PanAm Hockey:
USA victory has echoes of 2008
Tracey Paul, who currently serves as head coach of the U.S. U-21/22 Women’s National Team, is a 22-year veteran of the Boston University coaching staff and is in her second stint as the Terriers' associate head coach.
Paul led the U-21 Women's National Team to gold at the 2023 Junior Pan American Championships this past April, marking just the second JPAC title in Team USA history. The Junior United Eagles qualified for the FIH Junior World Cup, which will take place in December in Chile.
At the 2022 Junior World Cup in South Africa, Paul coached Team USA to a quarterfinal berth after qualifying via a third-place finish at the 2021 JPAC. Her squad also earned a bronze at the 2022 Uniphar Five-Nations Tournament in Ireland.
Paul was previously an assistant coach for the U.S. U-21 National Team after coaching at the 2017 and 2018 Young Women's National Championships. She also served as head coach for the New England Junior High Performance squad. Paul was an assistant coach for the 2015-16 U.S. National Under-19 Team and an assistant for the New England Under-16 Team that competed at the 2016 National Futures Championship.
Paul, a New Zealand native, has been on Coach Starr's staff since 2000. During her time at BU, Paul has helped lead the Terriers to 259 wins, eight NCAA appearances, nine conference titles, 13 regular-season conference crowns and a conference winning percentage of nearly .800.
Paul's players at BU have combined to earn 21 NFHCA All-America honors and 76 All-Region accolades. During her 22 years, Terriers have claimed 16 conference player of the year awards and nine have been named conference rookie of the year.
Having overseen the identification and recruitment of prospective student-athletes from across the globe, Paul has helped secure commitments from international recruits who have gone on to secure five All-America honors and 11 conference player/goalkeeper of the year awards.
Paul came to Boston from a very successful high school program - San Pasqual High School in Escondido, Calif. - and has been a major reason for the Terriers' return to national prominence.
At San Pasqual, her teams compiled a 205-43-1 record (.823 winning percentage) in 10 seasons. She coached 12 high school All-Americans, and had 10 players named to United States National Under-16, Under-19, and Under-21 squads.
Three U.S. National Team players -- former Boston University assistant coach Tiffany Snow, Kelli Gannon and Kristi Gannon -- got their start under Paul's tutelage and Snow was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing. Paul has also coached National Team players Robyn Kenney and Pam Spuehler while they came through the BU ranks.
Paul also coached the nationally renowned Wargles club team. She was honored as the 1997-98 California State Coach of the Year.
Paul has been a U.S. Field Hockey Association (USFHA) Elite High Performance/Olympic Development Coach and has also worked as an assistant for the U.S. Women's Under-16 Team. She has served as a coach/selector for the U. S. Men's National program. In 2005, Paul completed the International Hockey Federation (FIH) High Performance Coaching Course in Virginia Beach.
Paul served on the USFHA Futures Executive Committee for two years. In the past, she was the head coach of the Southern California Futures site, a regional selector, and a National Futures Tournament California team coach.
