Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wentzel Joins Falcon Coaching Staff for 2006
August 10, 2006 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 10, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Ashley Wentzel, a four-year Bowling Green State University women's soccer letterwinner and a co-captain of the most successful team in program history, will serve as a student assistant coach for the 2006 season. Wentzel joins seventh-year head coach Andy Richards and first-year assistant Erik Burstein on the Falcon staff.
"I am thrilled to have Ashley remain a part of the program," said Richards. "I think it's great that players in the program feel that they want to get into the coaching ranks; it feels as though we are doing our job in providing a positive environment.
"Additionally, she has an unbelievable insight into the program that I do not have. Ashley is going to know when it is time to push the team a little bit harder, and when it might be time to ease off a little bit, because she has been through the process as a player."
A native of Mason, Ohio, Wentzel finished her BG playing career with a total of 24 points on four goals and 16 assists. She played in a total of 87 matches, tied for the second-most in BGSU annals, and made 57 starts. Wentzel is tied for seventh in career assists and deadlocked for 13th in points.
Her accomplishments in the program, however, go far beyond mere statistics. Wentzel was part of a class that won 44 games at BG, by far the most wins over a four-year span in the history of the program. She helped the Falcons to four consecutive appearances in the MAC Tournament, after the team had never made back-to-back trips before her arrival.
Wentzel was a junior on the 2004 Falcon team that won the MAC Tournament title, the first league championship of any kind in program history. As a senior co-captain last fall, Wentzel and the Falcons won the league's regular-season and tourney titles, and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive Novemeber.
"We will be relying upon Ashley pretty heavily this year, for her insight as well as her coaching," said Richards. "She is new to coaching, obviously, but she has tremendous character and work rate. And, she is a very good story.
"Ashley came in as an untried freshman who didn't see a whole lot of time. Year by year, she took a step forward, and she ended up as a fantastic player and leader for our team. We will have a living example on our staff of somebody who did all of the things that we are going to profess every day in practice."
Wentzel was named the team's Defensive MVP in 2005, and also earned the Leslie Dawley 'Fighting Falcon' Award. The latter award is given to the team member who, through words and actions, most accurately reflects the program's philosophy of 'Today I gave all that I have, for everything I left behind is gone forever.'
She is the first former BGSU player to serve on the Falcon coaching staff.
A physical education teacher education major at BGSU, Wentzel is scheduled to earn her undergraduate degree in December.
