Dec. 5, 2007

BOSTON - After leading the Boston University field hockey team to a school-record 18 victories this fall, head coach Sally Starr has been named the Dita/NFHCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year, as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association on Wednesday. It is the second time in three years that Starr has captured the honor.

Starr guided the Terriers to an 18-6 record this season, as the team reached the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 1991 following a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory over No. 5 Iowa in the first round. BU captured its third consecutive America East title with a 4-1 triumph against Albany in the league title game.

During her 29-year coaching career, Starr has posted an overall record of 348-215-21. Starr has the longest coaching tenure among women's sports in BU history and she has compiled a mark of 329-201-19 in her 27 seasons with the Terriers.

Starr has coached 25 seasons at the Division I level and her players have earned 31 NFHCA All-America honors, including six first-team selections. Fifty-nine of her players have combined to earn 101 all-region accolades. Her teams have posted winning records in 21 of the past 24 seasons and she has led BU to the NCAA tournament on 10 occasions.

Starr will join the other regional honorees on the national ballot. The other winners were Missy Meharg of Maryland (MidAtlantic), Char Morrett of Penn State (Mideast), Karen Shelton of North Carolina (South) and Neil Macmillan of Ohio (West). The 2007 Dita/NFHCA Division I National Coach of the Year will be announced at the NFHCA Coaches' Luncheon on Jan. 4, 2008, in Hartford, Conn.