MAKING THE GRADE AT MARIAN

Mullets Goaltender Bilsborough Commits to ACHA Marian

By: Dan Bradley

MINNEAPOLIS -- After a junior hockey career that saw stops in Ontario, Boston, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, Mullets goaltender Matt Bilsborough is off to the next great journey. On Thursday, the Minnesota Mullets announced Bilsborough has committed to ACHA Marian University in Fond du Lac, WI in the fall of 2020.

“I’m very excited to continue my hockey and academic career at Marian,” Bilsborough said. “The smaller class sizes were a big factor in my decision; I feel like being at a school where your professors know who you are and want you to succeed is very important. The hockey program is also very competitive and I’m excited to be a Sabre next year. I’m looking forward to start building a foundation for my career and to continue being able to play hockey at a competitive level.”

Bilsborough posted a 1-0-1 record for the Mullets in 3 games this season, posting a 3.68 GAA and a 90.2% save percentage; he finishes his USPHL career with a 10-2-1 record with a 2.84 GAA and 90.4% save percentage with four shutouts. Bilsborough will be joining a Marian program that finished 26-1-1-1 during the 2019-20 season before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the ACHA season before Championships could be held.

“My time playing Junior Hockey was one of the best memories of my young life,” Bilsborough said. “The Mullets are a class organization and I can’t thank Coach Walby enough for giving me a great age-out year. As a guy who played for multiple teams in multiple leagues over my junior career, ending with a team like the Mullets that made me feel wanted and welcome from day one meant a lot to me. Playing for the Mullets made hockey fun for me again and I wouldn’t have wanted Juniors to end any other way.”

Bilsborough plans to major in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Athletic Coaching.

“The biggest challenge for me next year is going to be becoming a student-athlete again. After taking 3 years off of school, I’m going to have to adjust to being a student first while still training to be able to play my best. My time with the Mullets prepared me to deal with this by helping me develop the drive to be great at whatever I do, whether hockey, school, or anything else that comes at me in life. The Mullets allowed me to give it my all every day, whether it was on the ice or in the weight room, and that drive is something that will always stay with me.”

“Matt was a big part of things this past Mullets season in so many ways,” Mullets Head Coach Chris Walby said. “He developed a ton over the course of the season and I’m so excited he’ll get to continue his career in school. Matt has a tremendous work ethic; he is committed to his craft and he’s a great teammate. Matt will be missed, but I am excited for his next chapter and sincerely appreciate what he’s done here for us as a team and organization.”

With the commitment to Marian University, Bilsborough is the 52nd player from Walby’s programs to advance to a collegiate program over the past eight years, and the 10th Mullet to advance to the collegiate level from the 2019-20 team. For more information on the Mullets program, go to www.mulletshockey.com.