Lark Joins Women's Soccer Staff as Goalkeeper Coach
1/4/2026 9:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Three-time Big West Tournament Champion and former Big West Goalkeeper of the Year Morgan Lark has been named the new goalkeeper coach for the Cal Poly women’s soccer program, head coach Bernardo Silva recently announced.
Lark, formerly Bertsch, was a standout goalkeeper at Cal State Fullerton from 2014-17, helping the Titans capture three Big West Tournament titles and two Big West regular season championships during her career. Lark, who played professionally, joins the Mustangs after spending the past two seasons as a goalkeeper coach at Division II Fresno Pacific.
I’m ready to get to work and just be a part of the infectious energy that I’ve already felt.Morgan Lark, Cal Poly Women's Soccer Goalkeeper Coach
“I’m beyond excited to announce the hiring of Morgan Lark as our goalkeeper coach,” Silva said. “Morgan and I have been connected for several years and I have followed her career closely, both as a successful collegiate goalkeeper and professional athlete, and now as a goalkeeper coach. Morgan brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to the coaching role she will be serving within our staff, and will continue the work laid down by Brett Finkelstein as we build the best goalkeeper union environment.”
Lark, 29, had a sensational senior season at Fullerton in 2017 as she was named Big West Co-Goalkeeper of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Big West First Team. She started in all 22 matches for the Titans that season, recording nine shutouts — fourth most in a season in program history — a 12-6-3 record and a 0.745 goals against average. She also claimed Big West Tournament MVP honors to help CSUF advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years.
After being a few years removed from playing collegiately and professionally, Lark is looking forward to being a part of an extremely competitive culture again where the expectation is to contend for Big West Championships and NCAA Tournament berths year in and year out.
“I’ve been craving an intensely competitive environment to coach in because that’s what I thrived in as a player,” she said. “The environment Bernardo has created in just one year is incredible and I’m ready to get to work and just be a part of the infectious energy that I’ve already felt from the rest of the staff and players.”
In her first season as the goalkeeper coach at Fresno Pacific in 2024, Lark helped goalkeeper Monique Nevarez set a new single-season school record for shutouts (seven) and helped improve the Sunbirds’ defense tremendously as the team allowed just 17 goals that season compared to the 49 they allowed the year prior.
Her professional soccer stint in Europe and playing matches in the UEFA Champions League will help us push our goalkeeper training environment forward and get our goalkeepers ready to be professionals at the end of their collegiate careers.Bernardo Silva, Cal Poly Women's Soccer Head Coach
In addition to her experience at FPU, Lark has been providing private and small group training to players of all ages and levels in the Central Valley area since 2021 through LAB (Love & Blessings) Football, a company she and her husband, Myles, created.
During her career at Fullerton, Lark recorded 110 saves, a 0.952 goals against average, a .759 save percentage and a 16-13-6 record across 42 appearances and 34 starts. After wrapping up her playing career as a Titan, Lark served as a volunteer assistant on the 2018 staff while finishing her degree. It was her first coaching experience.
“I eat, breathe and sleep soccer,” Lark said about her passion for the sport. “If there’s a game on, I’m watching it.”
Lark pursued a professional career after her time at Fullerton, serving as a training player for the Seattle Reign FC in the NWSL in 2018 before heading overseas to play for SC Braga in Portugal, where she helped the club win a Liga BPI championship in her lone season in 2019. She then spent time at FC Lugano in the Swiss Super League, most notably competing against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, before ending her playing career to focus on coaching.
Silva said Lark’s experience playing at the collegiate and professional level will be a great asset to the program.
“Morgan has deep ties with the Big West conference as a successful goalkeeper at Cal State Fullerton and understands what it takes to be a top goalkeeper in our conference,” he said. “Her professional soccer stint in Europe and playing matches in the UEFA Champions League will help us push our goalkeeper training environment forward and get our goalkeepers ready to be professionals at the end of their collegiate careers. We are looking forward to welcoming Morgan, Myles, and their boy Maze to the Mustang family.”
Lark plans on sharing that wealth of experience with the Mustangs and assisting anyone on the team that is interested in pursuing a career beyond college. Lark has a relentless drive to win and she can’t wait to bring that passion to Cal Poly and help the program continue to reach even greater heights.
“I’m so excited to see how I can grow as a coach and really help these goalkeepers and players reach their fullest potential,” she said. “Even playing at the professional level, there’s nothing like playing for your school and trying to compete for championships, and from a players’ perspective, I know what it takes to achieve sustained success because I’ve been through it.”
