered the America East Tournament ranked 17th in the nation.
Earning the second seed in the America East Tournament, the Great Danes headed to Maine. With the second seed, comes a first-round bye. After defeating sixth-seeded New Hampshire, UAlbany was set to face fifth-seeded Stanford. The Cardinal gain a first-half lead but a goal from Blanca Orsola in the last three minutes of play put the game in overtime. The Great Danes won their seventh program title in shootouts after two overtime periods.
With a conference championship title, comes an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Increased in the rankings to #16, UAlbany was headed to Michigan to face the host, #4 Michigan. In a similar game style, the Wolverines went up by one in the first half. After playing from behind, Floor de Ruiter scored the game-tying goal with less than three minutes on the clock. As time wound down in the first overtime period, Sophia Schoonmaker took a shot and scored the game-winning goal with 55 seconds on the clock. The overtime win would not have possible without several incredible saves from senior goalie Hannah Mangan.
2021
The Great Danes saw a third place regular-season finish in the America East at the conclusion of the 2021 season. With a 9-8 record ahead of the America East Tournament, UAlbany finished its 17th straight season with at least a .500 record. After a rough start to the season, the Great Danes went 5-1 to close out the regular season.
Earning the third seed in the America East Tournament, the Great Danes headed to Maine. Seeing Stanford in the quarterfinals, freshman Floor de Ruiter scored the sole goal for a 1-0 win. UAlbany continued as freshman Blanca Orsola tallied the only goal in the semifinals' 1-0 upset over second-seed, and national top-20 team, Monmouth. In the championship contest, Maine got the upper hand with a goal in the first half but Charlotte Triggs tied the score in the second half. A tied game, the Great Danes continued with two overtime periods before the game went into shootouts, resulting in a loss for UAlbany.
2020-21
Sykes' Great Danes were riding a streak of 14 winning seasons prior to the 2020-21 season, where they went .500 with a 5-5 record. UAlbany further posted double-digit wins each of those 14 seasons, including its highest total of 20 in 2014, prior to a shortened 2020-21 schedule. Due to a late start as a result of the COVID pandemic postponing fall competition to a shortened spring season, UAlbany only totaled 10 games in the season.
The 2020-21 season saw UAlbany finish with a 5-5 overall record and 4-4 America East record, which placed them one spot outside the top-four as they missed the postseason. In a win-and-in final game of the season against No. 16 Stanford, UAlbany dropped the game 3-2 in overtime. Elaina Burchell scored her first goal of the season with less than three minutes remaining, but Stanford scored in overtime to secure its America East postseason bid. The Great Danes earned their first conference win of the season 1-0 against then-No. 18 New Hampshire. UAlbany won three-of-four games following the conference-opening win and were 4-1 to start conference play. They ended the season on a three-game losing streak, capped off by the loss to Stanford, and missed the postseason. Julie Rodijk earned First Team All-Conference, Katie MacCallum Second Team, Charlotte Triggs All-Rookie Team and Sheridan Messier All-Academic Team under Sykes’ guidance.
2019
2019 saw the Great Danes finish 11-8 overall and 2-3 in the America East, which welcomed Monmouth to the conference for the first time. The Danes were picked 22nd in the NFHCA Preseason Poll, and ranked as highly as 20 during the season. UAlbany’s schedule featured home games against #6 Harvard and #1 North Carolina, as well as road matches at #6 Princeton and #16 Delaware. UAlbany earned 10 America East All-Conference selections, led by Midfielder of the Year and All-America Second Team selection Dana Bozek. Bozek also led four Great Danes, including Katie MacCallum, Kelsey McCrudden, and Melissa Nealon, as NFHCA Northeast All-Region honorees.
2018
Sykes garnered his 200th career win on October 7, 2018, following a 2-1 win against conference rival New Hampshire. The Great Danes finished conference play with a 6-2 record in 2018 and went on to capture both the America East regular season and tournament title. UAlbany garnered four NFHCA All-Region selections and eight All-Conference honorees including America East Defensive Player of the Year Frederike Helmke and Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Melissa Nealon. The duo also received NFHCA All-America accolades as they were selected to the second and third team, respectively.
2016
In 2016, UAlbany earned its third consecutive America East regular season title with a 7-1 tally in the East Division and its 11th straight winning season, finishing 14-6 overall. The team defeated UC Davis in the America East quarterfinals before falling to Pacific in the next round. Paula Heuser was a Honda Award finalist, being named one of the top-four players in the country, as well as an NFHCA First Team All-American and America East Midfielder of the Year, finishing in the top-20 in goals, assists and points per game. Heuser and Maxi Primus were each NFHCA All-Americans while Frederike Helmke and Jaclyn Hibbs were each placed on the NFHCA All-Region Team.
2015
The 2015 Great Danes returned to the NCAA Tournament after allowing just one goal in the new-look America East Tournament, and compiling an overall record of 19-3. UAlbany downed UC Davis 7-1 in the quarterfinals, Pacific 5-0 in the semifinals and No. 19 Maine 2-0 in the championship. The 2015 senior class of Liza Morgan, Laura Page, Fiori Van Rijswijk and Emily White graduated as the winningest four-year group in program history under Sykes's guidance.
2014
In his 11th season, Sykes guided the Great Danes to a historic 2014 year on all cylinders. UAlbany won its first NCAA Tournament game on Nov. 15 in the First Round against No. 5 Wake Forest 2-1 in College Park, Md. UAlbany followed up that victory by beating regional host No. 2 Maryland in the Second Round on Nov. 16, 2-1. Those two victories sent the 2014 squad to the University's first all-time appearance in a national semifinal.
The Purple & Gold took its fourth America East Championship all-time in 2014, winning the final by a record score of 5-0 against New Hampshire. It was the first time since the 90s there was a shutout in the conference final, and it was the largest margin of victory all-time.
The Great Danes took an all-time single season record 20 games in 2014, behind the individual efforts of star midfielder Paula Heuser and goalkeeper Maxi Primus. UAlbany won its first game against a top-10 nationally ranked opponent on Sept. 14 when the team downed No. 8 Stanford in Palo Alto 1-0. The Purple & Gold went on to achieve its highest all-time national ranking at No. 7. Heuser was named the Honda Sport Award Winner, NFHCA National Player of the Year and an NFHCA First Team All-American; while Primus became the first goalkeeper all-time at UAlbany to earn All-America honors on the third team under Sykes's tutelage.
2013
Sykes compiled one of the toughest non-conference schedules in history in 2013, with games against No. 4 Virginia, No. 6 Stanford and 2012 NCAA Champion, Princeton. The Great Danes went 15-6, including a 9-0 start. The Purple & Gold achieved its then-highest all-time national ranking at No. 11 for the week of Sept. 16. The 2013 squad was ranked for 16 consecutive weeks.
The Great Danes returned to the America East Championship game in 2013, falling 3-2 to New Hampshire. UAlbany took home several major awards, including Offensive Player of the Year (Daphne Voormolen), as well as Rookie and Midfielder of the Year (Paula Heuser). Heuser became the first America East field hockey student-athlete to earn Rookie and Midfielder of the Year honors in the same year.
2012
UAlbany tallied its third America East Tournament Championship with a win over New Hampshire, 3-1, in 2012. The Great Danes moved on to face Penn State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. UAlbany fell 2-1 to the Nittany Lions, finishing 13-8 on the season. The Great Danes tallied four student-athletes on the America East All-Conference squads, four on the All-Academic team, and two on the All-Rookie squad. Kristi Troch took home her third consecutive Goalkeeper of the Year award; Laura Page garnered Co-Rookie of the Year and Daphne Voormolen was selected as Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
2011
The Great Danes recorded a 13-7 overall record and 3-2 in conference play in 2011. UAlbany fell to the 10th-ranked UNH Wildcats, 1-0, in the semifinals of the America East Conference Tournament. Sykes watched Kristi Troch defend her Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
2010
In 2010, UAlbany posted a 16-6 record, going 4-1 in conference play. A mentor to the league's Goalkeeper of the Year, Kristi Troch and Rookie of the Year, Corrine McConville, Sykes also saw Christina Patrick and Taylor Luke, alongside Troch, earn All-Conference first team accolades, while Daphne Voormolen joined McConville on the All-Rookie team.
Notable Student-Athletes
•
Paula Heuser '17 - Garnered her second NFHCA First Team All-American honor. She is also the first Great Dane to be honored as an All-American three times. Heuser was selected as the NFHCA Northeast Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons after ranking third nationally in points per game and goals per game. Entering her junior year, Heuser is the current active career leader across all three NCAA divisions in points (194) and goals (80).
•
Corinne McConville '14 - Was named to the NFHCA All-America Third Team. McConville became just the second Great Dane to earn All-America status twice in her career. McConville and Heuser also became the first two UAlbany players to garner All-America honors in the same season.
Playing Career
Sykes has a vast amount of playing experience. At age 16, Sykes represented his country in a United States vs. Canada Challenge in Calgary, Alberta. That served as the beginning of Sykes' experience on the U.S. Junior and Senior National Teams, which included playing in the 1989 Junior World Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia. Sykes competed at the 1995 Pan American Games in Argentina, where the U.S. squad won a bronze medal. The highlight of Sykes' playing career came in the 1996 Olympics, when he played on the U.S. Olympic team.
A national team member from 1986-97, Sykes competed for the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. He was a member of the U.S. indoor team in 1994, and then again in 2001 and 2002. The 2002 indoor squad captured a silver medal at the World Cup qualifier and earned a bronze at the 1995 Pan American Games. Sykes has represented the United States in more than 30 junior national and 60 senior national matches. He also competed in the Australian Premier Division for the UTS Hockey Club in Sydney.
Prior to UAlbany
Before arriving to UAlbany, Sykes stepped into the role of interim head coach at Cornell after spending two seasons as the first assistant coach at Towson University.
With the Tigers, Sykes assisted in recruiting, coordinating practices, offensive and defensive strategies, team fitness and developing starting lineups. During his two seasons, Towson doubled its win total, winning 10 games a season ago, while helping the squad to wins over nationally-ranked Delaware and Hofstra, both firsts in program history.
Personal
A native of Livermore, Calif., Sykes resides in Clifton Park with his wife Jen.
Also an accomplished tennis pro, Sykes received his U.S. Professional Tennis Association certificate in 1999 and was an all-conference singles and doubles player at Chabot Junior College, later serving as assistant men's tennis coach there.
| Year |
Record |
America East Record |
America East Regular-Season Finish |
America East Tournament |
NCAA Tournament |
| 2004 |
7-11 |
2-4 |
4th |
|
|
| 2005 |
9-9 |
3-2 |
3rd |
Fell to #2 Maine, 1-0, in the semifinals |
|
| 2006 |
12-7 |
4-1 |
1st (tied) |
Fell to #3 Maine, 1-0, in overtime for the semifinals |
|
| 2007 |
15-5 |
4-1 |
2nd |
Beat #3 Vermont, 2-1, in overtime for the semifinals
Fell to #1 Boston U., 4-1, in the championship |
|
| 2008 |
12-10 |
4-1 |
1st |
Beat #4 Boston U., 1-0, in the semifinals
Beat #2 New Hampshire, 2-1, for the champion title |
Fell to Maryland, 4-2, in the First Round |
| 2009 |
13-5 |
4-1 |
1st (tied) |
Beat #4 New Hampshire, 3-0, in the semifinals
Fell to #2 Boston U., 4-1, in the championship |
|
| 2010 |
16-6 |
3-1 |
2nd |
Beat #3 Boston U., 2-1, in the semifinals
Beat #1 New Hampshire, 3-2, in overtime for the champion title |
Beat Rider, 2-1, in a Play-In game
Fell to Ohio State, 2-1, in the First Round |
| 2011 |
13-7 |
3-2 |
4th |
Fell to #1 New Hampshire, 1-0, in the semifinals |
|
| 2012 |
13-8 |
3-2 |
3rd |
Beat #3 Maine, 4-1, in the semifinals
Beat #1 New Hampshire, 3-1, for the champion title |
Fell to Penn State, 2-1, in the First Round |
| 2013 |
16-5 |
4-1 |
2nd |
Beat #3 Maine, 1-0, in the semifinals
Fell to #1 New Hampshire, 3-2, in the championship |
|
| 2014 |
20-3 |
5-0 |
1st |
Beat #4 Fairfield, 2-1, in the semifinals
Beat #2 New Hampshire, 3-0, for the champion title |
Beat #5 Wake Forest, 2-1, in the First Round
Beat #2 Maryland, 2-1, in the Second Round
Fell to #3 UConn, 1-0, in the Semifinals |
| 2015 |
19-3 |
7-1 |
1st (tied) (East) |
Beat West #4 UC Davis, 7-1, in the quarterfinals
Beat West #2 Pacific, 5-0, in the semifinals
Beat East #2 Maine, 2-0, for the champion title |
Fell to Boston College, 2-1, in the First Round |
| 2016 |
14-6 |
7-1 |
1st (East) |
Beat West #4 UC Davis, 3-1, in the quarterfinals
Fell to West #2 Pacific, 3-2, in the semifinals |
|
| 2017 |
12-7 |
6-2 |
2nd (East) |
Beat West #4 UC Davis, 5-0, in the quarterfinals
Fell to East #3 New Hampshire, 2-1, in overtime for the semifinals |
|
| 2018 |
16-5 |
6-2 |
1st (East) |
Beat West #4 UC Davis, 1-0, in the quarterfinals
Beat West #2 Pacific, 4-3, in the semifinals
Beat East #2 Maine, 2-0, for the champion title |
Fell to Maryland, 2-1, in the First Round |
| 2019 |
11-8 |
2-3 |
3rd (East), 6th overall |
Fell to #3 Stanford, 1-0, in the quarterfinals |
|
| 2020* |
5-5 |
4-4 |
6th |
|
|
| 2021 |
11-9 |
6-2 |
3rd |
Beat #6 Stanford, 1-0, in the quarterfinals
Beat #2 Monmouth, 1-0, in the semifinals
Fell to #1 Maine, 2-1, in shootouts for the championship |
|
| 2022 |
16-5 |
6-2 |
2nd |
Beat #6 New Hampshire, 2-1, in the semifinals
Beat #5 Stanford, 2-1, in shootouts for the champion title |
Beat #4 Michigan, 2-1 (OT), in the First Round
Fell to #6 Penn State, 1-0, in the Second Round |
|
250-124 |
83-33 |
|
7 - America East Championship Titles
11 - America East Championship Appearances
16 - America East Semifinal Appearances
6 - America East Quarterfinal Appearances** |
1 - Final Four Appearances
7 - NCAA Appearances |
*The 2020 season was a shortened season played in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
**America East quarterfinals for field hockey began in 2015 and were not played in 2020.
