Joel Bancroft took over the reins of the UMass Lowell women’s soccer program during the summer of 2014 and the team responded almost immediately. The 2014 team showed tremendous growth and development while facing a more challenging schedule in its second year of the transition to Division I.
The young River Hawk team, with a half dozen freshmen in the starting lineup, went 5-13-1, overall, including non-conference wins against Siena, in the home opener, Delaware State, a dramatic double overtime win, and St. Bonaventure. The UMass Lowell strength of schedule was the highest ranked among America East schools and featured top local and regional opponents including Northeastern, Colgate.
Picked for last in the America East pre-season coaches’ poll, UMass Lowell opened the conference schedule with a win over Stony Brook and went on to finish eighth in the nine team conference. In one of the season’s most dramatic games, the River Hawks topped Vermont, 1-0, in double overtime in Burlington.
Bancroft is only the second fulltime head coach in the program's history, taking over from Elie Monteiro for whom he had worked as an assistant during the previous season.
As an assistant coach at UMass Lowell, Bancroft, who joined the River Hawk staff in 2013, has been responsible for coordinating the program's recruiting efforts. He expects to bring in a class of 13 players in September.
Bancroft describes UMass Lowell as a good fit and points to growing up in the metropolitan Portland area.
"I am from a mill town myself," said Bancroft. "My father was a boxer, so I am very aware of the tradition that Lowell has. Every day when I cross that bridge and I look to the left and I look to the right, I still get goose bumps. That is why I know this place is for me."
Bancroft came to UMass Lowell in 2013 with a wide variety of experience and a history of success at all levels. He served as an assistant coach with the Penn State women’s squad that captured the 2012 Big Ten regular season championship – the Nittany Lions’ 15th-straight, regular-season title – and reached the final of the NCAA Championship before losing to perennial power North Carolina, 4-1. The Nittany Lions posted a 21-4-2 overall record and a 10-0-1 clip in the Big Ten.
Bancroft was involved in all coaching facets at Penn State. He served as the coordinator of the team’s community service efforts, youth clinics, and team banquet as well as strength and performance.
Prior to joining the staff at Penn State, Bancroft was an assistant at Bates for the 2011 season where he was responsible for recruiting, strength and conditioning, as well as scouting and scheduling.
Bancroft spent three seasons (2006-08) at St Joseph’s College, two as an assistant and the 2008 season as the head coach. He led the Monks to a 12-7-3 clip in 2008 – marking a school record for wins in a season – up from a 5-11-3 finish in 2007.
St. Joseph’s advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament championship match where they suffered a 2-1 loss to Norwich; and to the ECAC Division III Tournament first round.
Before his time at St. Joseph’s, Bancroft spent the 2005-06 season as a men’s assistant at the University of New England; and three seasons (2003-05) as the men’s head coach at Southern Maine Community College where he led the squad to the Maine Small College championship in 2003 and 2004; and the Yankee Conference title in 2003.
Additionally, he was an assistant for two seasons (2001-02) with the women’s program at his alma mater, the University of Southern Maine.
Bancroft earned his U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) ‘B’ license in 2004 and was a head coach within the Maine Olympic Development Program from 2005-09.
Bancroft resides in Dover, NH with his wife Erin and their four dogs Kaiser, Rochester, Raina and Valor.
