Spuehler is a spark for BU

Boston University field hockey captain Pam Spuehler was the America East Conference's Rookie of the Year as a freshman, a third-team All-American as a sophomore, and a second-team choice last season.

"First-team All-America would be really cool, but I don't think about it every day," said Spuehler, a former three-sport captain at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.

Her focus is on the Terriers' continued success. "My first priority is to lead by example and help our team win," she said.

She has fulfilled her pledge in the early going. Last weekend, she had a career-high seven-point (two goals, three assists) game to pace BU's 8-3 victory at Dartmouth as the 19th-ranked Terriers improved to 6-2. The conference honored her as co-Player of the Week.

Spuehler was leading the team in scoring with six goals and seven assists, including the game-winner against the University of Massachusetts, and has already surpassed her single-season point totals at BU.

She was also on pace to eclipse her single-season individual scoring stats: Spuehler had seven goals and one assist as a freshman and five goals and seven assists the following season when she became BU's first sophomore All-American in 16 years. Spuehler had five goals and six assists last year, earning MVP honors at the America East championship as BU successfully defended its title.

Originally a striker in college, Spuehler was eventually moved to take advantage of her transitional game.

"We've had Pam playing both left and right midfield and she's equally dangerous at both. We had her at right mid against Boston College [BU lost, 2-1] and she was outstanding," said BU coach Sally Starr, a Waltham resident who has already named Spuehler to her coaching staff as an assistant next season.

"Because she gets so much attention we try to move her around and get her in the optimum position. She's definitely on track for first team All-American because she's one of the premier players in the country."

Starr said her enduring memory of Spuehler came during last season's upset victory over seventh-ranked Virginia, when Spuehler took possession in the closing minutes, weaved her way downfield, and scored the game-winning goal.

"She just got that look in her eye," said Starr.

Spuehler remembered that just prior to her goal one of her teammates had been roughed up while trying to control the ball.

"I felt extremely frustrated and angered by that," said Spuehler, "and it really gave me a great surge of energy."

Spuehler led the Lincoln-Sudbury field hockey team in scoring for three seasons with career totals of 42 goals and 58 assists. She was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Regional All-America team and earned Globe All-Scholastic honors.

A two-time ice hockey captain, she set the school's girls' scoring record for defensemen (26 goals, 46 assists) and was the leading scorer for the lacrosse program.

"Ice hockey was the sport I grew up with but field hockey kind of grew on me after I started playing it in seventh grade instead of soccer," said Spuehler, whose field hockey coach at Lincoln-Sudbury, Vicky Caburian, also played for Starr at BU. "Up until my junior year of high school, I thought I'd be playing ice hockey in college."

But after making an impression on Starr at the National Field Hockey Festival in California, Spuehler committed to the Terriers and their field hockey program.

"You could see back then she was fast, had quick hands, and was very dangerous with the ball. She made things happen," recalled Starr. "Since coming here, Pam's been all that and more and she has always been a natural leader."

Starr said she likes to recruit multisport athletes and Spuehler believes that ice hockey and lacrosse helped make her a better field hockey player.

"Ice hockey prepares you physically and lacrosse keeps you in great shape," said Spuehler, whose brother, R.J., was on the varsity ice hockey and track teams at Lincoln-Sudbury.

"I was pretty offensive minded when I first came to BU," added Spuehler, a psychology major, "but I've become more of a playmaker. I've worked hard on improving my transition and covering on defense. I've thought about trying out for the national team, but I first want to see how I like coaching next year. I was well-coached in all sports in high school and some of the most important people in my life have been coaches."

"Vicky Caburian and Sally Starr have been like second moms to me. I'm definitely interested in a coaching career after college because I want to give back to the sport."