Ftorek Adds Salisbury to Saint Anselm Hockey Staff

Release courtesy of Saint Anselm Athletic Communications

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Sam Ftorek '98, newly tabbed head coach of the Saint Anselm College women's ice hockey program, has announced the addition of Jessica Salisbury to the Hawks coaching staff as lead assistant for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Salisbury joins Frotek's staff which already features volunteer assistant coach Joe Deleault, who has been a vital member of the women's ice hockey program for the last six years.

"We are very excited to welcome Jess to our staff," Ftorek said. "Jess has had a solid track record of working hard with student-athletes on and off the ice. She played at a very competitive level in college and her drive and passion for the game and the players has only grown as a coach. She brings a wealth of knowledge about all things hockey, both on and off ice, and I look forward to working with Jess and our team this season."

Salisbury spent the last two seasons serving as head coach of the women's ice hockey Blue & White program at Assumption University in Worcester, Mass. While in charge of the Greyhounds club program, she was tasked with recruiting, retaining, and graduating student-athletes, designing practice plans, and coordinating team travel. Under Salisbury's guidance, Assumption was the Independent Women's Club Hockey League (IWCHL) champion in 2023.

She also served as the Assistant Equipment Manager at Bryant University. In that role, she was in charge of ordering, receiving, and organizing equipment for the Bulldogs' varsity athletic programs as well as managing student workers.

Salisbury coached at the NCAA Division III level with a couple of different programs. During the 2020-21 campaign, she served as an assistant coach on the women's ice hockey staff at Becker College in Worcester, Mass., where she assisted with all facets of the program.

In 2019-20, Salisbury was the head coach of the women's ice hockey team at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. In her one season at the helm of the Wildcats, she led the team to its best season in program history with a third-place finish in the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC). Off the ice, her student-athletes collectively earned a 3.60 team GPA. Before her appointment as head coach at Johnson & Wales, Salisbury was an assistant coach for the program for two seasons from 2017-19.

The Ocean State native has also gained experience coaching at the Rhode Island Sting Gold Medal Ice Hockey Camp under Sara DeCosta-Hayes and Vicki Movsessian, who were both members of the United States women's ice hockey team that won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Japan. She was previously an evaluator for the USA Hockey Yankee Conference as well.

Salisbury is a 2015 graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Boston, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies. She was a four-year member of the Beacons women's ice hockey program and played in 78 games in her career as a defender. She was also the student manager for both the men's and women's ice hockey teams for three years from 2012-15 and additionally served as a supervisor in the school's Student-Athlete Success Center during that time. Off the ice, Salisbury volunteered in the community, spending time with the Shop with a Cop and Team Impact programs.

A 2011 graduate of North Smithfield High School in Rhode Island, she was a three-sport athlete, playing ice hockey and lacrosse in addition to running cross country. She was a captain of the women's ice hockey team, an All-State selection twice, and earned Most Valuable Player honors in the Rhode Island High School State Hockey Championships.

Salisbury is pursuing a Master of Science in Sports Management and is currently a USA Hockey Level IV coach.