Over 900 days and counting. That’s the last time there was a hockey game that involved the Robert Morris University Colonials. That changes once and for all this Saturday night for the men. The women have played two games and are 1-1-0 on their new season.
The men’s team take the ice in their home opener against Bowling Green. This will be no ordinary hockey game. It signifies a return to the way things should have been before everything happened that dismantled their hockey program.
A Quick Recap
In May 2021, Robert Morris made the announcement that they were disbanding their men’s and women’s ice hockey teams. At that point in time, the school was heading into its 100th anniversary year. They deemed the move “part of a new strategy.”
Then president Dr. Chris Howard made the following statement: “We are saddened for the student-athletes who will be unable to continue in their sport at Robert Morris University and are committed to assisting them during this difficult time. However, this is the best course of action to leverage our strategic assets and position us for future growth.”
The school also said “The decision to discontinue the men’s and women’s ice hockey programs was made based on an analysis which included scholarships and operating costs, and the necessary investments to maintain and improve the current facility. The university also wanted to align our athletic offerings more closely with other similar nationally-ranked universities of our size.”
Shock and disbelief was the common takeaway from those that were part of the program at the time. The school had hosted the Frozen Four twice at PPG Paints Arena. They also produced world-class goaltender Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle.
The dismantling also happened during the height of Covid-19. Although students were allowed to transfer, the transfer portal was busier than normal. Athletes also had an extra year of eligibility which prompted more transfers. That meant some athletes were going to lose out on a chance to play.
Then to make matters worse, Howard confirmed that there was no vote to eliminate the hockey teams by the board of trustees. He later claimed that the funds needed for facility upgrades and operating costs would have been millions of dollars. However none of that was ever discussed with the board or anyone in the program.
Then in December 2021, Robert Morris announced they would reinstate both the men’s and women’s hockey programs for the 2023-24 season. Spearheaded by efforts from McLaughlin-Bittle and current men’s head coach Derek Schooley, they were able to raise enough funds to revive the programs.
Schooley was kind enough to stop by this week to discuss the upcoming season opener and the moments that led up to it. If anything was clear after this conversation, it’s that there will be a lot of emotions and tears on Saturday night when the puck drops at Clearview Ice Arena.
Derek Schooley Q & A
THW: Coach, I know you’ve been through so much but did you imagine that Saturday would ever come?
Schooley: It’s been a while. It’s been a long time coming and we waited and here we are. I think back to it’s been over 900 days since we’ve played a hockey game here. And we’re just excited to be back. We’re excited to play and excited to play against other teams and kind of measure where we are at and what we need to do to be successful.
THW: I know you’re probably getting a lot of questions about the emotions and understandably so. But there’s still business at hand to deal with once the puck drops. There’s obviously the feeling now, but then there’s the feeling when the puck actually drops when you have your fans, when you have the students back at the rink being able to cheer you on. Could you try to put into your own words what that moment would be like for you?
Schooley: I walked into our women’s game when they had an exhibition game and to see Robert Morris and the logo on the ice and the players in the jersey was emotional. I’m sure there’ll be numerous times where we’ll have tears in our eyes and of joy and that we’re back. But then once that happens, I think we’ll dive back into to playing hockey here and being back to Colonial hockey back at the Clearview Ice Arena. There’s gonna be emotion. There’s gonna be tears of joy, nervousness, us being excited. But we’re just very thankful that we’re back and ready to play.
THW: And besides yourself as well, Derek, the hard work, the commitment that the players have put in over all these days to make sure that it comes back and comes back stable, that just really shows the character of the team you have, doesn’t it?
Schooley: Yeah. Our players, we we’re taking an attitude of gratitude. We’re thankful to be back. We’re thankful to everybody bringing us back. The community and donors and everybody that’s supported Colonial hockey. So we have an attitude of gratitude towards being back and we just want to go out and play and show everybody how thankful we are and how excited we are to be back. Our players. Our players have been great. I think they understand not what’s at stake, but how things have happened and now they want to show everybody that we’re back.
THW: What do you feel like was the biggest challenge looking back that you and your team had to overcome to get to this night?
Schooley: Well, the biggest challenge obviously (was) we had to raise a lot of money and get the University to reconsider. And I think we were able to do that and the University understood what Robert Morris Hockey means to the community and everybody. So I think raising the money and getting the awareness back and now we’re here and now we’re back and we’re ready to go and ready to play back at the Division 1 level again.
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THW: I know the school recently had the fundraiser all across the athletic departments. Did I see that the hockey team do really well in this aspect?
Schooley: Yeah we had a big donor. Men’s hockey was the second largest donor on campus next to lacrosse. But between the two hockey programs, we were, if you combine us, we were the largest fundraiser in the athletic department. So we’re continually grateful to the community and the city and everybody that supported Robert Morris hockey.
THW: Talk to me a little bit about Rylee St. Onge, just named the captain of the team. To be the captain of this team obviously takes a little bit more significance, but what is it about their leadership that really stood out that this was the right choice for your team?
Schooley: Rylee’s a very mature young man. You could see it by talking to him how mature he is. He’s been a captain at the Division 1 level for Mercyhurst and he’s been a guy that has been through a lot. He was at Anchorage when their program didn’t play the year of Covid and transferred to Mercyhurst and now is here. I think he gets it. The players look at him as a leader right off the bat. He’s very mature, very easy to talk to, very easy to have a conversation with. I’m excited about him as a leader of our team.
THW: If someone were to come in to say, what does hockey mean to Robert Morris? What would you tell them if they asked you that?
Schooley: I think it’s really kind of, you look at our motto that the University’s using right now of unstoppable. That’s the marketing campaign that Robert Morris is using is unstoppable. Hockey kind of embodies that. We didn’t go away. We couldn’t be stopped. I mean, there’s just so many different terms and as far as unstoppable that can be used to characterize our hockey program.
THW: And the last question I have for now. Just through everything that you’ve been through, what’s the biggest thing that you want everybody to know about where you’ve been and where the program is now?
Schooley: We’re embracing the traditional, the history of the past. This is the second time I’ve started this program. We’re embracing the alumni. We’re embracing the tradition. And I think one of the things that people really have to understand is they didn’t know what they had until it was gone and now everybody’s thankful that it’s back. We’re updating our arena. We’re updating our locker room. We’re doing different things to make sure this program is here for a long time. It’s been a long time coming for us to play again. And we’re gonna be around for a long time moving forward.
It started out as complete heartbreak. But thanks to the efforts of many people, hockey is finally back at Robert Morris where it rightfully belongs. As for how popular they will be this season? Fans need to join a wait list for season tickets.
Once the puck drops, things will seem right in the world again in Moon Township, in Coraopolis, on Neville Island and for anyone associated with Robert Morris University.
Welcome back, Robert Morris. It’s definitely a moment worth celebrating for a long time to come.