Melissa Paluch '16
-
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
-
- Email:
- paluchma@lakeforest.edu
The 2017-18 season will be the second for Melissa Paluch on the coaching staff at her alma mater.
Paluch helped lead the 2016-17 Foresters to a program record 21 victories against just six losses and a tie. The team was 14-3-1 in Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play and was the runner-up in the regular season standings and postseason tournament. Five players on the team were named All-NCHA, four were selected to the NCHA All-Freshman Team, and Kayla Griffith was a Second Team West All-American honoree.
Paluch is the Forester women's hockey program's career leader with 56 assists and ranks third with 102 points. Her 46 goals are the sixth-highest total in team history and her 12 power play scores rank tied-for-fifth.
Paluch was a three-year captain and two-time winner of Lake Forest's Ry McCarthy Award. She was voted the team's Most Valuable Player as a freshman and was also an Honorable Mention All-Northern Collegiate Hockey Association selection and NCHA All-Rookie Team honoree that year.
Lake Forest posted a 66-26-13 overall record and 51-14-9 mark in league play during Paluch's four seasons on the team. The Foresters claimed a regular season NCHA title in 2014 and made NCAA Division III Tournament appearances after capturing NCHA Slaats Cup Playoff titles in 2014 and 2015.
In addition to coaching at the College, Paluch is also a youth lacrosse coach in the area.
