Cincinnati soccer player Ally Sidloski dies at 21 after drowning accident
Cincinnati soccer player Ally Sidloski died on Saturday in a drowning accident at East Fork State Park in Ohio, according to the university and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The university confirmed Sidloski’s death on Monday. She was 21.
"I am absolutely crushed for the Sidloski Family, our soccer team and the University," Soccer coach Neil Stafford said in a statement. "There's no words for dealing with a tragedy on this scale. Ally was such a pillar of everything that's right about our program. A great student, gritty and resilient player and a phenomenal human being – this is an immeasurable and unspeakable loss. Our hearts go out to her family and friends and we will lift them up with our fond memories of Ally.”
Not only have we felt the darkness of tragedy but the Light of Love, Empathy & Compassion. I'm moved by the Grace & Strength of the Sidloski Family & the Resiliency of our @GoBEARCATS Family. Ally Sid was a beautiful extraordinary woman, the emotions of so many proved that today. pic.twitter.com/ZvB0B7NHe9
— Neil Stafford (@UCGaffer) May 24, 2021
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources confirmed that Sidloski’s body was recovered early on Sunday morning at the William H. Harsha Lake at the state park, which sits just east of Cincinnati.
Sidloski, per the report, was hanging off a swim platform attached to a boat when she fell into the lake. Officials said she wasn’t wearing a life jacket at the time.
Sidloski, a Strongsville, Ohio, native, did not play for the Bearcats last season due to injury. She redshirted as a freshman in 2018, and then earned Academic All-ACC honors in 2019 after completing multiple semesters with a 4.0 GPA.
"Our Bearcats family has suffered an extreme loss," Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham said in a statement. "We send all our prayers, love and support to the Sidloski family and will do everything we can to support them and our student-athletes as we all process and work through this tragedy. Please respect the privacy of the Sidloskis and members of our soccer team as they grieve the loss of their daughter, sister, teammate and friend."
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