Kiel Matisz

Classroom

Matisz maintains a 3.74 GPA as a double major in Economics and Marketing. He has made the Dean’s List in every semester and has posted a 3.84 GPA since the beginning of his sophomore year. Matisz, who is also minoring in sociology, was named the NEC Men’s Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011. The senior is currently working on an economic analysis paper for his econometrics course that examined what factors were most responsible for winning percentage in Division I men’s lacrosse during the past five years, and he is hoping to have it published in the near future. Matisz wants to pursue a master’s degree in Economic Policy with a specialization in human resource economics.

Character

Matisz was selected as one of five captains for the Colonials during the 2011 season despite being a junior on a squad that sported 13 seniors. However, this choice is not entirely surprising when one considers Matisz’s background, which includes membership in the Colonial Leadership Academy. The Academy is an intensive three-year program that only admits applicants after a formal selection process which requires recommendations from three distinct campus constituencies. The goal of the program is to “maximize the leadership abilities” of student-athletes who have demonstrated strong potential in this area. The curriculum includes studying leadership skills and philosophies through formal instruction, expert guest lecturers and interactive discussion. Matisz’s desire to devote dozens of extra hours to partake in this academy in addition to his regular coursework and athletic pursuits along with his acceptance into the program speak volumes to his character and work ethic. Matisz is also a student representative of the university’s Student Conduct Board after he received a recommendation for the position from the Center for Student Success. Student Conduct Board representatives serve along with faculty and staff members to hear student conduct cases. During the hearing, board members review evidence and interview students to determine if a violation was committed. The student representatives provide valuable perspective and insight as the board hears student conduct cases. Matisz also has served as a peer tutor at Robert Morris, aiding his fellow students with instruction on introductory business courses. Peer tutors are trained to assist students with questions as well as promote independent learning. Peer tutors are selected based of their academic progress, GPA and passion for helping students.

Community

Matisz has been involved with numerous community-service events while at Robert Morris, participating in team-sponsored outings as well as taking the initiative himself to help better the surrounding community. He has been serving as the head coach of a local fifth and sixth grade lacrosse team since the fall and hopes to balance his coaching duties with his playing schedule so he can continue teaching the game to the squad this spring. Matisz also served as the director of the RMU men’s lacrosse squad’s fundraising efforts for the Headstrong Foundation, which supports those affected by blood cancer and works to eliminate the disease. He coordinated the team’s T-shirt fundraising sales, which occurred both on and off campus, and helped out with the program’s ‘Movember’ effort. Matisz has also been involved with a variety of events that he and his teammates have worked on together. He helped plan and participated in a Christmas Carnival for abused and neglected children, he performed maintenance work at a local park and he also painted crosswalks in a nearby town for the safety of residents. Matisz has also started donating his time at the food pantry for the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation.

Competition

Matisz has been one of the key pieces in building Robert Morris into a winning program that has received national notice. He has been honored with first-team all-conference honors in each of his last two seasons and is a balanced offensive player that can score and create chances for others. He posted a career-high 20 assists last season, ranking among the top 40 nationally in assists per game. He also set new career highs in both ground balls (34) and caused turnovers (nine) while tallying 16 goals. Matisz had a monster sophomore season as he recorded 46 points (28 goals, 18 assists) in just 15 games to rank among the top 50 nationally in points per contest. He also claimed Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) All-Rookie honors after his 2009 season, in which he totaled 20 points as a freshman. Matisz has not missed a game in his entire career, playing in 46 contests thus far, and has quickly climbed the charts in the RMU record book. He is fifth in career points (102), fifth in career goals (54) and tied for third in career assists (48) entering his senior season.