DURHAM, N.C. – Duke field hockey head coach Pam Bustin announced Wednesday the addition of Wesley Drew to the coaching staff. A former standout at William & Mary, Drew joins the Blue Devils as an assistant coach.
“It is with great excitement and pleasure that I introduce Wesley Drew as an assistant coach for the Duke Field Hockey team!” Bustin said. “Through an extensive search and interview process, Wesley clearly fulfilled the desired profile for our next assistant. She has a wealth of coaching and playing experience; within the NCAA, the USA Field Hockey Association and most recently overseas in Holland. Her ability to relate to each Duke student-athlete and their strengths will certainly aid in the progress of our squad.
“Wesley possesses a positive and optimistic disposition that will absolutely benefit and complement our program in the team room, on the field and throughout the recruiting process. We are anxious to get started and unite the entire 2016 group to campus. Wesley’s creative thinking and genuine love for the game are welcomed and I believe they will only grow stronger within the Duke True environment!”
Drew comes to Durham from the Netherlands, where she has competed for the past two years for Victoria Hockey Club in Rotterdam. This past season she helped Victoria earn a spot in the playoffs toward the highest league in the Netherlands, marking the first time the club had done so since 2003. Prior to making her way overseas, Drew served as an assistant coach at Rutgers during the 2012 and 2013 campaigns. During that span, she guided the Red Knights to an 18-19 ledger, with the team’s nine victories in 2012 marking the most for the program in 14 years.
In 2012-13, Drew was also one of just 32 athletes to be named to the USA Field Hockey national indoor squad. During this stint, she was selected to both the Austria and Argentina tours and competed against various countries.
Prior to her arrival in Piscataway, Drew spent two seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater. At William & Mary her duties included developing practice plans, assisting with in-game player development and facilitating communication with prospective student-athletes as the head recruiting coordinator. She also spent time assisting with communication, advertising, staffing and curriculum development for the Colonial Field Hockey club program.
A 2010 graduate of William & Mary, Drew was a two-time captain for the Tribe on the turf. She graduated tied for third in program history in career assists (19) and was a National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) second team All-South Region honoree as a senior in 2009. The Virginia Beach, Va., native was also selected for the 2009 Div. I Senior All-Star Game and was a two-time VaSID all-state selection in 2008 and 2009.
Drew received bachelor’s degrees in kinesiology and psychology before earning a master’s degree in education and pedagogical sciences from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2015.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to further develop myself here at Duke and learn from Pam and Jarred [Martin] who are experienced, top-class coaches,” Drew said. “I particularly look forward to working with Duke student-athletes who are the complete package: excelling both on and off the field at the highest possible level. This type of student-athlete profile will, undoubtedly, be a joy to work with.”
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University head field hockey coach Pam Bustin and the Blue Devils will welcome former Wake Forest standout Valerie Dahmen to the coaching staff for the 2016 campaign. A goalkeeper with the Demon Deacons, Dahmen will serve as a volunteer assistant coach for the Duke program.
“Val has experienced much success in the goal cage during her time at Wake Forest and during her years of training growing up in Germany,” Bustin said. “She has coached youth hockey and just recently worked within the USA Field Hockey Futures program. Val’s recent collegiate play within the NCAA and ACC will provide great insight to our goalkeepers. Her level of competitiveness and experience should be a great resource for both Kelsey [Wagner] and Sammi [Steele]. We are thrilled that Val chose Duke University and the Fuqua School of Business!”
Dahmen comes to Durham after completing an impressive collegiate career at Wake Forest. A three-year starter in goal, she helped the Demon Deacons capture the 2014 ACC Championship title and was tabbed a third team All-America and All-South Region selection by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association as a senior in 2015. Dahmen ranked second in the ACC in saves per game (5.42) her final year and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week three times during the 2015 campaign, in addition to being selected to the NFHCA Division I Senior Game.
Dahmen rounded out her career with a 39-20 ledger, a 1.76 goals against average and a .710 save percentage. She also totaled 264 saves and nine shutouts in four seasons.
A native of Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, Dahmen graduated from Wake Forest in 2016 with degrees in political science and Spanish.
“Shortly after I ‘retired’ from collegiate athletics I felt that I still had love and passion for the sport and therefore started looking into coaching opportunities in America as well as in Germany,” Dahmen said. “However, I was very confident in my decision to further my education directly after having graduated from undergrad. Duke offered me the perfect opportunity. Attending a prestigious school such as Duke University, while also being able to give back to the sport that has given me so much in the past years, is an absolute dream come true.”
Dahmen is currently enrolled in the Duke Fuqua School of Business’ Master of Management Studies program.
