Michael Sisti
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head Coach |
| Team | Mercyhurst |
| Conference | Atlantic Hockey |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Canisius College |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1992 | Canisius (asst.) |
| 1993–1998 | Mercyhurst (asst.) |
| 1999–Present | Mercyhurst |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 611–261–72 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| |
| Awards | |
| |
Michael Sisti is the women's ice hockey current head coach at Mercyhurst University. Since 1999, he has coached Mercyhurst to 4 Frozen Four appearances, 15 College Hockey America (CHA) post-season titles, and one Great Lakes Women's Hockey Association (GLWHA) post-season title. He reached 500 wins in 2020, becoming only the second coach in Division I women's college hockey to achieve that milestone. In 2018, he was inducted into the Erie Hall of Fame.[1]
Personal life
Sisti is a native of Buffalo, New York.[2] He graduated from Canisius College in 1991. He holds numerous scoring records at Canisius and is a 2002 inductee in the Canisius Athletic Hall of Fame.[3]
Coaching
After graduation, he was an assistant coach for the Canisius men's program and came to Mercyhurst in 1993 as an assistant coach on the men's team. In 1999, Sisti became the head coach of the newly formed women's varsity team.[4][2] To date, he has been the only head coach of the program.[5]
Sisti's team reached the NCAA Tournament each year from 2005 through 2014. The 10 consecutive appearances are an NCAA Division I record. In 2009, Mercyhurst reached the NCAA Championship game, losing to Wisconsin 5–0, in their first of four Frozen Four seasons.[6]
Mercyhurst teams have won fifteen conference championships, with Sisti as head coach.[5]
On December 11, 2020, Sisti reached the 500-win milestone as head coach, when Mercyhurst defeated RIT by a score of 5–1. Only one other head coach, Wisconsin's Mark Johnson, has achieved this milestone in Division I women's college ice hockey. Sisti is the 30th coach in the history of college hockey to earn 500 wins.[7]
On November 28, 2025, Sisti won his 600th game.[8] Defeating the Stonehill Skyhawks in a 6-1 final, it also marked the first meeting between the two teams.[8] Similar to the milestone of his 500th win, Mark Johnson of Wisconsin is the only other coach with 600 wins in NCAA women's ice hockey.[9]
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyhurst (Independent) (1999–2000) | |||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Mercyhurst | 23–6–0 | |||||||
| Mercyhurst (Great Lakes Women's Hockey Association) (2000–2002) | |||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Mercyhurst | 14–16–3 | 5–1–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 2001–2002 | Mercyhurst | 24–8–1 | 8–0–0 | 1st | |||||
| Mercyhurst (College Hockey America) (2002–2024) | |||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Mercyhurst | 25–8–1 | 6–0–0 | 1st | |||||
| 2003–2004 | Mercyhurst | 26–6–4 | 11–1–0 | 1st | |||||
| 2004–2005 | Mercyhurst | 28–7–2 | 11–0–1 | 1st | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2005–2006 | Mercyhurst | 23–8–6 | 10–0–2 | 1st | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2006–2007 | Mercyhurst | 32–2–3 | 11–0–1 | 1st | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2007–2008 | Mercyhurst | 26–8–3 | 11–2–1 | 1st | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2008–2009 | Mercyhurst | 31–6–0 | 16–0–0 | 1st | NCAA Championship Game | ||||
| 2009–2010 | Mercyhurst | 30–3–3 | 14–1–1 | 1st | NCAA Frozen Four | ||||
| 2010–2011 | Mercyhurst | 29–6–0 | 16–0–0 | 1st | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2011–2012 | Mercyhurst | 23–8–3 | 8–1–3 | 1st | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2012–2013 | Mercyhurst | 29–7–1 | 17–3–0 | 1st | NCAA Frozen Four | ||||
| 2013–2014 | Mercyhurst | 24–9–4 | 15–3–2 | 1st | NCAA Frozen Four | ||||
| 2014–2015 | Mercyhurst | 23–9–3 | 14–5–1 | 1st | |||||
| 2015–2016 | Mercyhurst | 19–11–5 | 14–3–3 | 1st | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2016–2017 | Mercyhurst | 15–18–2 | 11–8–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 2017–2018 | Mercyhurst | 18–15–4 | 13–4–3 | 2nd | NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals | ||||
| 2018–2019 | Mercyhurst | 15–14–5 | 12–6–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 2019–2020 | Mercyhurst | 21–10–5 | 13–4–3 | 1st | NCAA Tournament cancelled | ||||
| 2020–2021 | Mercyhurst | 10–7–1 | 10–6–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 2021–2022 | Mercyhurst | 21–12–2 | 10–6–0 | 3rd | |||||
| 2022–2023 | Mercyhurst | 21–14–2 | 12–3–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 2023–2024 | Mercyhurst | 20–17–1 | 14–6–0 | 2nd | |||||
| Mercyhurst (Atlantic Hockey) (2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024–2025 | Mercyhurst | 20–17–2 | 13–6–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 2025–2026 | Mercyhurst | 21–10–3 | 17–5–2 | 2nd | |||||
| Mercyhurst: | 611–261–72 | 313–80–31 | |||||||
| Total: | 611–261–72 | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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See also
List of college women's ice hockey career coaching wins leaders
References
- ^ https://eriesportshalloffame.org/inductee/michael-sisti/
- ^ a b Moritz, Amy. "Sisti keeps Mercyhurst women's hockey among elite". The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Mike Sisti (2002) - Hall of Fame". Canisius College Athletics. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "2016-2017 Women's Ice Hockey Coaching Staff". Mercyhurst University. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ a b "Sisti Becomes Second Division I Coach to Reach 500 Wins". Mercyhurst University Athletics. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "Women's Ice Hockey Championship History". NCAA, Turner Sports Interactive Inc. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ Staff, USCHO (December 12, 2020). "With sweep of RIT, Mercyhurst women's hockey coach Sisti hits 500-win milestone". College Hockey | USCHO.com. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "Women's Hockey tops Stonehill 6-1 in Smash ville Showcase; Mike Sisti records 600th Career Win". Hurst Athletics. November 28, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ "Top ranked Badgers give Mark Johnson his 600th career win". UW Badgers. October 13, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2026.