NEWPORT, R.I.-- Salve Regina University director of athletics Dr. Sean Sullivan today announced that Jay Punsky and Meghan E. Toomey have been selected as head men's ice hockey coach and head women's ice hockey coach, respectively.

Jay Punsky to lead men's program

Punsky, a 2007 Salve graduate, returns to his alma mater to lead the Seahawks men's ice hockey team. As the head coach of the Islanders Hockey Club in North Andover, Mass., and the Boston Bandits, he led teams that achieved accolades including Premier National Championship runner-up, two Premier National Championship final four appearances, three Premier New England Division Championship titles and five Elite National Championship appearances in a row, among many more accomplishments. Punsky is a four-time USPHL All Star Coach Award winner and was named NA3EHL Coach of the Year in 2015-16.

"It is always special to bring an alum back to campus, especially in a key leadership role," said Sullivan. "We have a proud and successful men's hockey history at Salve Regina and given the competitive success Jay's teams have had year in and year out, his impressive ability to fully develop his student-athletes, and his firsthand understanding of our university, Coach Punsky is uniquely prepared to lead our men's program to even loftier heights. We are thrilled to offer Jay the opportunity to return to campus and we look forward to seeing his leadership skills take root and support the building of tremendously impactful experiences for our men's team members."

Punsky's successful track record at both the collegiate and junior levels includes, most recently, leading Worcester State University through back-to-back postseason appearances in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) in 2023-24 and 2024-25. While at Worcester State, he guided and mentored four graduating players through the process of signing professional contracts.

"I'm thrilled to contribute to the continued growth and success of the Salve Regina's men's ice hockey program," remarked Punsky. "As a Seahawk myself, it's an honor to return to Newport to share my experiences and knowledge in addition to being a part of Salve's close-knit community again."

Meghan E. Toomey to lead women's program

Toomey comes to Salve as a former professional hockey player with over 20 years of coaching experience including assistant and head coaching positions at three premier eastern prep schools.

"I am honored to lead the women's ice hockey team and join the Salve Regina community," stated Toomey. "The program has established a culture of competitive success and holistic growth of its student-athletes, which aligns with my values of fostering a competitive, supportive, and inclusive team culture where players can achieve their highest potential."

As a St. Lawrence University graduate and a member of the institution's hall of fame, Toomey went on to play for the Montreal Axion when the team was a National Women's Hockey League finalist and for Hockey Club Lugano in Switzerland, where she won a national championship.

Toomey has served in administrative and coaching roles as associate director of college counseling and assistant girls' hockey coach at the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., associate director of admissions and head girls' hockey coach at the Kents Hills School in Readfield, Maine, assistant dean of students and head girls' hockey coach at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H., and assistant hockey coach at Division I Colgate University in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). While at the Hill School she helped guide a squad that finished 23-3-3 and ranked in the top five in national prep school standings.

Toomey joins Salve from the Black Bear Sports Group in Princeton, N.J., where she was general manager and director of girls' hockey, overseeing all operations for a Princeton, New Jersey-based Tier I girls' program.

Sullivan said, "Meghan impressed us immediately with her unique coaching background, but also in the school-based leadership roles she has served. She stood out based on her ability to develop confident student-athletes on and off the ice, and in her communication and team culture-building skills. To see the success of our women's program continue, the squad will need to both maintain much of its recent identity but also create new expectations for one another. Having played at the highest level and having coached and directed a variety of successful teams and programs, Meghan understands how to maintain programmatic momentum while also establishing new goals to pursue."

Punsky and Toomey will start their Salve coaching careers Friday, October 31, when they begin their 2025-26 slate. The men's ice hockey team will host the University of Southern Maine at Howard Rink and the women's team will be on the road at Elmira College.

The appointments of Toomey and Punsky build on the momentum following Salve's announcement last month that the women's and men's ice hockey programs will return to membership in the Conference of New England (CNE), the league formerly known as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), beginning with the 2026-27 season.

ABOUT SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY  
Salve Regina University is a Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1947. For more than 75 years, Salve has offered rigorous, innovative academic programming in the liberal arts tradition that prepares students to be global citizens and lifelong learners. More than 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students from around the world are enrolled at Salve in 48 undergraduate majors, nine master's degree programs, combined bachelor's/master's programs and four doctoral programs. Every undergraduate student engages in Salve Compass, a transformational four-year program through which they develop the experience, skills and wisdom required for a fulfilling career and to make a positive difference in the world. The University is also home to the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, a multi-disciplinary research center focused on the intersection of politics, policy and ideas. For more information visit salve.edu.