Lawrenceville School Student-Athlete Signs National Letter of Intent with Providence College

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by .

Lawrenceville School senior Sarah Bryant has signed a National Letter of Intent with Providence College (Providence, Rhode Island).

Bryant, a tri-sport (ice hockey, soccer, and lacrosse) varsity athlete at the Lawrenceville School, will begin her college career in the fall, playing ice hockey for the NCAA Division I Friars. She plans to major in biology in preparation for medical school or graduate work in physical therapy.

The Bethlehem, Pa. native explained that she chose Providence because of the balance she expects to find there between academics and athletics. She said Bob Deraney, coach of the Friars' women's ice hockey team, told her, "'Excel in everything; sacrifice nothing,' meaning that I should be able to get an excellent education that will prepare me for life after college, play hockey at the highest college level, and feel right at home on campus.  He said that if a college does not offer all of those things to me, I should look somewhere else.  At Providence, I found all of those things, and no one of them was at the expense of another."

The goaltender continued, "I also believe that being a part of the Friars’ hockey program is going to be a dream come true.  The team is in a great conference where they have to work hard to win games, but they are also hungry for a national championship and likely to be a contender every year.  The coaches are experienced, knowledgeable about the sport, and truly put the team as their first priority."

Nicole Uliasz, Lawrenceville's assistant athletic director and head coach of the Big Red girl's ice hockey team, remarked, "I have watched Sarah grow and mature on and off the ice these past four years. She is an amazing person and deserves every good thing that comes her way. She will make Lawrenceville proud as she goes on to play at Providence."

Bryant, who first laced up her skates at age seven, is in her fourth year as a member of Lawrenceville's girls' varsity ice hockey team. She also competes for a club team, the New Jersey Colonials. The consistent high honors student said organization is the key to maintaining a healthy balance between her academic and athletic commitments. "I use lots of sticky notes with check lists," she explained.

While she enjoys playing both soccer and lacrosse, her real love is ice hockey. "It's a fast-paced, always changing game of speed, power, finesse and, most importantly, teamwork," she said. "I'm always on my toes, looking to get better. Hockey demands so much of me as an individual, but at the same time, I know that I have a whole team of players on the bench who are there to support me and each other."