Years before she ever stepped foot on campus, Sydney Balotin had already imagined life at the University of New England. As a seventh grader in Syracuse, New York, she was tasked with researching a college. UNE may have seemed like an unconventional choice, but Sydney was drawn to it through a former babysitter who attended the school. At the time, it was just an assignment. Nearly a decade later, Balotin is thriving as a dual-sport athlete at UNE. In the midst of a strong senior lacrosse season — just months removed from the end of her four-year soccer career — she has established herself as one of the program’s top contributors, being one of just 10 players to reach 100 career goals, and one of seven to accumulate 150 points. On the soccer field, she was a three-year starter, and helped lead the Nor'easters to consecutive Conference of New England semifinal appearances.
“I like to do my own thing and have my own experiences, without people I know, and find my own place,” Balotin said, recalling her thought process when choosing where she would spend her college years. “I already knew a lot about UNE after doing that research project.” For Sydney, UNE checked the necessary boxes: reasonably within driving distance, far enough away to provide a fresh start, the opportunity to be a student-athlete, plus a strong nursing program. Soccer was the first priority for Balotin, who was originally unsure about the challenge of playing two sports.
Head women’s lacrosse coach Bridget Lawless had already come across Balotin’s film and believed she could contribute. When the opportunity arose during her first semester, the idea was floated — without pressure. “She told me I didn’t have to make it a four-year commitment,” Balotin said. “I could take it year by year.” That flexibility made the decision easier. After one season, where Sydney was named the conference's Rookie of the Year, the long-term vision was clear.
What followed was a college experience defined by constant motion. Balancing two sports — never mind academics — presented its challenges. The lack of an offseason is an obvious one, but the preparation also looks different for someone who is unavailable for fall lacrosse practices and spring soccer sessions. “Transitioning into soccer season over the summer, training in the heat, and getting back into soccer shape while touching a ball for the first time since November was the hardest part,” Balotin said. “I was always anxious going into the season, feeling like I needed time to warm up and find my place on that particular team.” Evidently, Sydney had no issue finding her role on the soccer field, having started 50 of the 54 games she played in three years under current head coach AJ Stueck.
Balotin's winning approach needed to be applied beyond sports, once you factor in the rigors of UNE's nursing program. Balancing athletics and academics was manageable at first, but as her coursework ramped up in her junior year and she more often found herself on UNE’s Portland Campus, Sydney’s two-sport lifestyle back in Biddeford became more difficult. “I needed to figure out a schedule for myself, and my time management really needed to be in check,” Balotin said. “It prepared me a lot, and I can say that I developed new skills because I needed to learn to figure things out.” In May, Sydney will graduate from UNE’s nursing program. But it may be what she learned outside of the classroom that will most set her apart. “I understand now that I’m capable of so much,” Balotin said. “I’ve also learned that it’s okay to fail, and it’s okay to ask for help."
Those life lessons, along with the community Sydney has found at UNE, will make it difficult to move on in the coming months. “I found my place and I found my people,” Balotin said proudly. “It was tough in the beginning, being far away from home, but I will actually be homesick leaving here.” The memories will remain, though, and one that stands out is the women’s soccer team’s playoff victory over Roger Williams on the turf at Blue Storm Stadium in November 2025 — her last home soccer game. Balotin played all 90 minutes of that game, helping the Nor'easters chalk up a 2-0 shutout. “Those are the moments I search for in athletics,” Sydney reflected. “Our team was so close this year, so to be able to do that with them was special.”
Soon, though, a new chapter will begin, with aspirations of becoming a pediatric cancer nurse guiding her forward. And as for that seventh-grade project? It turned out to be more than just an assignment. It was the beginning of everything that followed.