The field hockey program has added two new assistant coaches to its staff this season to help head coach Liz Tchou. Sally Bell and Lori Stark will join Tchou and top assistant Cindy Werley to round out the coaching crew.
"We all have pretty different personalities," Tchou said. "It's a really fun staff."
Bell brings 12 years of coaching experience to the Blue Devils. She was a coach in Australia, mainly at Perth, which according to Tchou has the best field hockey in the world. Bell also served as head coach for the Brunei national women's team and served as assistant coach at the University of Richmond last year.
"She is absolutely amazing," Tchou said. "She will be great for the team because of her experience at the international level. She is also a good teacher and has earned honors in skill acquisition. Her experience will allow the coaches to think outside of the box."
Her practical knowledge of the game, along with her technical skills, should be immense assets to the team.
"I have seen a lot of different styles of play," Bell said. "My broad range of experiences has given me a philosophically different approach that I can bring."
Bell will be a comprehensive assistant, helping analyze opposing teams to determine what strategy Duke will use. She will also focus on goalies.
Stark, the other new assistant, will also be working with goalies.
"I want the goalies to be the best in the ACC," said Stark, who Tchou described as hilarious. "I will be ecstatic if we can beat Carolina."
Stark, a former Blue Devil, who graduated in 1990, ranks first in team history with a .860 save percentage, and her 528 saves lands her second all-time. The former goalie set school records her freshmen year in 1986 with a 0.50 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.
She spent six years with the U.S. Army doing military intelligence work with the bomb squad. She then worked with bombs and explosives for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
She described her work in the bomb industry as "just something [she] got into, a natural progression after being in the Army."
Stark also served as a police officer in California, but a hand injury led her to switch professions. After a phone call to Tchou, she is now back at her alma mater.
"My goal is for us to do as well as we possibly can," Stark said. "We have a lot of talent and potential, so we'll see where it takes us."
Aside from the help of Tchou's two new assistants, the team will have three captains: senior midfielder Chrissy Ashley, junior back Kim Gogola and senior back Sarah Wright.
The Bliue Devils are hoping to improve on last year's 9-9 overall record--they went 0-4 in the ACC.
"It is important that we get off to a good start," Tchou said. "We will take the season one game at a time and hope to improve after each game."
Competing in arguably the nation's toughest conference, the squad has a strong freshman class that should balance out its senior leadership.
Tchou notes that the new recruits comprise one of the strongest classes ever.
"The team has a ton of potential," she said. "They are fun to work with, eager and fired up to get some decisive wins."
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