A 2016 alumna of Merrimack College and former captain of the women's soccer program, Heather Hastbacka joined the staff as an assistant coach of the women's soccer team in 2019.  Hastbacka was a four-year member of the program, playing from 2011-2015.  She was named captain as a senior in 2015, proceeding to have a top-notch season as a dominant defender in the conference. Hastbacka received Northeast-10 All Conference honors along with NSCAA All-East Region and NEWISA All-New England accolades.

Prior to Merrimack, Heather was a four-year member of the varsity soccer team at Cypress Bay High School.  She earned Miami Herald and Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel second team honors as a freshman and first team accolades as a sophomore, junior and senior.  Heather was named to the All-State first team by the Florida High School Athletic Association as a sophomore and as a senior, and ESPN Rise as a junior serving as team captain as a senior.  She was a member of the Super Y ODP and state ODP teams.    

Hastbacka graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Human Development from Merrimack in 2016 and is seeking her Master's Degree in Education.

Hastbacka resides in Nashua, NH and is currently a teacher at the Lawrence Family Development Charter School in Lawrence, Mass.