Sydney McPartlon '23 finished her third season as an assistant coach and first year in a full-time role with the Union College women's lacrosse team in 2026.
In her first season as a full-time coach, the team increased its win total for the third straight season with an excellent 2026 campaign, which saw the Garnet Chargers post a 14-7 (9-1 Liberty League) record to reach the conference title game for the second straight year and earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2015. Six of the team's seven defeats came against nationally ranked opposition as part of a schedule that placed the team 27th nationally in NPI. The team followed up with its first NCAA win since 2009 with a 21-5 victory over Mount Union in the first round that reset program records for most goals scored, fewest goals allowed and largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament game. The squad placed four players on the IWLCA All-Empire Region teams after the season, marking the most All-Region honorees for the team since 2010.
In her first two seasons on the sidelines at Union, the Garnet Chargers posted a combined 24-10 record and a 15-5 mark in the very competitive Liberty League. The squad reached the conference semifinals in both seasons, including a spot in the conference championship game in 2025.
McPartlon returned to the Union sidelines after a decorated four-year career with the women's lacrosse team at Union. Despite missing essentially two full seasons due to pandemic and injury, she finished her career with 95 goals and 21 assists for 116 points in just 31 games. During the pandemic-shortened 2021 season, the attacker averaged nearly four points per game with 27 goals and seven assists in just nine contests to earn her first All-Liberty League honor. As a senior captain, she netted 45 goals with 10 assists for 56 points to earn her second All-Liberty League second-team selection in addition to the school's Robert M. Ridings Memorial Award as the senior female athlete of the year.
McPartlon graduated from Union in 2023 with a degree in environmental policy.
