Julie Beer hired as Centre's first women's lacrosse coach

Julie Beer hired as Centre's first women's lacrosse coach

(Story taken from the Centre College website)

DANVILLE, Ky. - After recently deciding to add both men's and women's lacrosse programs, Centre College Director of Athletics and Recreation, Brian Chafin, has announced Julie Beer has been hired as the program's first head coach, and will lead the program when it begins play in the spring of 2011.

Beer, a Spencer, Mass. native, began her college career at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. After spending one year at Mercyhurst, where she played field hockey for the Lakers, Beer transferred to Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

While at Clark, Beer was a three-year starter and a two-year team captain on the women's lacrosse team. After graduating in 2007 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and a concentration in 18th and 19th century British Literature, she was hired as an assistant coach at Framingham State College, located 20 minutes north of Boston, Mass.

Her first year as an assistant for the women's lacrosse team at Framingham State was also the first year the school sponsored a varsity team. In Beer's second season at Framingham State, the Rams finished with a 7-7 (.500) overall record, which was good enough to qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament.

Beer is grateful for the opportunity and is looking forward to the challenge of starting a new program. "I'm really excited to be at Centre," Beer said.

"It is a wonderful school with all of its priorities in the right places. We have seen the sport of lacrosse gain a strong foothold on the east coast, and now it's starting to expand rapidly. This is a wonderful opportunity to allow southern athletes to take their game to the next level and I'm thrilled to be part of that," Beer added.

Beer will spend the 2009-10 school year recruiting top-notch student-athletes for the school's inaugural team and the program will conduct its first season in the spring of 2011 with home games to be played at Farris Stadium, which is also home to the Centre football team and is currently having a field turf surface installed.

Chafin looks forward to working with Beer and feels confident she will valuable asset to Centre and the athletic department.

"We are extremely pleased Julie has joined us at Centre," Chafin said. "She has high energy and a great personality, which will be needed to start our new program. The first two years will be crucial to our success and Julie has hit the ground running. I expect her to be successful in all aspects of Centre life and athletics," Chafin finished.