Melissa Lomanto was announced as the Head Coach of the Utica University Women's Hockey program ahead of the 2024-2025 season. The announcement came after Lomanto completed her first season as an Assistant Coach for the program in the 2023-2024 season.
Lomanto came to Utica after serving as the head coach at Morrisville State since the program’s inaugural season in 2015-16. There, the Utica alumna guided the Mustangs to 89 wins including two Colonial Hockey Conference Championship Titles in 2017 and 2018. In the 2017-18 season, she led Morrisville to its first NCAA Division III Tournament berth.
While at Morrisville, Lomanto was voted as the CHC Coach of the Year twice by her peers and also coached one CHC Rookie of the Year (2016-17) and one CHC Goaltender of the Year (2017-18) recipient.
Prior to her stint at the helm of the Mustangs she spent two seasons as the head coach at SUNY Canton (2012-14) and one season as a volunteer assistant coach at Colgate University (2011-12). Lomanto also spent three seasons as the head coach of Adrian College from 2008-11 where she went 52-25-6 overall and captured the 2010-11 Northern Collegiate Hockey Association title and a 2010-11 NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.
Her coaching career initially began with the Pioneers in 2005 immediately following her playing career as she served as Clausen’s assistant until 2008. Over those three seasons, Utica captured three consecutive 18 win seasons and qualified for the ECAC West Conference tournament each year. At the time, the Pioneers had also produced a program record three All-Americans.
Over her four seasons playing for Utica from 2001-2005, Lomanto compiled 85 points on 38 goals and 47 assists. She still ranks amongst the top-10 all-time in program history in points and goals.
