Alison Kulik enters her 13th season as the head coach of the Boston College women's soccer program. Under her direction, the Eagles are considered one of the elite programs in the country having improved to 154-78-23 during her tenure. In 14 years as a head coach, Kulik is 158-86-26 overall. Since her arrival in July of 1997, the Eagles have been explosive, outscoring opponents by nearly a two-to-one margin with 479 goals for and 274 goals against. Kulik has led the Eagles to eight NCAA berths, including six consecutive seasons. The team, under Kulik's direction has advanced to three Sweet 16 appearances. She has coached five All-America players including Laura Georges, who was a Hermann Trophy candidate in the 2006 season. Three of her players are currently playing professionally - Georges in France, Arianna Criscione in Sweden and Kia McNeill in St. Louis for the new women's professional soccer league. Kulik is also the only women's soccer coach in BC's history to record over 100 wins. The 2008 campaign saw the Eagles place tied for third in the ACC with a 6-3 record, while finishing the year at 15-6-2. The Eagles opened the season on the road in California as BC defeated Oregon but lost to then No. 2 ranked Stanford. BC picked up key regular season wins over cross-town rival Boston University, as well as ACC foes Wake Forest on the road, at NC State along with three straight over Maryland, Virginia Tech and Clemson. Boston College defeated Duke, 1-0, in the first round of the ACC Tournament. It was the first season BC earned an ACC Tournament victory. The Eagles earned their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and with wins over Central Connecticut and Northeastern advanced to the "Sweet 16". The Eagles lost to Florida State but it would mark the fourth time in five years in which BC advanced to the round of 16. The team place three players - Julia Bouchelle, Caroline Walden and Jillian Mastroianni - on the All ACC second team. It would be the first time Kulik's team placed three players on the ACC team. Bouchelle, Mastroianni and fellow freshman Alyssa Pember were also named to the All ACC Freshman team. The 2007 team was very young but earned the fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and finish the season 11-5-4 overall, a 4-4-2 ACC record. Boston College opened the 2007 season with a 10 game unbeaten streak as the Eagles went 7-0-3. On October 18, the Eagles took No. 11 and the current reigning champion North Carolina into double-overtime in a 1-0 loss in front of a packed crowd at the Newton Soccer Field. The Eagles bounced back with a 4-0 win over NC State and a 1-0 victory over then No. 3 ranked Virginia, 1-0. In the NCAA Tournament, Boston College hosted the first-round at the Newton Soccer Field. In an epic match-up, BC and former Big East rival, UConn played through regulation and two overtimes before ending with the Huskies advancing to the next round on penalty kicks, 0-0 (5-4 PK's). Kulik's team, though young, made an impact as goalkeeper Sarah Buonomo led the nation in goals-against-average (0.38) and saver percentage (.901), while freshman Hannah Cerrone and Brooke Knowlton were both named to the ACC All-Freshman team. Cerrone was also honored as Soccer Buzz Northeast Freshman of the Year and Soccer Buzz All-America first-team. The 2006 season saw Kulik guide the Eagles to a 12-7-3 overall record and a fourth place finish in the highly-rated Atlantic Coast Conference (5-3-2). The Eagles finished the 2006 season ranked 11th nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The team reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season and advanced to the round of 16 for the third consecutive year. The Eagles also received a number of individual accolades including - two first-team ACC honorees in Laura Georges and Jenny Maurer. Georges also earned the ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award and NSCAA All-America third-team. Maurer garnered a NSCAA All-Region first-team selection. Freshman Gina DiMartino was named the ACC Rookie of the Year, All-ACC freshman first-team, All-ACC second-team, NSCAA All-Region third-team, Soccer Buzz Northeast Regional Freshman of the Year and Soccer Buzz All-American third-team as well as Soccer America All-Freshman first-team selection. Under Kulik's guidance, the 2005 squad had an impressive year in their inaugural season in the ACC. The Eagles went 13-6-2 overall and 5-4-1 in the conference. Boston College never fell out of the top 25 in any major poll, and placed 10th in the final NSCAA poll of the season. The Eagles recorded 13 shutouts, a new school record. For the second straight season, Boston College advanced to the NCAA round of 16, the third time in school history.
In 2004, the Eagles finished with an impressive 12-5-0 regular season record and a 7-3-0 Big East Conference record. Kulik earned her 100th career win in a 4-1 victory over Pittsburgh on Sept. 26. The team advanced to the conference semifinal round where they lost to eventual national champion Notre Dame. In the NCAA Tournament, BC defeated Florida State and Central Florida before falling to Princeton, 2-0, in the third round. The 2003 season was the most successful for BC from the win-loss standpoint. The Eagles finished 15-3-3, defeated third-ranked Notre Dame to advance to their second-ever Big East Championship game and earned an NCAA Tournament berth. Kulik was recognized as the New England Co-Coach of the Year by the New England Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA). She also earned Northeast Region Division I Coach of the Year honors, making her one of six finalists for National Coach of the Year. In 2002, Kulik led the Eagles to an 11-8-1 record, including a 4-2-0 conference mark. The season was highlighted by an 8-2-1 home record. Many of Kulik's players earned postseason honors, including Sarah Rahko (first-team All-America and Big East first-team selection) and Katie McGregor (Big East All-Rookie Team selection). The 2001 campaign saw the Eagles return to postseason play, finishing the season with an 11-10-1 record and earning an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. Individuals flourished under Kulik's guidance, as Rahko earned the Big East Midfielder of the Year award, a third-team All-American by the NSCAA and Northeast Player of the Year by Soccer Buzz. Boston College went 14-7 overall and advanced to the Big East Tournament semifinal round in 2000. A number of individuals had an outstanding season as senior defender Sarah Powell earned second-team All-America honors, as well as Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Rahko, a freshman, earned the conference's Rookie of the Year and Northeast Regional All-American honors. A turning point in the program came in 1999. Kulik helped the Eagles compile a 16-7-1 record overall and received a berth into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985. The Eagles advanced to the "Sweet 16," matching the best performance by any women's athletic team in school history. Kulik earned the NEWISA New England Coach of the Year Award in 1999. In Kulik's first season at Boston College, she led the team to a 9-6-2 record. In 1998, the Eagles improved to 12-6-6. Before coming to Boston College, Kulik served as the head coach at Angelo State (Texas) University. In her lone season at the helm, Kulik led the Rambelles to a 4-8-3 record in 1996. Foley served on the Olympic Development Program's staff for North Texas and Virginia that year. Prior to accepting the job at Angelo State, Kulik was an assistant coach at James Madison from 1992-96 and helped lead the team to a 51-30-3 record in four years. The Dukes were nationally ranked in each of those seasons and in 1995 won the Colonial Athletic Association championship and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. A 1992 graduate of Keene (N.H.) State College, Kulik was a member of the women's soccer team that made three NCAA semifinal appearances. The Owls were NCAA Div. II national finalists in 1989 and 1990. Kulik, a 1998 inductee into the Keene State Hall of Fame, earned NSCAA/MetLife All-America honors and was a four-time all-New England and all-conference selection. She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team three times. A native of Plymouth, Mass., Kulik earned her master's degree in kinesiology from James Madison in 1994. She is currently a member of the NCAA regional advisory committee and has been a member of the Regional I ODP staff since 1998. Kulik boasts a NSCAA Advanced National and USSF Class A coaching licenses. Also active in soccer camps, Kulik runs the Lady Eagle Soccer School. Kulik resides in Newton, Mass. and has a daughter, Sidnie.
Kulik's Record Year-by Year
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