Courtesy Bowdoin Sports Information

BRUNSWICK, Maine - For the second straight year, Bowdoin College field hockey coach Nicky Pearson has been named the Division III National Coach of the Year. Pearson, who also received the honor following the 2007 season, was honored by her peers at the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Annual Banquet January 16 in Philadelphia.

Pearson led the Polar Bears to a 19-2 overall record and the team's second-consecutive NCAA Championship in 2008. Bowdoin defeated conference rival Tufts, 3-2 (OT) on November 23 in the title match.

Pearson has guided Bowdoin to an astonishing 74-5 mark over the past four seasons, including four-straight NESCAC Championships and NCAA semifinal appearances. She has claimed the New England Small College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year award on six occasions and has posted a 183-39 (.824) record in her 12 years at Bowdoin with five conference titles to her credit overall. In addition, the Polar Bears under Pearson have consistently placed as one of the top squads in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Team Award rankings.

The Hereford, England native is one of eight Bowdoin coaches to earn a National Coach of the Year award, joining Sidney Watson (men's ice hockey, 1971, '78), Terry Meagher (men's ice hockey 1986, '89), John Cullen (women's soccer, 1992), Michele Amidon (women's ice hockey, 2003) and Stefanie Pemper (women's basketball, 2004).