Sachem had a very special guest this summer when alum and University of Louisville women’s soccer coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes (Class of ’90) returned to the school to speak with the Sachem East and Sachem North girls’ soccer teams.
The video call was organized by the Sachem Alumni Association and Sachem Athletic Department around National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Ferguson-Dayes visit kicked off the district’s brand-new “Numbers of Recognition” program - honoring pioneering female student-athletes who made their mark as leaders, scholars, and role models.
Starting in 2025 with girls’ soccer at East and North, the jersey numbers of legendary alumni will be passed on to current student-athletes who embody leadership, academic success, and community pride. Ferguson's #22 will be the first Number of Recognition awarded. That ceremony will take place before the upcoming Fall season.
Ferguson, a Sachem Athletic Hall of Famer and Suffolk County Sports Hall of Famer, is a former UConn All-American and U.S. Women’s National Team player. Her 211 wins make her the winningest coach in Louisville history. She took a struggling soccer program at the University of Louisville and molded it into a top 25 program.
Prior to Louisville she was the assistant coach at the University of Connecticut for three seasons. The Huskies were 60-12-2 during the three years she spent as an assistant, advanced to the final eight twice and were national runner-up in 1997.
Sachem social media called her "A true inspiration for past, present, and future Sachem athletes."