Northeastern Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Madigan announced on February 17, 2023 the hiring of Pam Spuehler as head coach of the Northeastern field hockey program. Spuehler enters her third season as head coach, previously serving as a recruiting coordinator in 2018 and the associate head coach from 2018 to 2022.
"It become apparent during our search that the best fit for our team was in our own backyard, and we are incredibly excited to name Pam as the fifth head coach of our storied field hockey program," Madigan said. "We believe that Pam is one of the top young coaches in the country, and we are looking forward to seeing her take the next step in her career here at Northeastern. We continue to have high expectations for our field hockey program, and we are confident that under Pam's leadership our student-athletes are in a great position to succeed both on the field and in the classroom."
In her first season in fall 2023, Spuehler and Northeastern finished with an 8-10 overall record, going 3-3 in CAA play. The Huskies entered the CAA tournament as the No. 4 seed, falling to top-seeded Monmouth 1-2 in the first round. Under the leadership of Spuehler, graduate student back Lauren Rowe was named CAA Defensive Player of ther Year, and was named to the All-CAA first team with senior forward Mak Graves. Junior midfielder Lara Taylor and graduate student back Cailin Hart were named to the All-CAA Second Team, while freshman forward Alex Mega was tabbed to the All-Rookie Team. In her second season, Spuehler led the team to a 12-7 record, with a 5-1 conference record. The team had an almost perfect season at home, loosing only 1 game at Dedham Field.
Spuehler brings more than 10 years of coaching experience to her new role, including serving as the associate head coach of the Huskies from 2018 to 2022. Since joining the program in 2018 and serving as the recruiting coordinator, she has helped lead Northeastern to three CAA Tournaments (2018, 2019, 2022) and a conference championship game appearance in 2019. During that 2019 season, the Huskies cracked the top-25 of the NFHCA poll for the first time since 2014.
"To say I am honored and excited to become the next head field hockey coach at Northeastern University is an understatement," Spuehler said. "I have known what a special place Northeastern is since joining the Huskies in 2018, and I cannot wait to lead this program to greater success. I would like to thank Jim Madigan, the Northeastern Athletics administration, and the student-athletes for believing in me and providing me with this opportunity. I look forward to the challenges ahead and building a team that will continually compete at the highest levels on and off the field."
Prior to her arrival at Northeastern, Spuehler served as the first assistant at Ohio University during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Spuehler is one of the greatest field hockey players in Boston University history, and was inducted into the Terriers' Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility in 2014. Spuehler was a three-time All-American, capped by a first-team selection as a senior in 2007 when she was named one of four finalists for the Honda Award, given annually to the nation's top collegiate field hockey player.
As a senior, Spuehler scored a team-best 37 points to help BU reach the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 1991. She helped the Terriers claim three straight conference titles and was twice named the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship (2006, 2007). The first four-time America East All-Conference honoree in program history, Spuehler was the recipient of the 2008 Mildred Barnes Award, given the top female athlete at BU.
Spuehler, a native of Sudbury, Mass., went on to serve as an assistant coach for the Terriers for two seasons (2008-09) before deciding to focus on her playing career, which included stints with top-level hockey leagues in Australia and Germany before earning a spot on the 2011 U.S. National Team.
