Bentley University's new women's soccer coach is a former Framingham All-American
Before the national championships, the All-America nods in two sports, the coaching success – there was Framingham High.
Sarah Dacey’s time with the Flyers was influenced by George Wheeler, her head coach for two seasons before she graduated in 1994. She was named to the Parade Magazine High School All-America team in 1993.
Her latest stop in a coaching career that began with two undefeated seasons at the Fay School in Southborough more than 20 years ago is at Bentley University, where Dacey was hired on June 29 to lead the women’s soccer program. Her fourth stint as a head coach includes stops as a Division 1 assistant at Boston College, Providence and Tennessee.
Wheeler, who died of cancer in 1994, was one of the founders of the Framingham United Soccer Club. The George Wheeler Memorial Cup is played each fall between the girls and boys teams from Framingham and Natick. His lessons continue to resonate with Dacey.
“When Mr. Wheeler was our coach, we could tell he understood the game and he made everything fun,” she said. “That influenced me in such a positive way. We always loved him. Every day he was positive, he was upbeat.”
Dacey followed success at North Carolina with more wins on the sideline
The success Dacey experienced at the University of North Carolina (3 national championships, 98-3-1 record) has continued across college campuses throughout the country. Her record is 105-51-25 after stops at Curry College, Barry University and Babson College.
She also recently coached at Hingham High (2020-2021), losing just two games out of 36 matches, including a state championship setback to Natick in '21. But higher education is her love.
“I just love coaching college soccer, to be honest,” she said. “That’s the best fit for me. I like the whole interaction with the players. I love seeing them grow over four years. I just love watching kids just totally reinvent themselves from freshman to senior year. In high school, you only see them in the fall.”
Dacey coached soccer and lacrosse last year at Curry, where the women’s soccer team (10-6-3) advanced to the Commonwealth Coast Conference semifinals for the first time in seven years.
After reaching the Northeast-10 semifinals – and playing in the NCAA tournament – in 2019, Bentley has hovered around .500 the past two seasons. Dacey isn’t putting limits on what the Falcons can accomplish even in year one.
“I’ve been working very hard at recruiting – I think that’s the bread and butter to any program. In an ideal world, I’d like to get as good as we can as quickly as possible,” Dacey said. “My expectations are high this year, but I’m going to coach them to the best of my ability and get them to where they want to go.”
Dacey played at North Carolina for Anson Dorrance, who begins his 45th season at UNC later this month. His 921 victories are a women’s college soccer record. Dacey was a four-year starter, a Soccer News All-America in 1996 and played on the team’s national championship teams in 1993, 1994 and 1996. She was also a two-time All-America in lacrosse for UNC in 1997 and 1998, both times reaching the NCAA Final Four.
Dacey played in the Women’s United Soccer Association for the Carolina Courage and the Boston Breakers and was a United States U-20 national team member from 1991-94.
Dacey eyes improvement up front for Bentley
Bentley scored 18 goals in 18 games last season and lost leading scorer Brooke Jones to graduation.
Dacey hopes to increase the offensive production with a “possession-based style with a purpose with an attacking mindset. In the past the team has struggled to score goals, but I think our defense has always been solid. That will be more of a focus: how can we have a better buildup to creating more chances in the attacking third (of the field).”
After coaching at Hingham, which is routinely one of the top programs in the state that consistently plays against high-level competition, Dacey believes she has a good handle on recruiting locally. Reaching beyond New England for talent is also a priority.
“Massachusetts is a hot bed and we want to expand our recruiting to the whole entire country,” she said. “We just had a kid from Washington state commit that we’re really excited about. We’re working hard at getting the best local kids and then, can we expand the Bentley brand throughout the country? I’m getting emails from throughout the country from kids that are interested.”
The influence of Framingham and George Wheeler continues to fuel Dacey’s passion. Does she still carry Wheeler’s positive approach to the sport?
“I like to think so. I have an intensity that’s bubbling on the surface, but the older I get the more I understand what this is about,” she said. “Is it about being the best? Yes. But it’s really about giving these young women the best possible experience that they can have. Just enjoying the journey and enjoying each other.
“It’s not life and death; it’s soccer.”
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Former Framingham soccer star takes over Bentley women's program
