ANGOLA, Ind. – The Trine University women's ice hockey program has named Melissa Kraus as Associate Head Coach, starting in the upcoming 2021-22 season.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Melissa to Trine University as part of our Women's ice hockey staff," Head Coach Tom Hofman stated. "Her most recent responsibilities as an assistant coach at the DI level will help tremendously on the recruiting front, and her time as a premier player in the league herself will be an asset to our team."
Kraus was last an assistant women's coach at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Since 2018, Kraus has had a hand in recruiting for the Bears, film analysis, breakdowns with forwards and defensemen, and engagement with alumni and the community. She also served as an assistant coach for her alma mater, Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
At Lake Forest, Kraus graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and minored in Environmental Studies, while competing on the women's hockey team. She helped lead the Foresters to an NCHA Conference Championship in 2014, two Slaats Cup Championships in 2014 and 2015, and the team was ranked second nationally in 2016. Kraus was the program's first three-year captain, as well as the first athlete to win the Ry McCarthy Award twice in her illustrious career. She sits fifth in Lake Forest's All-Time Career Points list (102) and fourth on the All-Time Assists list (56).
"I am incredibly excited to start this next journey at Trine University!" Kraus mentioned. "I am particularly looking forward to working with the student-athletes and Coach Hofman. I want to thank the entire Athletic Department for their trust in me, and I am extremely grateful to be a part of the Trine Family!"