MEET COACH LINDSAY
Matt Lindsay begins his ninth season with the Nittany Lions varsity program for the 2020-21 season. Lindsay brings 19 years of college hockey coaching experience to his Penn State student-athletes and he plays a vital role in the Nittany Lions game planning as well as recruiting. His connections in multiple leagues across North America allow Penn State to recruit the best student-athletes to Hockey Valley.
AT PENN STATE
General to the rise of the program since its introduction to the NCAA Division I ranks in 2012 Lindsay has reached the NCAA Tournament twice and captured the 2017 Big Ten Tournament Championship.
Lindsay helped guide Penn State to its first-ever Big Ten regular-season championship in 2019-20 as the team registered a program-best 12 conference victories and 41 points.
Penn State advanced to its sixth Big Ten semifinal in seven years prior to the postseason cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following season’s end, the Nittany Lions had a pair of players earn All-America honors for the first time as Cole Hults and Nate Sucese were recognized by CCM/AHCA on the second team west. Hults also became the first-ever Nittany Lion to be named Big Ten Player of the Year.
Seven Nittany Lions went on to sign professional contracts as Brandon Biro, Nate Sucese, Evan Barratt and Cole Hults each inked entry-level NHL deals while Peyton Jones, Liam Folkes and Nikita Pavlychev each signed AHL contracts in the offseason.
The prolific offense posted staggering numbers in 2018-19 as the team lead the nation in scoring with a single-season record 4.54 goals per game and set single-season records for goals (177), assists (301) and points (478) each of which were also tops in the nation.
Lindsay guided Penn State to its second Big Ten Championship game in three seasons as the Nittany Lions posted their second most victories in a season finishing 22-15-2. Sophomore Alex Limoges set single-season point and goal totals with 50 and 23, respectively, tying for the national lead in points, the first time in program history a Nittany Lion has done so.
During the 2017-18 campaign, Lindsay helped Penn State reach the Big Ten semifinals for the fourth time in the brief five-year history of the conference. The run to the postseason was highlighted by four-straight victories against Minnesota including a two-game sweep in the Big Ten quarterfinals. Lindsay also saw Andrew Sturtz break the Penn State all-time goals record on his way to becoming the fourth Nittany Lion to ink an NHL contract following the season.
Lindsay also helped bring Trevor Hamilton to Penn State and as a senior in 2017-18, Hamilton became the first Nittany Lion to win a major conference award as he was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Hamilton became just the third Penn State skater to earn first-team All-Conference accolades.
During the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns, Penn State had record-breaking offensive productions setting standards each season. In 2016-17 the Nittany Lions broke numerous offensive records, set the year prior, including most goals (160), assists (265), points (425), shots (1,719), goals/gm (4.10) and shots/gm (44.1) to go along with a program-best 25 victories. In total Penn State broke or tied 65 program records in 2016-17.
Denis Smirnov registered the best single-season for a freshman in program history shattering the previous points record with 47 (19 goals, 26 assists) to lead all freshmen across the country. Smirnov was later drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche as part of the most successful NHL draft for Penn State who had four players taken, the second most for an NCAA institution in 2017.
During the 2014-15 season, Lindsay helped guide the Nittany Lions to an 18-win campaign and their first double-digit conference win mark of 10 and helped develop Penn State’s first NHL player, Casey Bailey.
For the 2013-14 campaign, Lindsay aided the Nittany Lions during the Big Ten Conference’s first season. Penn State, which faced seven NCAA tournament teams and three Frozen Four participants, capped its season with a 2-1 double-overtime victory against Michigan in the B1G quarterfinals.
In 2012-13, the Nittany Lions inaugural NCAA Division I season, Lindsay helped lead Penn State to several marquee victories, including wins against three future Big Ten opponents (Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin).
AT PRINCETON
As an assistant coach at, from 2007-11, Lindsay was a part of one of the most successful periods at Princeton. The Tigers made two NCAA tournament appearances (2008, 2009) and earned 2008 ECAC and Ivy league Championships.
In 2009 the Princeton Tigers also set the school-record for wins with 22.
PRIOR COLLEGE COACHING
Before joining the collegiate coaching ranks, Lindsay spent the 2006-07 season as an assistant coach at Robert Morris.
With the Colonials, Lindsay served as the team’s video coordinator and helped with recruiting. He joined Robert Morris’ staff following one season as a volunteer assistant coach at Colorado College, where he handled video, pre-scouting and one-ice responsibilities.
From 2002-05, Lindsay served three seasons as an assistant coach at Hobart College and one season (2001-02) in the same capacity at Utica College.
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Lindsay, who graduated from Williams College in 2001, earned the William E. McCormick “Coaches” Award as a senior. The award is presented to a member of the hockey team who best exemplifies leadership, loyalty, a selfless devotion to the team, a youthful delight in the game of hockey and, above all, a strong commitment to community service.
PERSONAL
A 2001 graduate from Williams College, Lindsay earned the William E. McCormick “Coaches” Award as a senior. The award is presented to a member of the hockey team who best exemplifies leadership, loyalty, a selfless devotion to the team, a youthful delight in the game of hockey and, above all, a strong commitment to community service.
Lindsay and his wife, C.C., reside in State College, Pennsylvania, with their daughter, Josephine, and two dogs, Gordie and Hobbes.
