Matt Walton has announced his resignation as the head coach of the Marian University women’s ice hockey program to pursue a position in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).

Considered one of the top leagues in the United States, the NAHL is a Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey.  The NAHL spans across the entire United States and is the oldest junior hockey league in the country.  The league consists of 34 teams that are split into four divisions.  The top four teams from each division qualify for the Robertson Cup Playoffs with the Final Four being held in the middle of May.  There were 37 NAHL alumni who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) last season with some of the top all-time alumni including, but not limited to, Patrick Kane, Connor Hellebuyck, and Nic Dowd.

Walton spent last season on the bench for the Sabre women’s ice hockey program as an assistant coach.  Marian reached the postseason for the fifth consecutive season with the fifth-most conference wins in program history.  The Sabres were the only program in the NCHA to fend off more than 100 penalties and ranked fifth in the NCHA with an .860 penalty-kill percentage.
 
Prior to Marian, Walton spent time as an assistant boy’s hockey coach for Hoosac School and as a scout for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton USPHL program.  In both roles he played a major key in the recruitment of future student-athletes.  With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he helped recruit for all three teams of the USPHL program; National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), premier, and elite.
 
His USPHL career began with the Jersey Hitmen where he served as the head coach of their premier team for one season.  While still having the responsibility of recruiting and scouting, Walton also was a major facet of player development both on and off the ice.  The Hitmen earned 17 wins in his lone season as the bench boss, the most since the 2018-19 season and it’s a mark that hasn’t been reached the past three seasons.
 
He has also spent time as the a head coach and director of scouting with GOTTA Hockey,  and a youth head hockey coach with the Chicago Blues and the Fort Wayne Amateur Hockey Association.
 
Walton earned a degree in business of professional studies from Robert Morris while also competing for the ACHA Division I team.