Posted on Oct 29, 2002

With one game left in the 2002 regular season, Coach Brian Speck has guided the Dutchwomen to an eight-year record of 99-30-9 and into three consecutive NCAA championship tournaments. Under his leadership, Union won back-to-back New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association championships in 1999 and 2000, declining the top seed and participation in both 1998 and 2001. His Dutchwomen have captured three of the last five Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association championships. Speck, a graduate of nearby Burnt Hills High School and the former girls soccer coach at Niskayuna before coming to Union, is looking for the Dutchwomen's fourth consecutive NCAA invitation. The Dutchwomen have enjoyed double-digit winning seasons each of the last six years.

His 1999 squad captured Union's first New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association championship and became the first soccer team from Union to be selected to the NCAA tournament. The Dutchwomen's 4-3 triple overtime win over host Ithaca (a game that saw Union trailing 3-0 at halftime), was the first NCAA victory in the 30-year history of women's athletics at Union.

Brian was voted the UCAA as well as the New York State “Coach of the Year” after leading the Dutchwomen to their record-setting 13-1-1 record in 1998 (which included a 6-0-0 UCAA mark and their first league title).

Prior to coming to Union, Brian compiled a six-year varsity record of 102-20-6 at nearby Niskayuna High School. He was named the “Coach of the Year” by both the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organizations for Girls Sports and Section II. Under his direction, Niskayuna was ranked seventh in the nation in 1994 and was the New York State co-champions with Huntington, the nation's top team, after a 2-2 overtime tie.Brian led Niskayuna to four Suburban Council championships, a Section II, Class A title, a Section II Class B crown (in 1993), back-to-back regional championships and consecutive state titles (in 1993 and 1994).