Clarkson has named Shannon and Matt Desrosiers as the new co-head coaches of the Golden Knights Women’s Hockey team as Rick Seeley announced his departure for Quinnipiac on Tuesday.
Shannon Desrosiers completed her fifth season as an assistant coach at Clarkson, while Matt Desrosiers has been on the Knights’ coaching staff the past two seasons.
“I am looking forward to great things from Shannon and Matt,” stated Clarkson Athletic Director Steve Yianoukos. “We are very fortunate to have two capable people in the program ready to take over and bring Clarkson Women’s Hockey to the next level. Shannon and Matt are passionate about the game and coaching, and communicate very well with our players.
“I just want to thank Rick for his six years here at Clarkson,” said Yianoukos. “He did a great job in starting women’s hockey at the University and is leaving the program in great shape. I wish him nothing but the best at Quinnipiac.”
This past winter, Clarkson enjoyed its best season ever in the five-year history of the program. The Golden Knights posted a 24-9-5 overall record and finished fourth in ECAC Hockey with a 13-6-3 league mark. The Golden Knights defeated Princeton in the first round of the conference playoffs, their first ever postseason games at Cheel Arena, and advanced to the ECAC Championship Tournament. Clarkson was ranked eighth in the final USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national poll.
In the program’s first five years, Clarkson has posted a 93-67-18 overall record, and qualified for the ECAC Hockey playoffs in each of its four years of eligibility.
A top forward for St. Lawrence from 1999-2003, Shannon Desrosiers has been with Clarkson’s Division I program since its inception. She has played a leading role in the Knights emergence as one of the top teams in ECAC Hockey and a respected program in the NCAA. Shannon, along with her husband Matt, has been very instrumental in bringing to the University some of the top recruits in the country. Shannon Desrosiers will handle the majority of the off-ice aspects like recruiting and public relations.
“We are really excited and feel very fortunate for the opportunity,” stated Shannon Desrosiers. “It is not often that you get the chance to take over an already established team, and a team that is doing well. We feel very fortunate that Clarkson’s administration felt confidence in us to give us this chance. We are looking forward to the opportunity.”
No stranger to ECAC Hockey or the North Country having played at St. Lawrence, Matt Desrosiers finished his second year as a collegiate coach after playing professional hockey for several years. He has an exceptional hockey background, both in college and professionally, and is very familiar with ECAC Hockey. Matt Desrosiers will focus on on-ice systems and also be strongly involved with recruiting.
Shannon Desrosiers finished her collegiate career as the Saints’ fourth all-time leading scorer, amassing 123 points on 44 goals and 79 assists through 138 games. Serving as a captain in her senior campaign, the Fernie, British Columbia native tied for the team lead in points and assists, recording 38 points on 13 goals and 25 assists through 35 games. She was named St. Lawrence’s Best Defensive Player her senior season.
A four-year standout on defense at St. Lawrence University from 1997-2001, Matt Desrosiers helped the Saints reach the Frozen Four as a junior and gained ECAC and All-America honors as a senior. The Fort Erie, Ontario native was also named an ECAC Robbins Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2001.
Matt Desrosiers played five years of professional hockey after graduating from St. Lawrence in 2001. He played in two East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) All-Star games (2002, 2003) representing the Dayton Bombers and the South Carolina Stingrays. He played two seasons in the Central Hockey League (CHL) and helped lead the Colorado Eagles to the 2005 President’s Cup Championship.
