Melissa Lomanto

Melissa Lomanto

(Canton, N.Y.) – The SUNY Canton athletic department is pleased to announce the hiring of Melissa Lomanto as head coach of the newly formed women’s ice hockey team.

“We are extremely happy to have Melissa join our staff and become the first head coach of our women’s ice hockey program,” said Athletic Director Randy Sieminski.  “Her outstanding experience and success playing and coaching at the Division III level will be invaluable not only to her team but our entire department. She has a tremendous amount of knowledge and energy for the sport, and we’re confident the program will be successful with Melissa at the helm.”

Lomanto comes to SUNY Canton following a stint as a volunteer assistant coach at Division I Colgate University.  Prior to Colgate Lomanto was the head coach at Adrian College for three years where she led the Bulldogs to a 52-25-6 overall record.  In 2011 Adrian won the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association championship and became the College’s first women’s program to make an appearance in the NCAA national tournament. 

Lomanto also served as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Utica College, where she helped lead the Pioneers to three straight 18-win seasons and several appearances in the ECAC West tournament. 

In addition to coaching in college, Lomanto has also served as a coach for USA Hockey and Can-Am Hockey.

As a player, Lomanto played in 102 career games at Utica where she earned a bachelor’s degree in health studies.    She was named to the all-ECAC West Team for three straight seasons.  She served as a captain her freshman year where she was named to the ECAC all-Rookie Team. 

SUNY Canton will compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association and the Eastern Collegiate Women’s Hockey League during their inaugural season.  Under the guidance of assistant athletic director Pat Martin the team operated as a club team last year before being elevated to varsity status this year.  The program has a very competitive schedule playing teams such as Northeastern, the University of Vermont, the University at Buffalo, John Abbott College, the University of Rhode Island,   SUNY Oswego, Stevenson University, and the University of Colorado.  The Roos open their season with a pair of road games at the University of Massachusetts on October 12 and 13.