Amber Auchenbach is in her seventh season as an assistant coach with the Kutztown University field hockey program in 2023.
Aunchenbach, who spent five seasons as an assistant coach with the Golden Bears between 2013-17, returned to her former position ahead of the 2022 season. This time it was in an elevated capacity as the first full-time assistant in program history.
In her first season back, Kutztown went 16-3 (8-1 PSAC) and reached the No. 1 spot in the NFHCA Division II Poll. The Golden Bears claimed victories over five nationally ranked opponents and secured the top spot in the PSAC Championship tournament.
Before returning to KU, Auchenbach led NCAA Division III Albright College for three years (two seasons). She compiled a 13-22 record with the Lions while mentoring four All-Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth selections in 2019 and an All-MAC Commonwealth Honorable Mention pick in 2021.
When Auchenbach departed Kutztown following the 2017 season, it was to take the reins of Cedar Crest College’s DIII program. In 2018, her only season with the Falcons, she led the program to a 6-10 record and its first appearance in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Tournament since 2002. Auchenbach was voted CSAC Coach of the Year by her peers and placed five student-athletes on the All-CSAC First Team.
Academic success has been a hallmark of Auchenbach’s teams during her head coaching tenure. Albright earned NFHCA Division III National Academic Team Awards in 2019, 2020 (season canceled by pandemic) and 2021. Cedar Crest had nine players named to the NFHCA DIII National Academic Squad and a Scholar of Distinction in 2018.
During her first run with the Golden Bears, Auchenbach and head coach Marci Scheuing enjoyed plenty of success together with four .500 or better finishes in five seasons, including double-digit victories in 2015, 2016 and 2017. KU returned to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament for the first time in six years in 2015. The 2017 team knocked off three nationally-ranked opponents, its biggest win coming on the road against No. 1 and eventual national champion Shippensburg, 3-0, on Oct. 21.
Auchenbach’s Berks County roots run deep. She grew up in nearby Fleetwood and starred at perennial field hockey power Oley Valley High School before going on to play collegiately at Bloomsburg University.
In four seasons with the Huskies, the former Amber Aulenbach totaled 20 goals and 18 assists. She played in 22 games as a freshman, helping Bloomsburg win the 2009 NCAA Division II national championship. The midfielder finished her career as a two-time NFHCA DII All-American, earning First Team honors as a senior in 2012 and a Second Team nod as a junior in 2011. Auchenbach was also a three-time All-PSAC selection, including First Team recognition in her final two seasons. She was lauded for her academics as a two-time BU Scholar-Athlete and 2011 NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad member.
Auchenbach graduated from Bloomsburg in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She received her master’s degree in social work from Kutztown in 2015.
Updated 8/24/23
