Ryan Sierakowski: Leaving His Mark

Ryan Sierakowski has been a prominent fixture in the Michigan State men's soccer lineup for the past three years, starting every game in his career and leading the team in goals each season – and he's continuing to leave his mark on the Spartan soccer program.

The McHenry, Illinois, native left home to become a Spartan in 2015 and has never looked back.

While being away from home is an adjustment for any college student, going to school out-of-state has provided Sierakowski with the tools to be more independent and mature at a faster rate.

"I actually love being away. I love traveling and experiencing new things," Sierakowski said. "I was recruited by some schools in Chicago, and I just didn't want to be close to home, I knew that. My parents are super supportive and they come to almost every home game."

The support Sierakowski has received over the years from his family, teammates and coaches has had a huge role in his development over the years and a strong influence on who he is as a soccer player and person.

Coming from a family of athletes, Sierakowski had the advantage of having the support of people who understood the demands of being an athlete.

"I grew up with a ton of family members that are athletes and they know what it takes to be successful, so they'll let me know if I do bad and they'll humble me if I do well," Sierakowski said. "They're always there, they're always pushing me. It can be a pain in the butt sometimes, but I love them to death."

In addition, Sierakowski's mom, Sheryl, played basketball at UIC and Appalachian State, so he was able to relate to her and look to her for advice about being a collegiate athlete.

Sierakowski began his Michigan State soccer career with a breakout season as a freshman in 2015 and was selected to the Freshman All-Big Ten team, and his role on the team never faltered and continued to build over his next few seasons.

"I think it's important to never be content. I started and I was lucky enough to be able to start right away. I just wanted to make an impact early on and be able to help the team any way I could," Sierakowski said. "(It's) just always setting new goals. It could've been easy for me to be like, 'You know, I started freshman year, I made it' or 'I've already done my job.' I never thought that - I've always wanted to improve."

And improve he did. Sierakowski continued right where his freshman campaign left off and was named to the first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-Big Ten during his sophomore and junior years, respectively.

"My mentality is just to show up everyday and be better today than I was yesterday. Just to be consistently growing, learning and trying to get better," Sierakowski said.

The senior forward has reached a lot of career milestones that have set precedents for future Spartans, including being on track to become the first Spartan to lead the team in points for four-straight seasons.

In his career thus far, Sierakowski has netted 15 game-winning goals, with two of the 15 occurring this season.

For him, the most memorable game-winning goal was against Western Michigan during his sophomore season, where he helped the team to a 2-1 victory over the in-state rival Broncos. The game also marked his third-straight game-winning goal.

"The one that I'll never forget is against Western Michigan," Sierakowski reflects. "We were down 1-0, I had a PK to tie it up 1-1 and then scored a game-winner in overtime to win 2-1. The whole team celebrated, and we went to the fans. It was special."

While he's grateful and humbled by his accomplishments thus far, Sierakowski wants to continue doing all he can for his team.

"I'm grateful for it, I never thought that would happen," Sierakowski said. "It's been a goal; I always wanted to leave my mark and inspire the youth and people coming up. I'm still motivated - I want to score more and I want to help the team more and see what else comes."

Sierakowski and the Spartans still have milestones left that they want to accomplish as a team this season – winning the Big Ten title, advancing far in the NCAA Tournament and making a trip to the College Cup.

"We have the last two Big Ten games, and it's going to come down to the wire," Sierakowski said. "Hopefully get the Big Ten title and make a deep run in the tournament and get to the College Cup. Leave a mark."

While his time wearing the Green and White enters its homestretch, Sierakowski can depart with his head held high, knowing that he has truly left his mark on the Michigan State soccer program.

Players Mentioned

Ryan Sierakowski

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