Liz Thornton enters her sixth season as an assistant coach with the Franklin Pierce women's soccer program in 2009.

Thornton has served one-year stints as an assistant coach at both Rivier College and Daniel Webster College. While with DWC in 2002, she was part of a coaching staff that helped it win a program-record seven matches and reach the Conference playoffs for the first time in  program history.

Thornton has coached the same New Hampshire Classics team since 1997, leading the squad to six State Championships and appearances in the Region I National Championships from 1998-2004. In 2002, the team placed third at the USA Cup out of 48 teams from around the world.

Thornton is a 2001 graduate of Keene State College, where she was a four-year letterwinner for the Owls serving as team captain her junior and senior years. The Owls won Little East Conference regular season titles in 1999 and 2000, while capturing the tournament title in 1998 to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

Thornton earned her Bachelor's Degree from Keene State in communications and is currently working towards her MBA in Leadership at Franklin Pierce.

Katrina Spencer is entering her ninth season as an assistant coach with the Franklin Pierce women's soccer program. She assists Coach Bailey with team recruiting and scouting.

Since joining the coaching staff at her alma mater, Spencer has helped the Ravens to five NCAA Division II Final Fours, including two appearances in the National Championship match, and five Northeast-10 Conference Tournament titles.

Spencer was a four-year letterwinner for the Ravens from 1998-2001, splitting her time as a reserve in the mid and backfields. She appeared in 51 matches during her four years at the University and totaled six points with two goals and two assists. A member of four NCAA Division II Final Four teams, she was also a part of the 1999 National Championship squad. 

Spencer earned her Bachelor's Degree in computer science at Franklin Pierce in 2002 and Master's Degree in information technology management at the University in 2004. She currently resides in Rindge and also works at VHB as a PC technician. Spencer also plays in the Division I Eastern Massachusetts Women's Soccer League.

Alex Eckhardt enters her second year as a Graduate Assistant Coach of the women's soccer team at Franklin Pierce in 2009. She assists Coach Bailey with the goalkeepers, team preparation and with various administrative duties. Eckhardt also serves as Assistant Coach of Franklin Pierce's men's and women's tennis teams.

Eckhardt joined Franklin Pierce following a record-breaking career at Northeast-10 Conference rival Stonehill College. She was a two-time All-Star goalkeeper for the New England Women's Intercollegiate Soccer Association (NEWISA), also earning All-NE-10 honors once. A strong student off the pitch, she collected NE-10 All-Academic honors as a junior and senior.

Eckhardt, team captain as a junior and senior, left Stonehill holding the program's career record for goals against average, while also ranking among Skyhawks career leaders for minutes played (2nd) and shutouts (3rd). In 2006, Eckhardt set a program record with four-straight shutouts. She made a season-high ten saves in a 2-2 double-overtime draw with Franklin Pierce her senior year.

Eckhardt, a native of Marshfield, Mass., earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in communication from Stonehill and is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Sports Facility Management at Franklin Pierce. She completed an internship in the Communications Office for the New England Revolution last spring and gained some coaching background by serving as an assistant coach with the girl's tennis team at Marshfield High School as well as working the SoccerPlus Goalkeeper Academy at the University of Rhode Island.