Photo Credit: Justin Berl-RMU Athletics

If we had told you that the host of the Frozen Four put together during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic would receive rave reviews yet be in danger of not having any hockey two years from that weekend, you would have called us crazy.

That is now the reality that Derek Schooley, Logan Bittle, and so many find themselves in, that is the reality both hockey teams of Robert Morris find themselves in. Schooley is now in the position of helping to raise about 300000 more dollars to save both the Men’s team, who last took the ice as Western Pod Champions in Atlantic Hockey at home on a weekend in March and the women’s team who won the CHA tournament and represented their school with honor and dignity in the 2021 NCAA tournament.

Donate to save the programs, if for some reason hockey is not brought back you will be refunded all of your money: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/RobertMorrisUniversity/rmu-hockey-is-the-goal

Here is why you, if you are a fan of any college sport, but especially college hockey should share this article explaining why donating here is so important and donate at the link in the paragraph above.

The whole world is watching.

The line from the Hamilton musical “History has its eyes on you” rings powerfully true here. In men’s college hockey alone, supporters will have a chance to have had, for at least one season, reinstated three programs. Between Alabama Huntsville, Alaska Anchorage, and hopefully the Colonials, this will send a message that this sport, and all of its teams fundamentally matter. College hockey at all levels is the sport with some of the least amount of chances for advancement and play at the next level at the NCAA level relative to the talent produced in the pipeline. When manufacturing plants have bottlenecks because they don’t have enough equipment to meet demand for their goods, they buy mite equipment. Fundamentally , since this sport does not have enough space for players with talent to play at the divisions, as coaches like Frank Serratore have acknowledged, this sport needs to support adding more teams, and keeping its valued members. College Hockey is an expensive sport for sure, but we sincerely hope that reinstatement of the Colonials can show administrations on the fence about keeping their teams the value of supporting them. For most schools outside of say power five schools, in this sport, Division One College Hockey is how their program will win a championship and bring its school the most most sustained visibility, exposure, and increased interest which leads to more money and applications to join your school.

The leadership in place knows how to win, and talent is there

Colonials’ roster, assuming their incoming recruits all come to Moon Township, combined with their returners, were set to compete for an Atlantic Hockey Championship this season. Many of their players who had to transfer are playing big roles elsewhere. Had the Colonials not run into a Niagara team that nearly knocked AIC out of a tournament spot in the Atlantic Hockey Semifinals, the team of last year could easily have been in the NCAA tournament. People in Pittsburgh are used to seeing winners. Schooley and the staff working to save this program all are winners and they know what it will take not to have a slow on ramp back to national relevance, but a quick takeoff to it. Oh and the transfer portal, where all Colonials looked for and many found new homes last spring will be a quick source of veteran leadership with skill ready to compete from day one as well.