Brenda Bechler, Head Coach (Sixth Season, EMU '95)

The 2008 season will be the sixth for Brenda Bechler at the helm of the EMU field hockey program. The 2003 squad went 17-4 overall, winning the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Championships for the first time in three years. She was named ODAC Co-Coach of the Year for the team's accomplishments. The past two year's the Lady Royals have reached the Finals of the ODAC Tournament with the 2007 squad winning the conference title and Bechler being named ODAC Coach of the Year. EMU was a perfect 7-0 against conference opponents, the first time the Lady Royals had an unblemished record in the ODAC since 2000.

Brenda (Kratz) Bechler played four years of field hockey at Eastern Mennonite University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education, becoming certified to teach Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Bechler spent four years associated with EMU athletics before taking over the field hockey program. She served four years as assistant field hockey coach, during which time the Lady Royals won four conference championships and advanced to the national tournament, including one third-place national finish. She also spent one year as head softball coach at Eastern Mennonite High School and two years as head softball coach at EMU.

In all of her coaching experience, Bechler has enjoyed the opportunity to teach players how to advance their skill level in a sport that they love. She hope to be a positive role model for her athletes on and off the field. Her coaching motto for her players is, "When you want what you've never had, you must do what you've never done."

After graduating from EMU, Bechler has also worked at the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Wellness Center in corporate wellness and personal training. She began work on her graduate degree, earning a Master of Science in Exercise Science from James Madison University in 2002. In 2005, she became a member of the faculty in the Physical Education Department at EMU.

Bechler and husband Dave live in Harrisonburg with their two children, Brett and Shay.

Lisa Shank, Assistant Coach (Third Season - Eastern Mennonite '05)

Shenk enters her third season as an assistant coach for her alma mater after helping to lead the team to a 13-6 overall record and a 7-2 finish in the ODAC in her first year and back-to-back appearences in the Finals of the ODAC Tournament with EMU winning the conference title in 2007.

Shenk (Ehst) also guided the 2003 team to a birth in the NCAA Championships as a player while registering six goals and six assists for 18 points. She finished her collegiate career at EMU with 21 goals and 20 assists.

Shenk currently lives in Harrisonburg with her husband Joel.

Karla Alderfer Tierney, Assistant Coach (Second Season, EMU '97)

Karla Alderfer Tierney will return to her alma mater in her second season as an assistant coach after playing for EMU during her collegiate career.

Tierney played all four years in both field hockey and softball where she holds four season records and eight career records. Tierney still holds the field hockey career records for most wins as a goalkeeper (67), winning percentage (.905), goals per game (.595), and is fourth on the all-time saves percentage list at .852.

Tierney served as the head softball coach at EMU from 2000-03 as well as serving perviously as an assistant field hockey coach for the Royals.

Tierney enjoys kayaking, hiking, camping, and music and her favorite quote is, "live free." She currently serves as a teacher assistant at Stone Spring Elementary in Harrisonburg, Va. Tierney and her husband Brian live in Bridgewater, Va. with their dog Adeline.