Jan. 22, 2007

AMHERST, MA - After three highly-successful seasons as an assistant coach for the United States National Team, Justine Sowry has been named the head coach of the University of Massachusetts field hockey program, Director of Athletics John McCutcheon announced. Sowry comes to UMass with a sensational background as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of field hockey in addition to being a top-level coach with various programs at all levels of the game for the past 12 years.

"We are extremely pleased that Justine has joined the UMass athletic family," said McCutcheon. "Her experience at the collegiate, national and international levels will be a tremendous asset to our field hockey team. Justine has an infectious energy, enthusiasm and passion that will serve her well as she leads our program forward."

From Dec. 2003 through January 2007, Sowry served as a USA High Performance Coach with the U.S. Field Hockey Association (USFHA) based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She served as the director of all goalkeeping programs as part of the USFHA, the camp director of the FDIC, High School Open Camp and the Junior National Camp. Recently, she has coached Amy Tran, who was named the Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the 2006 World Cup in Madrid, Spain in addition to being named to the FIH World Team of the Year under Sowry's tutelege.

"I feel honored and privileged to join the UMass athletic family," said Sowry. "It is an honor to lead the UMass field hockey program and follow the likes of some world class coaches such as Pam Hixon. The field hockey tradition at UMass is among the best in the nation. I am excited for the opportunity to unite former players and supporters of the team with the program I look forward to building at UMass.

"It was a difficult decision to leave the U.S. Field Hockey program and I am thankful for the experience it has given to me. But those experiences will aid in our effort to bring the UMass field hockey program back to national prominence. I want to energize the field hockey community in our area and the region. I also want to thank John McCutcheon and (UMass Associate Athletic Director) Elaine Sortino, who chaired the committee. I have been very impressed with their level of support and commitment to the field hockey program. With the resources we have in place there is reason to believe UMass field hockey can compete at the highest level in the NCAA."

With the USFHA, Sowry wrote the curriculum for the Futures Team goalkeepers each of the last two years. As an assistant coach with the U.S. National Team in 2006, the team placed sixth in the world at the games in Madrid. She also assisted with the 2005 Junior National Team which placed seventh in the Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile.

Prior to joining the USFHA, Sowry served as an assistant coach for the Stanford University field hockey program during the 2003 season. She spent the previous five campaigns (1998-2002) as an assistant coach at the University of Louisville, where she worked under UMass alum Pam Bustin, whom Sowry calls her "mentor at the collegiate level." Sowry aided Bustin in orchestrating one of the most remarkable program-building efforts in the nation. The Cardinals went from a 34-game losing streak which was broken in the duo's first season in Louisville in 1998 to winning records in each season from 2000-03 including the MAC conference championship in 2002.

Sowry also had been the Assistant Director for field hockey camps at Louisville over three summers (2001-03) and has taught at various goalkeeping elite clinics since 1993.

The Australian native was a member of the Australian National Hockey Team from 1991-2001. She earned a total of 128 international caps, and was a member of the country's 1996 and 2000 Olympic squads. She earned gold medals while playing on World Cup teams in 1994 and 1998.

Sowry, 36, earned a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education and Mathematics from the University of South Australia in 1991.