By Brandy Thurston, Director of Sports Information
(Morrisville, NY – Aug. 2014) Morrisville State College Athletics Director, Greg Carroll, has announced that Whitesboro native, Melissa Lomanto, has been selected to lead the inaugural women’s ice hockey program for the Mustangs.
Morrisville State is slated to begin play in the 2015-16 season.
Lomanto comes to Morrisville with a wealth of playing and coaching experience, having previously held two head coaching positions with young programs. She began her coaching career in 2005 as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Utica College, after a stellar four-year career with the Pioneers.
During her three seasons on the bench with Utica, the team had three consecutive 18 win seasons, and advanced to the ECAC West Conference tournament each season. The program, at the time, also produced a school record three All-Americans.
In 2008 Lomanto was named the head coach at Adrian College, where she guided the Bulldogs to a 52-25-6 overall record over the next three seasons, earning a top ten national ranking in each season. Throughout her time with Adrian, Lomanto guided the Bulldogs to the 2011 NCHA Conference Championship, while becoming the first women’s program in Adrian history to make an appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
Lomanto spent a seasons as a volunteer coach with the Colgate University’s women’s program before joining the SUNY Canton staff as head coach. Over the course of two seasons, she guided the new program to an overall record of 17-28-4, posting a 9-14-2 record in the first year of NCAA Division III competition, with a program first win over a Division I program.
Lomanto has had several players earn all-Conference, All-Rookie and All-Academic accolades.
Aside from the pursuit of excellence on the ice and in the classroom, Lomanto’s teams have been actively involved in the community. In 2012-13, her program was recognized with the SUNY Canton “Make a Difference” Award, and ACHA Community Service Award. In 2014, they earned the SUNY Canton Humanitarian Award.
Lomanto played in 102 consecutive games for Utica College across four seasons, where she earned ECAC West All-Rookie Team accolades and ECAC West All-Conference Team recognition for three consecutive seasons; along with Most Valuable Player, Coaches, Blue Collar and M. Lomanto Ironman awards. In 2006 she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in health studies, and is pursuing her Masters of Science degree in educational leadership at St. Lawrence University.
Active in the camp and clinic circuit in Central New York, Lomanto continues to serve as a coach and evaluator with USA Hockey since 2003, and has been an on-ice instructor with the Blueline Hockey Camps since 2005.
Aside from her duties with establishing the women’s ice hockey program, Lomanto will also serve as an assistant for sports information, with responsibility for video and social media within the athletics department.
Photo courtesy of Nate Hart, Sports Information Director at SUNY Canton