Matt Woodard begins his fourth season as an assistant coach with the women's hockey program for the 2016-17 season and third as the lead assistant. Woodard assists Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach Scott McDonald in all aspects of the program, including recruiting and on-ice preparation.
In his first two seasons at RIT, Woodard helped lead the squad to back-to-back College Hockey America Championships. In 2014-15, the Tigers emerged victorious as the No. 6 seed in the tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time. In addition, Woodard played an integral role in recruiting RIT’s incoming class for the 2016-17 season, which includes six highly touted student-athletes from all over North America.
Originally from St. Louis Park, Minn., Woodard spent two seasons (2011-13) at Manhattanville College, serving as the assistant women's hockey coach and recruiting coordinator. He helped lead the Valiants, a Division III perennial power, to a 33-18-5 record and back-to-back appearances in the ECAC East Championship game.
At Manhattanville, Woodard coordinated the Valiants recruiting efforts, both nationally, and internationally, conducted video analysis and film breakdown, monitored academic progress of his players, and managed and organized marketing and fundraising initiatives. In addition, he was in charge of defensive zone coverage and penalty-killing units.
Woodard played four seasons of Division I collegiate hockey for RIT men's rival American International College on defense, recording 29 points on six goals and 23 assists in 133 games played. His 133 games played are tied for fourth most in program history and are the most among all Yellow Jackets defensemen.
In the classroom, Woodard excelled, earning a double major in criminal justice and psychology. He was a four-time member of the Atlantic Hockey Association All-Academic Team and was the recipient of the ECAC Award of Merit for excellence on the field of competition and in the classroom. At Manhattanville, Woodard earned a master's degree in sports business management.
Woodard resides in Canandaigua with his wife, Rhonwen.
Â
