Women's Soccer Coaching Staff
Joy Boswell
Head Women's Soccer Coach
jboswell@pacificu.edu
Joy Boswell enters her second year as Pacific's head women's soccer coach and is looking forward to the process of building the proud Boxers' program.
Boswell's squad is sure to improve after a first season that saw the Boxers suffer because of a rash of injuries at nearly every position. A native of Forest Grove, a 1998 graduate of Pacific and a four-year member of the University of Portland's soccer program, Boswell took over the women's program from current men's coach Jim Brazeau in 2006.
"I am really excited about the opportunity," said Boswell, who played four years at the University of Portland under legendary coach Clive Charles. "I was able to be part of building a program from the ground up at UP as a player, and to come into a fairly young program and be able to implement those fundamentals into the Pacific program is very exciting."
Boswell, who completed a degree at Pacific after her four years at UP, comes to the Boxers from Sunset High School. In her four-year tenure, the Apollos amassed a 35-12-8 record. She was named the 2003 Metro League Coach of the Year after leading the Apollos to the Metro League championship and a trip to the Oregon 4A state semifinals.
Prior to Sunset, Boswell served two seasons as the head girls' soccer coach and athletic trainer at Forest Grove High School and two seasons as the head junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach for the girls' program at Southridge High School. Boswell has also been involved as a coach with the FC Portland club program since 1991.
A protege of the late University of Portland coach, Boswell describes her style of soccer as defensive minded, much like Charles employed with the Pilots. "I am very demanding, but I am fair," Boswell said. "I want to create an environment where we work hard so that our players can reap the rewards that our program has to offer."
A native of Forest Grove, Boswell played soccer at Forest Grove High School where she was an All-Metro League selection and earned the school's prestigious Viking Award in 1989.
Upon graduation, Boswell moved on to the University of Portland, where she shared the pitch with future Olympians Shannon MacMillan and Tiffany Milbrett. In Boswell's four seasons on the Bluff, the Pilots went 58-11-4 and made appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 1992 and 1993, setting the groundwork for the Pilots' powerhouse program. Boswell continues to be an active player and is involved with the Nike Manchester Cup and Olympic Development programs.
Boswell earned a bachelor's degree in secondary education from the University of Portland in 1995 and a bachelor's degree in exercise science with human performance and sports medicine emphases from Pacific in 1998, graduating magna cum laude. She earned her master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Portland State in 2004, where she also graduated magna cum laude.
In addition to her coaching duties, Boswell worked from 1998 to 2006 as a physical education teacher in the Beaverton School District, including eight years in both part-time and full-time capacities at Sunset. She is a member of the Oregon and American Associations for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (OAHPERD and AAHPERD) and holds a national "D" coaching license from the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Katie Sheridan
Assistant Women's Soccer Coach
Katie Sheridan enters his second year as Pacific women's soccer assistant coach after an outstanding playing career where she was a standout in two sports.
Sheridan spent four years at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, N.H., where she ranks among the top female athletes in school. As a soccer player, Sheridan was honored as the Little East Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2003 as she led the Panthers to the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) tournament berth.
As a lacrosse player, Sheridan excelled under current Pacific head lacrosse coach Wynne Lobel. The three-time Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Year broke every women's lacrosse scoring record at the school. She finished her career as the fifth all-time leading goal scorer in Division III with 270 and the seventh all-time point scorer with 363.
In 2004, Sheridan earned Plymouth State's Janet Nell Female Athlete of the Year Award.
Prior to coming to Oregon, Sheridan spent one season as the assistant women's lacrosse coach at her alma mater and one season as the varsity girls' lacrosse coach at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colo. This is her first college soccer coaching assignment.
A native of West Sayville, N.Y., Sheridan graduated from Plymouth State in 2004 with a degree in physical education.
Scott Sagar
Assistant
Women's Soccer Coach
Scott Sagar enters his first year as an assistant coach with the Pacific women's soccer program, bringing the Boxers a wealth of experience at all levels of the game.
A two-time Oregon Coach of the Year, Sagar spent the last seven seasons as the head varsity girls' soccer coach at Oregon Episcopal School in Portland. He led the Aardvarks to the 2005 3A/2A/1A state championship, helping to break Catlin Gabel's 11-year stranglehold on the crown. That team also attained a No. 14 national ranking while finishing the year undefeated.
Under Sagar's direction, Oregon Episcopal appeared in the playoffs seven straight years, advancing to the state title game in 2005 and the state semifinals in 2006. Sagar also coaches at the club level, most recently as the U14 and U15-girls' team with the F.C. Portland Academy. He also served two seasons as director of coaching at the Bridlemile Soccer Club.
Like Head Coach Joy Boswell, Sagar spent four seasons playing under the direction of Clive Charles at the University of Portland. A three-time All-West Coast Conference selection as a midfielder, Sager was the Pilots' most valuable player in 1991 and 1992 and was named the team's most inspirational player in 1991 and 1993. His 17 points (7 goals, 3 assists) ranks eighth on the Pilots' all-time leading scorer list for WCC matches.
Sagar went on to play four years of professional soccer, including three seasons with the Portland Pride indoor club, where he played with current Pacific men's soccer coach Jim Brazeau, and a team in Irapuato, Mexico.
Sagar, 36, graduated from UP in 1994 with a degree in allied health science. He resides in Portland.
Rochelle Knudsen
Assistant
Women's Soccer Coach
Rochelle Knudsen brings a measure of coaching experience at the small college level and playing experience at the Division I level to Pacific for her first season as a women's soccer assistant coach.
Knudsen, formerly known as Rochelle Hearns, spent the previous three years as the head women's soccer at Warner Pacific College in Portland. She has also spent three years as a coach with the Oregon Olympic Development program.
Knudsen spent one season on the pitch at the University of Wyoming where she played on the Gowgirls' inaugural season. As a high school in Cheyenne, Wyo., she was an 11-time letterwinner, including four letters each in soccer and tennis. On the courts, Knudsen was an all-conference selection.
Knudsen, 32, graduated from Wyoming with a degree in business marketing in 1998. She and her husband, Kevin, were married in August. When not working at Pacific, Knudsen is a coach for the Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club.