Campus Spotlight

A strong work ethic, a positive mentality, and always putting the team above individual success. These are some of the high ideals of self-discipline and commitment Tricia O’Brien instills in student athletes. She is the new FSC women’s basketball coach and also FSC’s first athletics recruiting coordinator.

As coordinator O’Brien works to integrate the recruitment of athletes and the admissions office’s mission. “I’m excited to be in an institution where there’s a lot of support and scope for growth,” she says, adding, “The best part of my job is working with student athletes and developing relationships with them.”

O’Brien brings to FSC her strong record of success in women’s basketball. She has substantial experience as a head coach, at Colby College, Rivier College and, most recently, at MIT. She has coached many winners; under her leadership, Colby was the 2001 ECAC tournament champion.

February 6 , with the Rams’ victory over UMass Boston, O’Brien celebrated her 200th career win, another milestone achievement. In 1997 she was named New England Women’s Basketball Association (NEWBA) Coach of the Year and was nominated for the National Coach of the Year Award by the WBCA. As a student athlete herself at Salem State College O’Brien had a stellar career and was inducted into Salem’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

The 2007 FSC men’s soccer team had a historic season in 2007, capturing the MASCAC regular season title while setting a school record for wins with a 13-4-1 record. The team received the number 1 seed in the MASCAC tournament before being upset in the first round by eventual champion Bridgewater State. The squad was led by fifth-year head coach Dean Nichols who was selected the 2007 MASCAC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year. On the field, the team’s offensive attack was led by junior forward Johnny Goncalves and first-year midfielder Jason Silva who were both selected First Team All-MASCAC along with junior defender Stephen Rosenthal. Goalkeeper Eddie Palomba and midfielder Scott Faria were named to the Second Team All-MASCAC.

Above, Silva battles a Salem State College defender for the ball during the Rams’ Homecoming soccer game against the Salem Vikings. The Rams defeated the Vikings 4-0.

The 2007 FSC field hockey team also had a successful season, reaching the Little East Conference tournament as well as a share of the MASCAC championship. The team was led by midfielder Erin Johnson and freshman forward Kristen Sacco who were selected to the Little East All-Conference Field Hockey First Team. Sacco was also selected as the conference Rookie of the Year, becoming the first student-athlete to do so for the Rams.

Among other season distinctions for the Rams: the volleyball team earned number 3 seed in the MASCAC volleyball tournament.

FSC football has a new place-kicker in Ashley Baker, ’08. Baker, a geography major who transferred to FSC from Utica College, had been a star goalkeeper with the FSC women’s soccer team for the past two years. She was a member of the team that won the NCAA Sportsmanship Award.

After playing women’s soccer for a total of four years between Utica and Framingham, she was ineligible by NCAA rules to play a fifth season for the soccer team, and quickly took up Coach Kelly’s invitation to join the new-look Rams’ football team.

Baker made her first field goal in the Rams’ 17-10 win over MIT in the second game of the season and is currently one of only two women playing on an NCAA Division III football team. She is believed to be the highest-scoring woman player in Division III football in recent years. With her hard-working attitude and fiery competitiveness she has earned the respect of everyone else on the team as well as many outside the team.