The Maryville University Department of Athletics and Campus Recreation announced Melissa Gyllenborg as the new head coach of the women’s lacrosse program in May 2022. She came to Maryville after serving as the head coach at McKendree University for eight seasons. In nine seasons as a head coach, Gyllenborg has amassed a career record of 110-60, including a sparkling 35-5 mark in two years wtih the Saints.
Gyllenborg guided the Saints to record heights of success in the 2024 season during an 18-2 campaign that featured a 17-game winning streak. She guided team to its first GLVC regular-season championship. For the first time in program history, Maryville hosted the 2024 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region and won an NCAA tourney game for the first time with a victory over Indianapolis.
Gyllenborg was named the 2024 GLVC Coach of the Year after guiding team to a 7-0 mark in conference play. She guided the team to wins over No. 5 Regis, No. 6 Grand Valley State, No. 12 Indianapolis and No. 23 Colorado Mesa. Gyllenborg directed the No. 1 scoring offense in the country in 2024 at 18.65 goals per game, the No. 3 scoring defense at just 7.05, and Maryville led the nation in scoring margin at +11.60. High-powered offense scored at least 20 goals in 10 games. The Saints achieved program records in the polls and were ranked as high as No. 3 in the USA Lacrosse Magazine and peaked at No. 6 in the IWLCA polls.
Gylennborg helped Sydney Tiemann break the NCAA Division II record for career goals with 321. Two IWLCA first-team All-Americans in Sydney Tiemann and Ronnie Skorcz, and five by USA Lacrosse Magazine. Tiemann and Skorcz were first team. Jessie Hynes was second team, and Helen Bae and Giznna Guzke honorable mention.
She saw the 2024 team earn the IWLCA Academic Honor Squad for team GPA of at least 3.2, and seven individuals were chosen for the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll. Sydney Tiemann was voted a CSC Academic All-American, and 24 Saints earned Academic All-GLVC honors in 2024.
Inheriting a team coming off a 4-8 mark, Gyllenborg led the biggest turnaround in all of NCAA women’s lacrosse as she directed the Saints to unprecedented success in 2023. She coached the Saints to a 17-3 record and the program’s first berth into the NCAA Tournament. Gyllenborg and assistant Carly Shisler were voted the IWLCA Midwest Regional Coaching Staff of the Year, and Gyllenborg was voted the Great Lakes Valley Conference Coach of the Year. She coached Sydney Tiemann and Ronnie Skorcz to IWLCA All-American Honors, and the duo along with Helen Bae and Jessie Hynes were selected All-Americans by USA Lacrosse Magazine. Gyllenborg helped Tiemann earn GLVC Attacker of the Year recognition, while Skorcz was named the GLVC Defender of the Year. In addition, the Saints had 10 All-GLVC selections in 2023, including GLVC Freshman of the Year Helen Bae.
The Saints opened the season with 13 straight victories, including the program’s first win over a ranked team with a 15-12 triumph at No. 11 Grand Valley. Maryville qualified for the GLVC Tournament for the first time in program history and reached the championship game. The Saints earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and faced defending national champion Indianapolis in the first round held in Denver, Colo.
Gyllenborg coached a potent offensive attack as Maryville ranked second in the nation in goals per game at 18.6. The Saints scored at least 10 goals in 18 games, and tallied at least 20 scores in 11 contests. Maryville was second in the country in fewest turnovers and were sixth in scoring margin.
Gyllenborg amassed a record of 75-55 at McKendree and posted a .500 or better conference record in six of seven years of full competition. She coached the Bearcats to double digit win totals four times, including a school-record 13 wins in 2017. Gyllenborg has guided her teams to their respective conference tournament in every season.
In the 2022 season, Gyllenborg guided the Bearcats to a third-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season and a berth into the GLVC Tournament. McKendree had six total selections to the 2022 All-GLVC Team, including first-team honorees Kat Albrecht and Sidney Tiemann. The duo was selected to the IWLA All-Region second team, too, in 2022.
After CoVID-19 halted the 2020 season, Gyllenborg led McKendree to a 10-4 record in 2021, a third place in the GLVC standings and the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. She coached seven All-GLVC players, including first-team selection Kat Albrecht. Her 2021 squad had the school’s highest team GPA that academic year.
The 2019 season saw the Bearcats post an 11-7 mark, including a 9-3 record in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Gyllenborg led McKendree to a win in the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament.
In 2018, McKendree made a return trip to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) championship game as the four seed in the tournament, thanks to two fifty goal scorers in Dana DiPasquale (GLIAC Attacker of the Year) and Paige Salthouse. Six Bearcats earned All-GLIAC honors, including three on the First Team. They finished the season as the #23 ranked team in the Division II IWLCA national poll.
In only her third season with the program, Gyllenborg was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year as McKendree earned a share of the regular season conference title. The Bearcats earned their first national ranking in the IWLCA poll after securing the GLIAC Tournament Title in 2017, defeating Grand Valley State 12-8. McKendree had seven All-Conference and five All-Tournament honorees.
Gyllenborg joined the coaching staff after serving as head coach at NCAA Division I Siena College in 2013-14. In her only season at Siena, she had one All-Conference honoree, two players named to the league’s All-Rookie team, and set a new program record with nine players earning Academic All-Conference honors. Her squad finished 18th in the nation in draw controls.
Prior to Siena, Gyllenborg served as defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division I Colgate University for three seasons. In her time with the Raiders, she coached seven All-Conference players, the 2012 Colgate Female Athlete of the Year and Conference Midfielder of the Year and the 2011 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Gyllenborg helped Colgate win the Patriot League regular season title.
From 2008-2010, Gyllenborg was an assistant coach at Rochester Institute of Technology. She helped turn around a one-win program into a team that won 13 games in 2009, and she was named the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III National Outstanding Assistant Coach. Serving as defensive coordinator, her Tiger defense ranked ninth in Division III in goals-against average and fifth in total saves. She also helped develop the 2009 Conference Goalkeeper of the Year and an IWLCA second-team All-American.
Gyllenborg played lacrosse at Syracuse University from 2004-07, starting in 35 of her 63 games played. She helped lead the Orange to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a berth in the quarterfinals in 2007. Gyllenborg played on Syracuse’s 2007 Big East championship squad. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Syracuse and also earned her M.S. in school psychology from Roberts Wesleyan University. Melissa and her husband, Scott, have three children; Olivia, Rhea and Renna.
