Northeastern University Women's Field Hockey

Morris enters her second season as associate head coach of the Northeastern field hockey program and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Huntington Avenue.   A 1994 graduate of Northeastern, Morris boasts an excellent career as both a player and coach in the field hockey profession. The former Husky has been a head coach for 13 seasons at both Stonehill College and Ohio University. During her time at the helm of the two programs, she collected an outstanding record of 167-109 and led both to an NCAA Tournament appearance.   Morris joined Northeastern prior to the 2015 season after a seven-year tenure as the head coach at Stonehill. While with the Skyhawks, Morris boasted a career record of 100-49, leading her team to five NCAA Division II tournaments, including three appearances in the Final Four, and one Northeast-10 conference championship.    Morris has helped aid in the development of several former Skyhawks, including more than 20 former players collecting first and second team All-American Accolades. She led the program to six NE-10 Tournament appearances, finishing as the runner-up three times. While at Ohio, Morris led the Bobcats to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance and first MAC championship in 20 years.   During her time at Northeastern, Morris was part of a corps that collected 54 wins and made the NCAA Tournament three times, advancing as far as the second round twice. During the 1992 season, she served as captain of the team and currently ranks fifth all-time in career assists with 37. She received a degree in recreation and sports management from Northeastern. 

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.

Murtagh Year-by-Year Record Head coach Cheryl Murtagh returns to the sidelines for her 29th season at the helm of the Northeastern field hockey program. The Huskies are coming off an outstanding performance in 2014, having earned a 14-5 (.737) record and their first-ever CAA regular season championship. Five players garnered All-CAA honors, and Murtagh was named the 2014 CAA Co-Coach of the Year. In 2013, Murtagh's team finished 8-13, but advanced to the CAA championship game for the third straight season. She helped develop several young players on the roster, including goalkeeper Becky Garner, who was named to the All-CAA Rookie Team. Along with Garner, Murtagh assisted in the growth of Jessica Unger, who was one of eight players in the CAA with two or more defensive saves and Emmy Zweserijn, who finished 2013 with a team-high 65 shots and four assists. In 2012, Murtagh guided the Huskies to a 14-7 (5-2 CAA) record, reaching the conference title game for the second straight season. With the help of senior All-American Crystal Poland, who broke the school record in both career goals (78) and career points (179), NU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and finishing the season ranked 12th in the nation. The 2012 campaign was also a memorable one on a personal level for Murtagh, who was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Hall of Fame, as well as the Northeastern University Varsity Club Hall of Fame. In her 25 full seasons in Boston, Murtagh has given the Huskies plenty to be proud of, both on and off the field. She led Northeastern to 10 America East titles in her first 15 seasons, twice stringing together four-consecutive conference championships. Under Murtagh, the Huskies have reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times, including three Final Four appearances. A seven-time Northeast Region Coach of the Year, Murtagh enters the 2013 season with a 364-205-13 (.644) career record, which is tops of any female coach in NU history and eighth all-time among Division I coaches. Much of Murtaghs success can be attributed to the quality of student-athletes she has recruited to play at Northeastern. Under her watch, Northeastern has garnered 40 All-America selections, including 17 named to the first team. NU has had 94 selections to All-Northeast Region teams and 63 Huskies have been named first-team All-Conference. In addition, 12 of Murtaghs star players have been named conference Player of the Year. Murtaghs players also have excelled in the classroom, with seven Academic All-America selections and numerous NFHCA Academic Squad honorees. In 2012 alone, two Huskies earned All-America honors, including Crystal Poland's first team and Deirdre Duke's third-team selections. Additionally, five Huskies performed well enough during the season to earn All-CAA recognition by the conference. A part of the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Association since 2005, Northeastern has held its own against a conference that features five national champions since 1991. NU holds a 33-29 record in conference action, but has five appearances in the CAA Tournament, including three appearances in the championship game, in 2005, 2011 and 2012. In Northeasterns final season in the America East Conference in 2004, Murtagh led the Huskies to their 13th America East Tournament final and their 10th championship in the 14-year history of the tournament. Over that span, Northeastern went 24-4 in the annual conference event and held a superb 74-19-3 America East regular-season record. Northeastern ranks 10th all-time for most NCAA tournament appearances in all of Division I. Murtagh has guided the Huskies to three Final Four appearances, most recently with back-to-back trips in 1995 and 1996. In 1995, Murtaghs Huskies pulled off a big upset, toppling No. 2 Iowa in the quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four. In 1996, the Huskies knocked off perennial powers Massachusetts and Connecticut before narrowly falling to eventual repeat champion North Carolina. Northeastern came up just short of the national semifinals in 2002, losing in a penalty-stroke shootout to Michigan State in the quarterfinals, and again in 2004, falling to eventual national champion Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. But perhaps Murtaghs most impressive year was in her rookie season of 1988, when she took a blue-collar group of players to Northeasterns first Final Four and a third-place finish with a 1-0 win over Pennsylvania in the consolation match. It was the culmination of four years as an assistant under Joan Broderick, and it set the tone for Murtaghs remarkable career. In total, Murtagh has amassed 40 conference and NCAA Tournament victories, including impressive wins over mainstays Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Providence. Under her direction, the Huskies have recorded at least one postseason victory in 21 of the last 25 seasons. Murtagh has presided over her share of both offensive juggernauts and defensive stars in her time at Northeastern. In 1997, the Huskies scored a program-record 77 goals, averaging 3.67 per match. In 2003, two-time All-American Mari Creatini led the nation in points with 72, an NU program record which still stands. In Murtaghs first season, 1988, Northeastern allowed a meager 11 goals in 22 games, the second fewest ever allowed in Division I history. In 1992, the Huskies followed that performance up with a nation-best 13 goals allowed and program record of 14 shutouts, the ninth-most in the Division I books. A Rowley, Mass., native, Murtagh began her illustrious career at Bishop Fenwick High School as a multi-sport athlete, where she now is enshrined in the Crusaders' Hall of Fame. Aside from playing midfielder on the field hockey field, Murtagh was named a Parade All-American and was inducted into the Springfield Hall of Fame for her success on the basketball court for Bishop Fenwick. Choosing to play field hockey for the University of New Hampshire, Murtagh became a two-time All-American for the Wildcats, in 1979 and 1980, and was eventually inducted into the school's Hall of Fame for her accomplishments on and off the field. Before graduating UNH in 1981 with a degree in physical education, Murtagh was honored by being selected to play for the National Elite Squad, a team comprised of the nation's top 30 players. Following her time as a player, Murtagh turned her focus to the sidelines, taking the head coach position at Division II Bentley College in 1982 for two seasons. Following her stint at Bentley, Murtagh accepted an assistant coach role at Northeastern under then-head coach Joan Broderick, setting the stage for her to take the reigns of the Northeastern program in 1988. Northeastern's hiring of Murtagh has paid off immensely, as a well-trained coach dedicated to building one of the best programs in the nation came on board. She has since become one of the most successful Huskies coaches of all time. Murtagh enters the 2012 with the second-longest tenure of any active Northeastern head coach and has the longest tenured of any current NU womens coach. During her time in Boston, Murtagh has earned her MBA from Northeastern in 1991 and has since been inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. Adding to the laurels, Murtagh also is a member of the New England Women's Sports Foundation's Hall of Fame.  In addition to directing Northeastern, Murtagh has taken her coaching skills to the national level, working with the U.S. National Program for more than 20 years. She has served as an assistant coach with the national team and was the head coach of the Under-21 team, leading the squad to a gold medal. She also was the head coach for the U.S. Under-18 team, winning a pair of golds. In 2001, Murtagh was the head coach for the U.S. Under-19 team.   Cheryl Murtagh Year-by-Year Record Cheryl Murtagh Head Coach 2672 Cheryl Murtagh Year-by-Year Record Head coach Cheryl Murtagh returns to the sidelines for her 29th season at the helm of the Northeastern field hockey program. The Huskies are coming off an outstanding performance in 2014, having earned a 14-5 (.737) record and their first-ever CAA regular season championship. Five players garnered All-CAA honors, and Murtagh was named the 2014 CAA Co-Coach of the Year. In 2013, Murtagh's team finished 8-13, but advanced to the CAA championship game for the third straight season. She helped develop several young players on the roster, including goalkeeper Becky Garner, who was named to the All-CAA Rookie Team. Along with Garner, Murtagh assisted in the growth of Jessica Unger, who was one of eight players in the CAA with two or more defensive saves and Emmy Zweserijn, who finished 2013 with a team-high 65 shots and four assists. In 2012, Murtagh guided the Huskies to a 14-7 (5-2 CAA) record, reaching the conference title game for the second straight season. With the help of senior All-American Crystal Poland, who broke the school record in both career goals (78) and career points (179), NU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and finishing the season ranked 12th in the nation. The 2012 campaign was also a memorable one on a personal level for Murtagh, who was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Hall of Fame, as well as the Northeastern University Varsity Club Hall of Fame. In her 25 full seasons in Boston, Murtagh has given the Huskies plenty to be proud of, both on and off the field. She led Northeastern to 10 America East titles in her first 15 seasons, twice stringing together four-consecutive conference championships. Under Murtagh, the Huskies have reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times, including three Final Four appearances. A seven-time Northeast Region Coach of the Year, Murtagh enters the 2013 season with a 364-205-13 (.644) career record, which is tops of any female coach in NU history and eighth all-time among Division I coaches. Much of Murtaghs success can be attributed to the quality of student-athletes she has recruited to play at Northeastern. Under her watch, Northeastern has garnered 40 All-America selections, including 17 named to the first team. NU has had 94 selections to All-Northeast Region teams and 63 Huskies have been named first-team All-Conference. In addition, 12 of Murtaghs star players have been named conference Player of the Year. Murtaghs players also have excelled in the classroom, with seven Academic All-America selections and numerous NFHCA Academic Squad honorees. In 2012 alone, two Huskies earned All-America honors, including Crystal Poland's first team and Deirdre Duke's third-team selections. Additionally, five Huskies performed well enough during the season to earn All-CAA recognition by the conference. A part of the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Association since 2005, Northeastern has held its own against a conference that features five national champions since 1991. NU holds a 33-29 record in conference action, but has five appearances in the CAA Tournament, including three appearances in the championship game, in 2005, 2011 and 2012. In Northeasterns final season in the America East Conference in 2004, Murtagh led the Huskies to their 13th America East Tournament final and their 10th championship in the 14-year history of the tournament. Over that span, Northeastern went 24-4 in the annual conference event and held a superb 74-19-3 America East regular-season record. Northeastern ranks 10th all-time for most NCAA tournament appearances in all of Division I. Murtagh has guided the Huskies to three Final Four appearances, most recently with back-to-back trips in 1995 and 1996. In 1995, Murtaghs Huskies pulled off a big upset, toppling No. 2 Iowa in the quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four. In 1996, the Huskies knocked off perennial powers Massachusetts and Connecticut before narrowly falling to eventual repeat champion North Carolina. Northeastern came up just short of the national semifinals in 2002, losing in a penalty-stroke shootout to Michigan State in the quarterfinals, and again in 2004, falling to eventual national champion Wake Forest in the quarterfinals. But perhaps Murtaghs most impressive year was in her rookie season of 1988, when she took a blue-collar group of players to Northeasterns first Final Four and a third-place finish with a 1-0 win over Pennsylvania in the consolation match. It was the culmination of four years as an assistant under Joan Broderick, and it set the tone for Murtaghs remarkable career. In total, Murtagh has amassed 40 conference and NCAA Tournament victories, including impressive wins over mainstays Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Providence. Under her direction, the Huskies have recorded at least one postseason victory in 21 of the last 25 seasons. Murtagh has presided over her share of both offensive juggernauts and defensive stars in her time at Northeastern. In 1997, the Huskies scored a program-record 77 goals, averaging 3.67 per match. In 2003, two-time All-American Mari Creatini led the nation in points with 72, an NU program record which still stands. In Murtaghs first season, 1988, Northeastern allowed a meager 11 goals in 22 games, the second fewest ever allowed in Division I history. In 1992, the Huskies followed that performance up with a nation-best 13 goals allowed and program record of 14 shutouts, the ninth-most in the Division I books. A Rowley, Mass., native, Murtagh began her illustrious career at Bishop Fenwick High School as a multi-sport athlete, where she now is enshrined in the Crusaders' Hall of Fame. Aside from playing midfielder on the field hockey field, Murtagh was named a Parade All-American and was inducted into the Springfield Hall of Fame for her success on the basketball court for Bishop Fenwick. Choosing to play field hockey for the University of New Hampshire, Murtagh became a two-time All-American for the Wildcats, in 1979 and 1980, and was eventually inducted into the school's Hall of Fame for her accomplishments on and off the field. Before graduating UNH in 1981 with a degree in physical education, Murtagh was honored by being selected to play for the National Elite Squad, a team comprised of the nation's top 30 players. Following her time as a player, Murtagh turned her focus to the sidelines, taking the head coach position at Division II Bentley College in 1982 for two seasons. Following her stint at Bentley, Murtagh accepted an assistant coach role at Northeastern under then-head coach Joan Broderick, setting the stage for her to take the reigns of the Northeastern program in 1988. Northeastern's hiring of Murtagh has paid off immensely, as a well-trained coach dedicated to building one of the best programs in the nation came on board. She has since become one of the most successful Huskies coaches of all time. Murtagh enters the 2012 with the second-longest tenure of any active Northeastern head coach and has the longest tenured of any current NU womens coach. During her time in Boston, Murtagh has earned her MBA from Northeastern in 1991 and has since been inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. Adding to the laurels, Murtagh also is a member of the New England Women's Sports Foundation's Hall of Fame.  In addition to directing Northeastern, Murtagh has taken her coaching skills to the national level, working with the U.S. National Program for more than 20 years. She has served as an assistant coach with the national team and was the head coach of the Under-21 team, leading the squad to a gold medal. She also was the head coach for the U.S. Under-18 team, winning a pair of golds. In 2001, Murtagh was the head coach for the U.S. Under-19 team.