La Plume, PA – Ashley Irwin has been named Keystone College's head field hockey coach according to an announcement made today by Dr. Matthew Grimaldi, Director of Athletics.  Irwin, who was a four-year starter at King's College, takes over the Giants' field hockey program after coaching three sports at local high schools.
 
Irwin entered the coaching ranks after completing her playing career, spending a season as the assistant varsity coach for Meyers High School's field hockey team where she was active in all aspects of the program.  Since August 2011, Irwin has since served as the Jr. High head varsity coach at Meyers where she also spent the past season as the Jr. High head girls' basketball coach.
 
Since 2012, Irwin has also served as a coach with the Coughlin High School's girl's lacrosse varsity team.  As an assistant coach in 2013, Irwin helped the Crusaders post a 7-4 record and qualify for postseason play in just their second year of competition.  The following season, Irwin was elevated to co-head varsity coach and led Coughlin to a 12-4 record and a third place finish in the PIAA District II playoffs.  The Crusaders had six players named to the All-Star team while three seniors from that team will further their playing careers at the collegiate level.
 
In the offseason, Irwin has remained active in the field hockey coaching circuit by serving as an instructor at numerous camps and programs, spending three years as the Assistant Camp Director at the BCMC Field Hockey Camp in Birdsboro, PA and three years as an instructor at both the Eastern Field Hockey Camps and the King's College Field Hockey Camp.  Irwin has also coached the Mohawks Indoor Field Hockey U16 Dome League team since 2013 and has also served as a camp instructor at the Nike Girls' Basketball Camp in West Chester, PA, the King's College Women's Basketball Camp, and as the Newberry Estates Personal Swim Head Instructor.
 
A four-year starter on defense at King's, Irwin helped the Monarchs to four-straight MAC Freedom Conference playoff berths highlighted to back-to-back conference titles and trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007.  During Irwin's playing career, King's posted an impressive, 59-23 overall record while going 21-7 in Freedom Conference competition.  Irwin also helped the Monarchs record 17 shutouts during her four-year playing career.
 
Irwin was active off the field as well, serving as a member of the King's College Student-Athlete Awareness Committee.  Irwin was named the President of the SAAC in 2010 after serving as Vice President in 2009 when she also represented King's at the NCAA SAAC Conference.  A member of the Education Club, Irwin also volunteered her time with programs including Kid's Café and the Community Outreach Reading Program while founding "Bo Day," a fundraising event in memory of Bo Tech to help create teen suicide awareness in the fall of 2009. 
 
Irwin earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education from King's in May 2011 and works with Evergreen Behavioral Intervention for Children as a therapeutic staff support member.
 
Irwin replaces Kacy Manning, who was recently named the head coach at Marywood University after compiling a 54-50 record in six seasons at Keystone.
 
Keystone, who went 6-11 (4-3 CSAC) last fall, opens the 2014 season on Friday, August 29 when they host Morrisville State College at 7:30 p.m. at the Giants' new athletic turf field and track complex.