Name: Christa Matlack

Position: Head Coach, Women’s Soccer

Hometown/High School: South Williamsport, Pa.

Alma Mater (s)/Major: Bucknell (BA: Biology); Clarion, Pa. (MS: Biological Sciences)

Number of years coaching, number of years at Penn College?: I am in my fifth year of coaching college athletics (two years at Clarion, one year at University of Scranton) and I’m beginning my third year at Penn College.

What is your favorite part about being a coach? 

The most rewarding part of being a coach is witnessing the growth of each student athlete throughout their career. They enter the program nervous and timid, but by the end of their career, they transform into confident young adults destined to be leaders in the next chapter of their lives.

What is your favorite moment in your Penn College coaching career? 

My favorite moment of my Penn College coaching career was our first season together in 2018. Coaching transitions are difficult and can often lead to a tumultuous season, but our team was able to come together and rally for an overtime win against an opponent that our program has never beaten in our first game. We went on to have the best start in program history with a 4 game unbeaten streak, and we made the NEAC Final Four. 

Best advice for current or future Wildcats?

Find your passion and live it every day. Use your time at college to find who you are and what you love, so you can find a fulfilling career. 

Fun fact(s) about you?

Prior to arriving at Penn College, I spent four years as a product development associate designing tampons and one year as a research technician studying embryonic heart defects.