Matt Parker enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Lakers ACHA Division I Women’s Hockey team. During his tenure, Parker has taken what began as a small on-campus club and developed a top-15 ACHA program from it. The Lakers qualified for ACHA Division II Nationals in 2021-22, then moved to the Division I ranks the next season.

Parker, born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, played his youth hockey locally. As a USA Hockey Certified Level 4 Coach, he has over 20 years of coaching experience with the Soo Firehawks Junior A team; St. Ignace Firehawks U18 team, and the LSSU ACHA DII Men’s Hockey team. He has coached over 1,000 games at these various levels.

In addition, Parker serves on the Sault Michigan Hockey Association board and has worked numerous roles within the Lakers athletics department since his hiring in 2020. Currently, he works in Athletics Facility Management/Operations. Parker, a Sault Area High School graduate, lives in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, MI with his wife, Abigail, and two daughters. Abigail, an LSSU graduate (’10) teaches in Lake Superior State University’s Nursing department and works as a doctor at the LSSU Health Center.