Head Coach Melissa Lalonde

Formerly known as Melissa Eging, she was married in May 2004 to current FSU assistant men's ice hockey coach Derek Lalonde.

Ferris State concluded the 2003 campaign with an 11-5-1 overall mark under Lalonde, which represented the program's best performance in its history and included a fourth-place 5-3 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) finish. The Bulldogs, who won eight of their final 11 outings, opened the year with a school record three consecutive wins and compiled a program-best 5-2-1 road mark in 2003. FSU also set school single-season records for most goals (40), assists (36) and points (116).

In 2004, Ferris State compiled a 9-9-1 overall mark in Lalonde's second season along with a fifth place 3-5 league finish. The nine victories last season also represents the second-best figure in school history.

Lalonde, who previously served as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Central Michigan, replaced the program’s only previous head coach Pete Watkins. He resigned to become the head men’s soccer coach at NCAA Division III Aurora University (Ill.).

In her only season (2002) at Central Michigan, Lalonde helped lead the Chippewas to a 5-9-5 overall record and an eighth-place 4-6-3 Mid-American Conference (MAC) mark under head coach Mark Salisbury. She was involved in all facets of the CMU program, including administrative, recruiting and on-field coaching duties. CMU advanced to the MAC Postseason Tournament in 2002.

Lalonde previously served as the head women’s soccer coach from 2000-02 at Hamilton College, an NCAA-III institution located in Clinton, N.Y. She led Hamilton to a 19-13-1 overall record during her two-year stint, including consecutive New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) Tournament appearances. The Continentals’ first appearance resulted in a second-place finish while the ensuing season produced a third-place showing. Lalonde coached one all-region selection, four all-state players, six all-conference honorees and had five players named to the NYSWCAA All-Tournament Team during her tenure. Besides coaching, Lalonde taught lifetime activity classes such as tennis, racquetball and fitness at Hamilton.

Prior to her head coaching debut, Lalonde spent two seasons (1999-2000) as an assistant coach at Bethany College (W.Va.) where the Bison claimed the 1999 President’s Athletic Conference Championship. She was an assistant coach in 1998 at Penn State University-Behrend, which is located in Erie, Pa. The Lions won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference title and reached the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament during her only season. Lalonde also served as an assistant track and field coach at Hamilton, Bethany and Penn State-Behrend.

From 2000-01, Lalonde coached in the Olympic Development Program and served as a state team assistant coach for the New York State Youth Soccer Association. She played for the United Soccer League’s semi-professional Cleveland Eclipse from 1996-98.

Lalonde attended The College of Wooster (Ohio), where she competed in soccer along with track and field. A four-year soccer letterwinner, Lalonde twice led the Fighting Scots to the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship. The two-time all-region pick was named to both the all-state and all-conference teams three times. As a junior in 1996, Lalonde guided Wooster to an 18-3 overall record an a national tournament berth under head coach David Brown. She continues to hold school records for most points (eight) and assists (three) in a single match. Lalonde earned four varsity letters in track and field and was a two-time conference sprinting champion. The 14-time all-conference honoree concluded her collegiate career as a school record holder in both the 4x200 and 4x400-meter relays.

A 1994 graduate of Padua Franciscan High School in Parma, Ohio, Lalonde twice received All-North Coast League and All-Greater Cleveland Area soccer kudos as a prepster. The four-time letterwinner served as the Bruins’ team captain in addition to garnering prep all-conference track and field recognition nine times.

The daughter of Jim and Cindy Eging, Melissa graduated from Wooster in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in history and attained a master’s degree in physical education from West Virginia University in 2000.