Plattsburgh State Athletics

Reid Lesswing entered his fifth year as an assistant men's ice hockey coach at Plattsburgh State in 2023-24. In his role with the Cardinals, Lesswing assists in all areas of the program with an emphasis on recruiting, skills development, and coaching defensemen.

In his fifth season at Plattsburgh State, Lesswing helped the Cardinals maintain another 21-5-2 record (12-3-1) and make another appearance in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament Finals, after defeating Potsdam and Oswego State in overtime before suffering an overtime loss to Cortland at home. Lesswing also helped coach Kevin Weaver-VItale and Ryan Hogg, who would each receive All-SUNYAC honors (second team), becoming the fourth and fifth Plattsburgh defenseman to do so under Lesswing.

Lesswing helped guide the Cardinals to their best record since 2015-16 during the 2022-23 campaign, as the Cardinals went 20-6-2 overall (12-3-1 SUNYAC) and won their 24th SUNYAC championship in program history. He helped lead the Cardinals to their 23rd NCAA Division III Tournament appearance in 2022-23 as well, as Plattsburgh State hosted Norwich University in its first home NCAA Tournament game in more than a decade in front of a sellout crowd. As a result of the program's success, Lesswing was a member of the staff that earned SUNYAC Coaching Staff of the Year accolades. In addition, he helped mentor Jacob Modry to CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Third-Team All-America honors.

In his third season as a part of the Plattsburgh State coaching staff, Lesswing helped oversee a 15-8-3 season for the Cardinals as they finished in third place in the SUNYAC with an 11-4-1 mark in league play. Lesswing helped coach two All-SUNYAC defensemen during the season, including five selections overall. Plattsburgh State earned the right to host a playoff game in the SUNYAC Tournament but ended up falling to SUNY Brockport to conclude its season. 

Lesswing's second season as an assistant at Plattsburgh State was canceled in 2020-21, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

In his first season as the top assistant at Plattsburgh State in 2019-20,  Lesswing helped guide the Cardinals to a 10-14-3 record, including a 6-8-2 mark in SUNYAC play. The Cardinals played their best at the end of the season, as they won their final three regular-season games to earn the No. 5 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament. Plattsburgh State then upset No. 4-seeded The College at Brockport in the SUNYAC Tournament first round with a thrilling, 3-2, road victory in double overtime on Feb. 26. The Cardinals' season came to an end with a SUNYAC Tournament semifinal game at No. 2-seeded Oswego State on March 3.
  
Lesswing spent the 2018-19 season as an assistant coach at Fredonia, helping the Blue Devils achieve a 15-8-4 overall record (8-6-2 SUNYAC) and the No. 5 seed in the SUNYAC Tournament. He assisted head coach Jeff Meredith in many facets of the program's day-to-day operation, including scouting and game plans; oversight of a power-play unit that ranked sixth in NCAA Division III; evaluating, engaging contact with and yielding prospective student-athletes; breaking down and presenting video to the student-athletes; running individual skill sessions for student-athletes; emphasizing academic progress and helping with team fundraising and community service efforts.
 
Before Fredonia, he assisted at his alma mater, Castleton University, from 2016-18. During his first year on staff in 2016-17, he helped the Spartans earn an 11-10-6 overall mark and advance to the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Tournament semifinals before falling to eventual national champion Norwich University. While working with head coach Bill Silengo, he worked specifically with the defensemen with individual skill work; broke down and presented video; arranged team travel and meals; assisted in recruiting efforts and grew the footprint of Castleton men's ice hockey in the Rutland, Vt., area.
 
As a defenseman at Castleton, he competed from 2010-14, recording 15 points on two goals and 13 assists in 98 games played. He was selected as a captain during his senior season in 2013-14, leading the Spartans to a 13-11-3 overall record. An Amherst, N.Y., native, Lesswing played his junior hockey for the Georgetown Raiders of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League (OJAHL).
 
After college, Lesswing played professionally for the Louisiana IceGators of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) and the Thorold Athletics of the Allan Cup Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA).
  
Lesswing earned his Bachelor of Science in business management in 2014 and his Master of Science in athletic administration in 2018, both from Castleton.