February 10, 2004

TCNJ'S PFLUGER HONORED BY THE PHILADELPHIA
SPORTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION

LION FIELD HOCKEY AND LACROSSE COACH RECEIVES PSWA'S CENTURY CITATION

Sharon Pfluger, The College of New Jersey’s head field hockey and women’s lacrosse coach, was honored at the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association (PSWA) 100^th Annual Awards Banquet on January 26 at the Hilton Hotel in Cherry Hill, NJ. 

Pfluger joined world and Olympic heavyweight champions, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, Philadelphia Hall of Fame greats Chuck Bednarik, Bob Clarke and Julius Erving, current Phillies’ slugger Jim Thome, and tennis great, Billie Jean King, at the head table for the gala 100^th banquet.

Pfluger and the other honored guests received the PSWA’s Century Citation in recognition of being one of the top athletes and coaches in the past 100 years. Previously, the PSWA cited her with the Outstanding Achievement Award in both 1991 and 1992. 

Pfluger has coached TCNJ’s field hockey program for 19 seasons and owns an overall coaching record of 354 wins against 56 losses and nine ties, with 345 of those wins happening during her tenure at TCNJ.  Pfluger’s winning percentage of .856 is fourth among coaches from all three NCAA divisions, while ranking eighth in total wins. She has coached 419 games thus far, placing her 24^th on the all-time list. Her teams have produced a mark of 345-37-5 while earning 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. Pfluger notched her 350^th overall career win with a thrilling 1-0 overtime win over rival Messiah College, on October 21, 2003.

She was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame Class of 2003 on January 10, 2004 at the NFHCA Awards Luncheon in Baltimore, MD.

In addition, Pfluger is also the head coach of the Lion women’s lacrosse squad and will be directing the lacrosse program for the 18^th season this spring. Under her guidance, TCNJ has earned nine NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championships, four NCAA Division III Runner-up titles and four third-place finishes.  Throughout Pfluger’s 17-year tenure, she has compiled an amazing 257-18-1 record for a .933 winning percentage at the helm of Division III’s most successful women’s lacrosse program. Her winning percentage is ranked first all-time among coaches at all three collegiate levels, while she ranks third in total wins. Her teams have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 17 times, advancing to the NCAA Division III Championship game on 13 occasions.

Over the course of her career, she has been honored several times.  Pfluger received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the March of Dimes in 1990, while during the 1991 NCAA Division I and III Women’s Lacrosse Championships, she was the recipient of the NCAA's 10^th Anniversary Outstanding Service Award for her accomplishments in women’s lacrosse. Since 1989, Pfluger has served on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee and assisted in coaching the U.S. Women’s Lacrosse Squad from 1987 to 1989. On November 15, 1992, she became the first woman honored by the Trenton Select Committee. In 1995, Pfluger was honored with the Bea Marwick Award for outstanding support and service to the sport of women’s lacrosse. In the summer of 1997, she joined four other women in the New Jersey Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame’s charter class. Pfluger is one of just two female coaches featured in the NCAA Hall of Champions’ Legends of the Game display, which opened in March of 2000 in Indianapolis.