Matt Cleeton returns to the Washington Wild for his second year, this time as co-head coach of the U12 Travel team and second year association goaltender coach.

Originally from Illinois, Cleeton started playing hockey at the age of four.  He made the transition to goaltender at the age of eight.  He played high school hockey and then continued on to play four years at the University of Illinois (ACHA D2).  While playing in college, he also coached at the youth hockey level and was an assistant and then head coach of the women’s hockey team (ACHA D2) at the University, winning a league title in his third and final year with the team. 

After graduating, he was an assistant coach for the men’s team.  Coach Cleeton then headed out to Washington and was an assistant coach for the University of Washington Huskies (ACHA D2) for two years, and has been behind the bench as head coach since 2014.