Welcome To the RMU Island Sports Center ARENA INFORMATION Welcome to Colonials Arena at the RMU Island Sports Center. The Robert Morris University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is here to serve your needs. Thank you for coming to the game.
— FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE — Event staff are posted throughout Colonials Arena. Please see them for assistance, including emergencies.
— TICKET INFORMATION — To purchase single game or season tickets, please contact the RMU Athletic Ticket Office at (412) 397-4949 or visit www.rmucolonials.com.
— FOR MORE INFORMATION — For regular updates, statistics and information on each of RMU’s 16 intercollegiate sports, please log onto the official website for Robert Morris University athletics at www.rmucolonials.com.
— TABLE OF CONTENTS — 1 7 12 17 23 24 29 32 39 45 46 51 55 56 59 64
Arena Information Dr. Christopher B. Howard, President Craig Coleman, M.D., Director of Athletics Men’s Head Coach Derek Schooley 2017-18 Robert Morris Roster (Men) 2017-18 Robert Morris Colonials (Men) 2017-18 Robert Morris Schedule (Men) UPMC Events Center Women’s Head Coach Paul Colontino 2017-18 Robert Morris Roster (Women) 2017-18 Robert Morris Colonials (Women) 2017-18 Robert Morris Schedule (Women) About Robert Morris University RMU Athletics RMU’s Conference Champions RMU Fight Song & Alma Mater
Credits: “Independence Day Magazine” is a publication of the Robert Morris University media relations office. The magazine was written and edited by Jim Duzyk with special assistance from Marty Galosi, Ashley Chase and Matt Popchock. Design and typography by Juris Silenieks of JR Graphics. Photos by Justin Berl, Jason Cohn and Glory Days Photography. Printing done by Reed & Witting Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.
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Dr. Christopher Howard President of Robert Morris University
Dr. Christopher B. Howard became the eighth president of Robert Morris University in suburban Pittsburgh on February 1, 2016. RMU is a nationally ranked university that combines academic excellence with a professional focus in more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across five academic schools. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate, nontraditional and online students from 48 states and 39 nations are enrolled at RMU, which sits on 230 scenic acres just 20 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. Dr. Howard aims to make RMU the preferred strategic partner for corporations, organizations, professionals, and aspiring professionals in the Pittsburgh region and beyond. The university is now nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report, which also rates RMU among the top 10 percent of universities for online bachelor’s degree programs in the nation. In January 2016, Dr. Howard announced that RMU would build the UPMC Events Center and a student recreation and fitness center, a $50 million capital project that is the largest in RMU’s history. Dr. Howard is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he earned a B.S. in political science in 1991. A Rhodes Scholar, he earned his doctorate in politics at the University of Oxford and an M.B.A. with distinction from the Harvard Business School. He received the Campbell Trophy, the highest academic award in the country presented to a senior college football player, and was inducted into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame. He is a recipient of the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, which recognizes distinguished individuals on the 25th anniversary of
the conclusion of their college athletic careers. Dr. Howard is a member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and one of 13 members of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. A retired Air Force reserve lieutenant colonel, Dr. Howard served as a helicopter pilot after earning his doctorate, and then became an intelligence officer for the elite Joint Special Operations Command. Defense Secretary William Cohen asked Dr. Howard to accompany a 1999 U.S. delegation to South Africa as a politicalmilitary advisor. He was called back to active duty during 2003 in Afghanistan, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. Dr. Howard also served as the Reserve Air Attaché to Liberia. Prior to his appointment as president of RMU, Dr. Howard for six years was the president of Hampden-Sydney College, a private, liberal arts college near Richmond, Va. During Dr. Howard’s tenure as president, enrollment, retention, and alumni giving all increased at Hampden-Sydney. Previously he served as vice president for leadership and strategic initiatives at the University of Oklahoma, where he also served as the director of the Honors College Leadership Center and a President’s Associates Presidential Professor. Dr. Howard enjoyed a successful career in the corporate world, working in General Electric’s Corporate Initiatives Group as well as Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Corporate Associates Program. At both companies, Dr. Howard’s responsibilities included sales, marketing, international project management, strategic planning, internal consulting, and business development.
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Continued ➞
■ 2012 Honoree, Dominion Power’s Strong Men and Women: Excellence in Leadership Series. ■ 2010 African-American Trailblazer in Virginia History by the Library of Virginia. ■ Former member of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s Commission to Ensure Integrity and Public Confidence in State Government.
He has been featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, ESPN.com, NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “On Being” and has been interviewed on CNN, PBS, and PRI’s “The Tavis Smiley Show.” OTHER HONORS AND APPOINTMENTS INCLUDE: ■ Member of the Board of Directors of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. ■ Member of the Committee on Infrastructure & Transportation ■ Member of the Regional Transportation Alliance of Southwestern Pennsylvania ■ Former member of the “MyVA” Advisory Committee, appointed by then Secretary of Veteran Affairs Robert McDonald. ■ Founder, former chairman, and current trustee of the Impact Young Lives Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarship and travel opportunities for South African university students of color. ■ Named one of “The 20 Most Interesting College Presidents” by The Best Schools. ■ National Council of Advisors of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. ■ Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow. ■ Graduate of the Harvard Seminar for New Presidents. ■ One of the few college or university chief executives in the U.S. invited to join the Young Presidents’ Organization. ■ Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Trustees of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. ■ Leadership Council for The Aspen Institute’s Franklin Project encouraging civic responsibility.
■ Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Centre College, Ripon College, and the Rush University College of Medicine. ■ Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Christopher Newport University. ■ Member of the Sigma Pi Phi, also known as the Boule, the oldest African American fraternity in the United States. ■ Honorary member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society serving AACSB-accredited business schools. ■ Honorary member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. ■ Gift made in the Howards’ honor at Hampden-Sydney College to create the Chris and Barbara Howard Chair in Rhetoric. EDUCATION-RELATED APPOINTMENTS: ■ Higher Education Working Group on Global Issues of the Council on Foreign Relations. ■ Advisory Board of the Morehouse College Research Institute. ■ Board of the Olmstead Foundation, which provides young military leaders the opportunity to achieve fluency in a foreign language and pursue their graduate studies at an overseas university. ■ Future of Independent Higher Education steering committee for the Council of Independent Colleges. ■ Former member of the Board of Regents at Baylor University. ■ Former member of the Board of Directors at the American Council on Education. ■ Former member of the National Security Education Program Board, nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. ■ Former trustee of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars. —8—
■ Former member of the National Intelligence University Board of Visitors.
BUSINESS-RELATED ACHIEVEMENTS AND APPOINTMENTS:
■ Selected by Steve Schwarzman to serve on the inaugural selection committee for the Schwarzman Scholars Program, a highly selective master’s program at Tsinghua University in Beijing aimed at fostering future international leaders.
■ Co-author with David Snider of the 2010 book Money Makers: Inside the New World of Finance and Business.
■ Former member of the Board of Trustees of The Fessenden School in West Newton, Massachusetts.
■ Former Senior Advisor on African Affairs at the Albright Stonebridge Group, an international advisory firm for Fortune 1000 companies.
■ Former member of the Board of Trustees of Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia.
■ Served as the youngest member of the annual Washington Post-Harvard University “America’s Best Leaders” selection committee.
ATHLETICS-RELATED APPOINTMENTS:
■ Former acting Managing Director of Endeavor South Africa, a global initiative that supports entrepreneurs in the developing world.
■ Member of the OLO Systems Advisory Board and formerly on the Board of Directors of Converge, an IT de-manufacturing firm.
■ Member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. ■ Member of the NCAA Honors Selection Committee. ■ Member of the National Football Foundation Awards Committee. ■ Former member of the Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame Selection Committee. ■ Former member of the NCAA Division III Presidents Council. ■ College Football Playoff Selection Committee.
PERSONAL Dr. Howard is married to Barbara Noble Howard from Johannesburg, South Africa. Barbara is a Temple University graduate, Director of the Impact Young Lives Foundation, a member of the Virginia War Memorial Board of Directors, and a Trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The Howards have two sons, Cohen and Joshua. Cohen is a 2016 graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South, and Joshua is a junior at Middlebury College.
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Craig Coleman, M.D. Director of Athletics
At the forefront of RMU’s golden age of intercollegiate athletics is Craig Coleman, M.D., who is in his 13th academic year as Director of Athletics at Robert Morris in 2017-18. He was named to the position Feb. 15, 2005. Led by Coleman’s guidance, the RMU department of athletics has continued to progress on both a regional and national level. Robert Morris continued its successful run in 201617, as the women’s ice hockey claimed the College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship, while women’s basketball claimed its second consecutive Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament title. Both teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, with women’s ice hockey earning its first appearance in program history. The success the two programs had for Robert Morris in 2016-17 marked the fourth consecutive year RMU has sent a pair of programs to an NCAA Tournament. Away from competition, the department of athletics continued to excel in the classroom with Coleman at the helm. Student-athletes who competed in 16 sports combined to post a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.391 during the 2016-17 academic year, with a total of 14 of RMU’s 16 programs finishing with team GPA’s of 3.0 or higher. The continued success for the Colonials in recent years is just part of a period of unparalleled growth for the department of athletics under Coleman’s leadership. In 2015-16, both volleyball and women’s basketball advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The year before, men’s basketball and men’s golf team earned automatic bids, while in 2013-14, women’s basketball and men’s ice hockey teams
played in the NCAA Tournament. That year marked the first time in school history a pair of teams earned automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament. During the 201213 campaign, men’s basketball and softball claimed NEC regularseason championships. The men’s basketball squad also became the center of the college basketball universe when it defeated defending national champion Kentucky in the first round of the 2013 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in front of 3,444 fans at the Charles L. Sewall Center, the largest crowd in school history. The women’s ice hockey team claimed its first College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship in 2012. The Colonials snapped Mercyhurst’s streak of nine straight titles thanks to a 3-2 victory over the Lakers in the championship game of the 2012 CHA Tournament at the RMU Island Sports Center. In 2010, the football team earned the NEC’s inaugural bid to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs, the 12th straight year a program from Robert Morris earned an automatic bid in an NCAA Tournament. In addition, the men’s lacrosse program, in just its sixth year of existence, earned its first national ranking by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA). Overall in Coleman’s 12 years as director of athletics at Robert Morris, programs have claimed a total of 22 regular-season championships and earned 15 automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament. RMU’s exploits academically during Coleman’s tenure have been just as impressive.
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In his first year as director of athletics in 2005-06, Robert Morris placed a total of nine student-athletes covering six sports on the ESPN The Magazine District II Academic All-America Team, the most in school history. RMU also earned the NEC Institutional Academic Award in both 2012 and 2014. Coleman oversaw the development of a new Robert Morris athletics logo and mascot as well as the launching of the official website of RMU athletics at www. RMUColonials.com. Nine head coaches have been hired by Coleman, including a pair of men’s basketball head coaches (Mike Rice and Andrew Toole) and two in women’s rowing (Midge McPhail and Nelle Stahura). Also hired by Coleman are Dale Starr (volleyball), Paul Colontino (women’s ice hockey) and Caitlin Cotter (cross country and track & field). All the while, Coleman has built a winning softball program at Robert Morris over the past 27 years. During that period, RMU has won eight NEC regular-season championships and six NEC Tournament titles. In 2014, Coleman won his 600th career game when the Colonials earned a 10-0 victory in six innings in the first game of a doubleheader split at Mount St. Mary’s on April 6. Prior to his arrival as head coach in 1991, the Colonials posted just 19 victories in the previous three seasons. During his 27 years as head coach, the Colonials have posted an overall record of 674-611-5 (.524), including a record of 294-125-2 (.701) against NEC foes. In his first four years as head coach, Coleman guided the Colonials to an overall record of 119-62 (.657) and four NEC championships. In 1994, Robert Morris received its first national ranking in school history, regardless of sport, when the Colonials were ranked as high as No. 23 in the USA Today / National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll. Coleman’s success as head softball coach has come not only on the field, but in the classroom, as well. His players include 18 Capital One District II Academic AllAmericans, six NEC Scholar-Athletes of
the Year for softball and numerous NEC Academic Honor Roll selections. In the spring of 2011, former Colonial Annie Dubovec (2008-11) became the first female student-athlete in Robert Morris history to be named to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Under Coleman’s watch, the Colonials finished in the top five in Division I in team GPA six consecutive years from 2009 to 2014 according to the NFCA, including the top mark in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Overall, Robert Morris has finished in the top five of team GPA a total of seven times since the 1999-2000 academic year. Prior to being hired as RMU’s Director of Athletics, Coleman worked as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine from 1988 to 2005. He served as the Medical Director of several impatient units, residential treatment facilities and partial hospital programs at UPMC. Coleman earned his medical degree from The Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine in Hershey in 1983. In 1979, he earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a native of Philadelphia, Pa.
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Derek Schooley MEN’S HEAD COACH • @DerekSchooley The architect of the Robert Morris University men’s hockey program, head coach Derek Schooley is in his 14th season leading the Colonials in 2017-18. Schooley owns an overall record of 213-205-58 (.508) and in August of 2017 signed a three-year extension. He will lead RMU through the 2022-23 season. Schooley has led RMU on a slow and methodical rise in the collegiate ranks since being named the first head coach in program history in 2003, and he has molded the Colonials into both a regional and national power in NCAA Division I hockey. Last season, Robert Morris advanced to the championship game of the 2017 Atlantic Hockey Tournament in Rochester, N.Y., at Blue Cross Arena. Schooley led the Colonials to an overall record of 22-12-4 (.632) in 2016-17, including a mark of 17-10-3
(.617) in Atlantic Hockey. RMU claimed its second consecutive Three Rivers Classic championship in December of 2016 and third overall while also defeating Niagara, 5-1, in the regular-season finale at Heinz Field as part of the 2017 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series festivities. In 2015 and 2016, Schooley led Robert Morris to back-to-back Atlantic Hockey regular-season championships, and during the 2015-16 campaign RMU tied a school record for wins thanks to an overall mark of 24-11-4 (.667). In league play, RMU finished with a 20-7-4 (.710) mark. In 2014-15, Schooley led the Colonials to an overall record of 24-8-5 (.716) and the program’s first Atlantic Hockey regularseason title with a mark of 19-5-4 (.750) in conference play. RMU set a school record
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Continued ➞
for victories, and for his efforts Schooley was named the 2015 Atlantic Hockey Coach of the Year. RMU’s exploits the past three seasons have come on the heels of a 2013-14 campaign in which the Colonials earned their first Atlantic Hockey Tournament championship and subsequent bid to the NCAA Tournament. Since taking over the program, Schooley has coached over 50 players who have signed pro contracts, and numerous players that have taken part in either NHL training camps or NHL developmental camps. Schooley’s teams have provided college hockey and Robert Morris athletics with some major upsets since the program became Division I for the 2004-05 season. In January of 2007, the Colonials knocked off No. 2 Notre Dame 4-2 in South Bend, Ind. The following season, Robert Morris won the prestigious Nye Frontier Classic in Anchorage, Alaska, with an upset of fourtime national champion and eighth-ranked Boston University. The Colonials upped the ante in the 2009-10 season with a sweep against No. 1 ranked Miami. Just three seasons later, Schooley’s Colonials would again knock of a Miami squad that was nationally ranked, this time to capture the inaugural Three Rivers Classic. Thanks to the win in the Three Rivers Classic, RMU earned its second national ranking in program history at No. 19. During the 2012-13 season, the Colonials
knocked off three nationally-ranked teams en route to a 20-win campaign. During the year RMU had a pair of seven-game unbeaten streaks. In 2011-12, Robert Morris boasted the best penalty kill in the nation at 89.9 percent. In 2010-11, Schooley led Robert Morris to 18 victories as well as the program’s first national ranking. In 2009-10 at Mellon Arena, the former home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Schooley led the Colonials to their first win against a team ranked No. 1 in the nation as Robert Morris defeated Miami in the Pittsburgh College Hockey Showcase. The Colonials followed the win up with a trip to Oxford, Ohio, and picked up a sweep against a team that finished as the runner up in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Schooley has been a part of college hockey for 20 years. Prior to coming to Robert Morris, he spent five years at the Air Force Academy. He was an assistant coach for four years before spending one season as associate head coach with the Falcons. Before arriving at Air Force, Schooley spent a season as an assistant coach with Cornell during the 1997-98 season. He started his coaching career with the Chicago Freeze of the North American Hockey League in 1997 as an assistant coach and director of scouting. Schooley has been a head coach at the USA Hockey Select 14, 15, 16 and 17 Festivals. He also has spoken at numerous USA Hockey youth coaching clinics as
KODY VAN RENTERGEM
MICHAEL GERSHON
LUKE REGNER
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach
Hockey Operations Coordinator
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well as the USA Hockey Masters Coaching Clinic. In August of 2002, Schooley gained international coaching experience as he was named an assistant coach of the United States Under-18 Select Team, which placed fifth in the Junior World Cup in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia. A 1994 graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications, Schooley was a fouryear letterwinner as a defenseman with the Broncos. As a senior during the 1993-94 campaign, he tallied 23 assists and scored 27 points in 40 games, earning Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) Defensive Player of the Week honors Feb 4, 1994. Also during the 1993-94 campaign he was given the KOHA Grinder of the Year award and led the Broncos in plus-minus ratio with a +22. Following his graduation from Western Michigan, Schooley played for the Huntington Blizzard of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) during the 1994-95 season. In 66 games, he scored 18 points and compiled 151 penalty minutes. During
the 1995-96 campaign, Schooley spent part of the season with the Blizzard before joining the Flint (Mich.) Generals, where he helped the team to a Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) regular season and playoff championship. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Schooley is married to the former Alicia Batson from Middleville, Mich. The couple have three children, Kaitlyn, Brendan and Taylor, and reside in Robinson Township, Pa.
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ROBERT MORRIS ROSTER — MEN — No. Name
Year Pos. Ht.
Wt.
1 Francis Marotte
So.
G
6-0
195 Longueuil, Quebec / Nepean Raiders (CCHL)
Hometown / Last Team
2 Alex Bontje
Sr.
D
6-0
200 Nobleton, Ontario / Wenatchee Wild (NAHL)
3 Brett Beauvais
Gr.
D 5-11 185 Summerside, PEI / Bemidji State (WCHA)
4 Elias Ghantous
Sr.
D
6-1
216 Ottawa, Ontario / Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL)
5 Sean Giles
So.
D
6-0
182 Colorado Springs, Colo. / Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL)
Fr.
D 5-10 185 Strongsville, Ohio / Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
6 Nick Jenny 7 Michael Louria
R-Jr.
F 5-10 185 Gibraltar, Mich. / UMass Lowell (Hockey East)
8 Eric Israel
Jr.
D
5-9
181 Huntington Woods, Mich. / Brockville Braves (CCHL)
9 Daniel Mantenuto
So.
F
5-9
170 Thornhill, Ontario / Aurora Tigers (OJHL)
10 Kevin Lavoie
So.
F
5-8
175 St. Catharines, Ontario / Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL)
11 Kyle Horsman
Jr.
F
6-3
223 Sechelt, B.C. / Cowichan Valley Capitals (BCHL)
6-0
195 Lewisville, Texas / Amarillo Bulls (NAHL)
12 Brady Ferguson
Sr.
F
15 Spencer Dorowicz
Sr.
F 5-11 191 Olds, Alberta / Olds Grizzlys (AJHL)
16 Nick Prkusic
Fr.
F
17 Brandon Watt
Jr.
F 5-11 188 Ottawa, Ontario / Nepean Raiders (CCHL)
6-3
205 St. Albert, Alberta / Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
18 Michael Coyne
So.
F
6-0
190 Buffalo, N.Y. / Wenatchee Wild (BCHL)
19 Alex Robert
So.
D
6-0
190 Novi, Mich. / Madison Capitols (USHL)
20 Timmy Moore
Sr.
F
6-0
185 Grosse Pointe, Mich. / Amarillo Bulls (NAHL)
21 Robert Powers
Sr.
D
6-0
198 Ajax, Ontario / Toronto Lakeshore Patriots (OJHL)
24 Alex Tonge
Jr.
F 5-10 171 Kingston, Ontario / Kingston Voyageurs (OJHL)
26 Ryley Risling
Fr.
F
6-2
195 Medicine Hat, Alberta / Penticton Vees (BCHL)
27 Jacob Coleman
So.
F
5-7
162 Pittsburgh, Pa. / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
28 Luke Lynch
So.
F 5-11 209 Pittsburgh, Pa. / Johnstown Tomahawks (NAHL)
30 Andrew Pikul
Sr.
G 5-11 172 Cleveland, Ohio / Brockville Braves (CCHL)
33 Alex Dagnal
Sr.
F
6-0
194 Pittsburgh, Pa. / Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL)
35 Dyllan Lubbesmeyer Fr.
G
6-0
195 Burnsville, Minn. / Shreveport Mudbugs (NAHL)
44 Matthew Graham
F 5-11 181 Bedford, Nova Scotia / Langley Rivermen (BCHL)
So.
Head Coach: Derek Schooley (14th season at RMU; Western Michigan ’94) Assistant Coach: Kody Van Rentergem (second season at RMU; SUNY Fredonia ’12) Assistant Coach: Michael Gershon (second season at RMU; The College at Brockport ’09) Director of Operations: Luke Regner (first season at RMU; Wisconsin ’17)
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2017-18 COLONIALS
#1 Francis Marotte
#2 Alex Bontje
#3 Brett Beauvais
#4 Elias Ghantous
Sophomore • Goalie
Senior • Defenseman
Graduate • Defenseman
Senior • Defenseman
#5 Sean Giles
#6 Nick Jenny
#7 Michael Louria
#8 Eric Israel
Sophomore • Defenseman
Freshman • Defenseman
R-Junior • Forward
Junior • Defenseman
#9 Daniel Mantenuto
#10 Kevin Lavoie
#11 Kyle Horsman
#12 Brady Ferguson
Sophomore • Forward
Sophomore • Forward
Junior • Forward
Senior • Forward
#15 Spencer Dorowicz
#16 Nick Prkusic
#17 Brandon Watt
#18 Michael Coyne
Senior • Forward
Freshman • Forward
Junior • Forward
Sophomore • Forward
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#19 Alex Robert
#20 Timmy Moore
#21 Robert Powers
#24 Alex Tonge
Sophomore • Defenseman
Senior • Forward
Senior • Defenseman
Junior • Forward
#26 Ryley Risling
#27 Jacob Coleman
#28 Luke Lynch
#30 Andrew Pikul
Freshman • Forward
Sophomore • Forward
Sophomore • Forward
Senior • Goalie
#33 Alex Dagnal
#35 Dyllan Lubbesmeyer
#44 Matthew Graham
Senior • Forward
Freshman • Goalie
Sophomore • Forward
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2017-18 MEN’S SCHEDULE DATE
OPPONENT
SITE
TIME
SEPTEMBER
30 (Sat.)
OTTAWA (Exhibition)
Pittsburgh, Pa.
7:05 p.m.
OCTOBER
6 (Fri.) 13 (Fri.)
@ Niagara * @ Canisius *
Lewiston, N.Y. Buffalo, N.Y.
7:05 p.m. 7:35 p.m.
14 (Sat.) 20 (Fri.) 21 (Sat.) 27 (Fri.) 28 (Sat.)
@ Canisius * ARMY * ARMY * @ Ohio State OHIO STATE
Buffalo, N.Y. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Columbus, Ohio Pittsburgh, Pa.
7:35 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
3 (Fri.) 4 (Sat.) 10 (Fri.) 11 (Sat.) 17 (Fri.) 18 (Sat.) 24 (Fri.) 25 (Sat.)
HOLY CROSS * HOLY CROSS * @ RIT * @ RIT * AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL * AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL * @ Bentley * @ Bentley *
Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Henrietta, N.Y. Henrietta, N.Y. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Waltham, Mass. Waltham, Mass.
7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 4:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 4:05 p.m.
8 (Fri.) 9 (Sat.) 16 (Sat.) 17 (Sun.) 29 (Fri.) 30 (Sat.)
PENN STATE # @ Penn State MERCYHURST * @ Mercyhurst * vs. Lake Superior State $ vs. Arizona State / Providence $
Pittsburgh, Pa. 7:05 p.m. University Park, Pa. 7:00 p.m. Pittsburgh, Pa. 7:05 p.m. Erie, Pa. 4:05 p.m. Pittsburgh, Pa. 7:30 p.m. Pittsburgh, Pa. TBA
9 (Tues.) 19 (Fri.) 20 (Sat.) 26 (Fri.) 27 (Sat.)
@ Niagara * Bentley * Bentley * @ American International * @ American International *
Lewiston, N.Y. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Springfield, Mass. Springfield, Mass.
7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 4:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m. 1:05 p.m.
2 (Fri.) 3 (Sat.) 9 (Fri.) 10 (Sat.) 16 (Fri.) 17 (Sat.) 23 (Fri.) 24 (Sat.)
@ Sacred Heart * @ Sacred Heart * RIT * RIT * MERCYHURST * @ Mercyhurst * AIR FORCE * AIR FORCE *
Bridgeport, Conn. Bridgeport, Conn. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Erie, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa.
10:30 a.m. 2:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
2-4 (Fri.-Sun.) 9-11 (Fri.-Sun.) 16 (Fri.) 17 (Sat.)
Atlantic Atlantic Atlantic Atlantic
TBA TBA Rochester, N.Y. Rochester, N.Y.
TBA TBA TBA TBA
NOVEMBER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey
First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
* Atlantic Hockey game | # game played at PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh, Pa.) $ Three Rivers Classic (PPG Paints Arena - Pittsburgh, Pa.) Home games bold and CAPS | Neutral-site games in italics | All times Eastern
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UPMC EVEN
Coming Jan
Robert Morris University announced Jan. 10, 2017, the addition of the UPMC Events Center, a 140,000-square foot complex for the Colonials NCAA Division I basketball and volleyball teams, which will play in Peoples Court. The UPMC Events Center is the main part of a $50 million project that also includes a student recreation and fitness center on RMU’s Moon Township campus. The project will be funded largely through individual donations and corporate sponsorships, including sponsorships from UPMC, Peoples, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, PJ Dick, and PNC. The project also has received a grant through the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
NTS CENTER
nuary 2019
In addition to the 4,000-plus-seat Peoples Court, a practice court, locker rooms, a strength and conditioning center, offices for athletics, concessions and a souvenir shop, the UPMC Events Center will feature 11,000 square feet of conference and meeting space for campus events and outside organizations. Plans call for the center to open in January 2019. “With a new venue of this quality and size, RMU cements its status as a university on the rise,” said RMU President Chris Howard. “Not only is it a significant regional asset, it’s a facility worthy of the success for our athletics programs and reflective of our status as a nationally ranked university. This is a great day for the Colonial Nation.” Continued ➞
“UPMC is thrilled to be a leading partner with Robert Morris University in this exciting endeavor that will provide long-lasting health and wellness benefits to not only the RMU community but also to people and businesses in this entire region. We applaud and share RMU’s commitment to provide our communities with nothing less than world-class care and facilities,” said Jeffrey Romoff, president and CEO of UPMC. As part of a broader strategic collaboration with RMU, UPMC will become the exclusive provider of sports medicine to the university’s 16 NCAA Division I sports programs, and the UPMC Health Plan will administer the university’s employees’ health insurance benefits. UPMC already provides health care to RMU students at UPMC MyHealth@School, an on-campus health and wellness center that opened in the fall. The UPMC Events Center will bring the Airport Corridor an attractive new venue for public speakers, conventions, expos, concerts, graduation ceremonies and other family entertainment options. It also will host the university’s annual convocation and commencement ceremonies, which have outgrown their current location. All three teams that will play at Peoples Court — men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball — have won the Northeast Conference title and advanced to the NCAA tournament in the last three years.
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PAUL COLONTINO WOMEN’S HEAD COACH • @pcolontinoRMU Paul Colontino is in his seventh season as head coach at Robert Morris in 2017-18. In August of 2017, Colontino inked a four-year extension with the Colonials, meaning he will lead RMU through the 2021-22 campaign. Since being hired in June of 2011, Colontino has guided RMU to new heights and has the program firmly entrenched as a yearly contender in College Hockey America (CHA). In his six years leading the Colonials, Colontino has compiled an overall record of 110-72-26 (.591), including a mark of 5838-16 (.589) in the CHA. Colontino was tabbed the 2017 CHA Coach of the Year after leading Robert Morris to an overall record of 24-5-6 (.771) last season, including a 15-3-2 (.800) record in the CHA. The Colonials claimed their first CHA regular-season title and claimed their second CHA Tournament crown in 2017. Thanks to the tournament championship,
RMU earned its first automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. The 24 wins Robert Morris compiled in 2016-17 tied a school record, and the Colonials concluded the 2016-17 season ranked No. 8 in the country in the final polls from both USCHO. com and USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine. During the season, RMU peaked as high as No. 7. In 2015-16, Colontino led RMU to an overall record of 17-16-5 (.513), including a mark of 7-9-4 (.450) in the CHA. The Colonials advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 CHA Tournament, winning a three-game series over Lindenwood, 2-1, at the RMU Island Sports Center in the quarterfinals. In the history of the CHA Tournament, Robert Morris became the first team to force and win a third game in a best-of-three series thanks to its win over Lindenwood.
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Continued ➞
In 2014-15, RMU battled through various injuries and posted a .500 record in conference action, advancing to the quarterfinals of the CHA Tournament. The Colonials gained national recognition in 2013-14, as Colontino guided them a school record 24 wins (24-8-3) and their first appearance in the national polls. Robert Morris reached as high as seventh in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Women’s College Hockey poll and eighth in the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) rankings. During the 2013-14 campaign, Robert Morris rattled off seven straight wins and held an unbeaten streak of 14 games. Colontino gained the top spot on the program’s career win leaderboard with his 53rd thanks to a 5-1 victory at No. 10 Quinnipiac. In 2012-13, Colontino led the Colonials to a record of 15-15-3 (.500) and earned a trip to the CHA semifinals for the fourth straight year. The 15 wins included a twogame sweep of No. 4/5 Mercyhurst and a triple-overtime CHA first round victory over Lindenwood. The latter set a new record for the longest game in program history, as the contest lasted 108 minutes before Cobina Delaney found the back of the net. In Colontino’s first season, he made an immediate impact on the Robert Morris program. He led the Colonials to the largest year-to-year win improvement in Division I women’s hockey in 2011-12 before guiding the squad to a storybook ending as RMU captured the program’s first-ever conference
tournament championship. His turn-around of the RMU program earned him USCHO (U.S. College Hockey Online) National Coach of the Year accolades. RMU finished with 19 victories under Colontino’s tutelage in his first season at the helm, an amazing 13-win improvement from the prior season. Despite being picked to finish last in the league after the loss of the program’s all-time leading scorer, RMU posted the highest-ever finish in league play under Colontino’s guidance, with the most CHA wins and points ever, and also reset school records for longest winning streak and longest unbeaten streak during the course of the season. Colontino, who was named the 2012 CHA Coach of the Year, led the squad to one of the biggest regular-season wins in program history Jan. 21 when Robert Morris scored twice in the final three minutes to defeat conference powerhouse Mercyhurst for the first time ever. The victory not only ended the Lakers’ 28-game conference unbeaten streak, but it would serve as a harbinger of things to come for the Colonials. RMU entered the 2012 CHA Tournament as the second seed, but with top-seeded Mercyhurst having won nine straight tournament titles, the Lakers were clearly the team to beat. After dispatching of Niagara in the semifinals, Robert Morris and Mercyhurst met with the championship on the line. The Colonials opened up a two-goal lead within the first 12 minutes and never let Mercyhurst pull even as RMU held on for a 3-2 win to dethrone the long-time CHA champions.
LOGAN BITTLE
CHELSEA WALKLAND
LIAM CAVANAUGH
Associate Head Coach
Assistant Coach
Director of Hockey Operations
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Before coming to Robert Morris, Colontino served as associate head coach at Mercyhurst from 2006 to 2011. At Mercyhurst he helped guide teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of his five years, including two Frozen Four berths. Colontino owns over a decade of women’s hockey coaching experience at the Division I level. Prior to Mercyhurst, Colontino was an assistant coach with the women’s team at the University of North Dakota from 2002 to 2006. He helped launch the women’s program with the Fighting Sioux in 2002 and was part of the coaching staff the following season when North Dakota won 11 of its final 12 games to post a winning record in just its second season of existence. He began his coaching career as an assistant with Mercyhurst in 2000. Before moving to the coaching side, Colontino played for four years at Mercyhurst and earned multiple notable awards in the process. While serving as a team captain in his senior season, he was named both Mercyhurst Student-Athlete of the Year and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)
Co-Defensive Player of the Year while leading the Lakers to a then school-record tying 23 wins. Colontino, who was also an All-MAAC First Team selection, helped Mercyhurst to a winning record in each of his seasons on the ice with the Lakers. Colontino earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercyhurst in anthropology and archaeology in 2000 and proceeded to earn a Master of Science degree from Mercyhurst in organizational leadership in 2002.
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ROBERT MORRIS ROSTER — WOMEN — No. Name
Year
Pos.
Ht.
3 Brittany Howard
R-Sr.
F
5-4
Hometown / Last Team
4 Kirsten Welsh
Jr.
D
5-11
Blackstock, Ontario / Whitby Jr. Wolves
5 Emily Curlett
Fr.
D
5-5
Lapeer, Mich. / Little Caesars 19U
6 Janey Sandoval
Fr.
F
5-5
West Fargo, N.D. / Minnesota Revolution
8 Sarah Quaranta
Jr.
F
5-6
Niagara Falls, Ontario / Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres
9 Maggie LaGue
Jr.
D
5-8
Barre, Vt. / North American Hockey Academy
10 Lexi Templeman
Fr.
F
5-2
Staffa, Ontario / KW Rangers
St. Thomas, Ontario / London Jr. Devilettes
11 Natalie Fraser
Sr.
D
5-6
Ottawa, Ontario / Ottawa Jr. Lady Senators
12 Leah Carey
Sr.
D
5-9
Middleton, Wisc. / Madison Capitols U19
15 Sarah Lecavalier
So.
F
5-4
Strathmore, Alberta / University of North Dakota
17 Jaycee Gebhard
So.
F
5-3
Plenty, Saskatchewan / Notre Dame Hounds
18 Jessica Gazzola
Sr.
F
5-2
Thunder Bay, Ontario / Toronto Jr. Aeros
19 Katherine Murphy
Sr.
D
5-3
Cary, N.C. / North American Hockey Academy
20 Caitlyn Sadowy
Jr.
F
5-6
Woodbridge, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs
21 Morgan Schauer
Fr.
D
6-0
Cleveland, Ohio / Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
22 Emilie Harley
Fr.
F
6-0
Syracuse, N.Y. / Ontario Hockey Academy
23 Amber Rennie
Jr.
F
5-3
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan / Notre Dame Hounds
24 Anjelica Diffendal
Fr.
F
6-0
Pittsburgh, Pa. / Pittsburgh Penguins Elite
25 Aneta Ledlova
So.
F
5-6
Kadan, Czech Republic / Ontario Hockey Academy
27 Natalie Marcuzzi
So.
F
5-7
Thornhill, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs
28 Amanda Pantaleo
Sr.
F
5-5
Markham, Ontario / Toronto Jr. Aeros
29 Lauren Bailey
Jr.
G
5-9
Freeland, Mich. / Choate Rosemary Hall
30 Molly Singewald
Fr.
G
5-4
Farmington, Minn. / Culver Girls Academy Prep
31 Elijah Milne-Price
Sr.
G
5-7
Mississauga, Ontario / Mississauga Jr. Chiefs
Head Coach: Paul Colontino (seventh season at RMU; Mercyhurst ’00) Associate Head Coach: Logan Bittle (eighth season at RMU; Robert Morris ’08) Assistant Coach: Chelsea Walkland (fourth season at RMU; Robert Morris ’10) Director of Operations: Liam Cavanaugh (first season at RMU; Acadia ’17) Captain: Amanda Pantaleo
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2017-18 COLONIALS
#3 Brittany Howard
#4 Kirsten Welsh
#5 Emily Curlett
#6 Janey Sandoval
R-Senior • Forward
Junior • Defenseman
Freshman • Defenseman
Freshman • Forward
#8 Sarah Quaranta
#9 Maggie LaGue
#10 Lexi Templeman
#11 Natalie Fraser
Junior • Forward
Junior • Defenseman
Freshman • Forward
Senior • Defenseman
#12 Leah Carey
#15 Sarah Lecavalier
#17 Jaycee Gebhard
#18 Jessica Gazzola
Senior • Defenseman
Sophomore • Forward
Sophomore • Forward
Senior • Forward
#19 Katherine Murphy
#20 Caitlyn Sadowy
#21 Morgan Schauer
#22 Emilie Harley
Senior • Defenseman
Junior • Forward
Freshman • Defenseman
Freshman • Forward
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#23 Amber Rennie
#24 Anjelica Diffendal
#25 Aneta Ledlova
#27 Natalie Marcuzzi
Junior • Forward
Freshman • Forward
Sophomore • Forward
Sophomore • Forward
#28 Amanda Pantaleo
#29 Lauren Bailey
#30 Molly Singewald
#31 Elijah Milne-Price
Senior • Forward
Junior • Goalie
Freshman • Goalie
Senior • Goalie
— 47 —
2017-18 WOMEN’S SCHEDULE DATE
OPPONENT
SITE
TIME
SEPTEMBER
23 (Sat.)
RYERSON (Exhibition)
Pittsburgh, Pa.
7:05 p.m.
OCTOBER
7 (Sat.) 8 (Sun.) 13 (Fri.) 14 (Sat.) 20 (Fri.) 21 (Sat.) 28 (Sat.) 29 (Sun.)
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
Mankato, Minn. Mankato, Minn. Orono, Maine Orono, Maine Providence, R.I. Providence, R.I. University Park, Pa. University Park, Pa.
3:00 1:00 7:00 1:00 6:00 1:00 2:00 2:00
NOVEMBER
3 (Fri.) 4 (Sat.) 10 (Fri.) 11 (Sat.) 24 (Fri.) 25 (Sat.)
@ Lindenwood * @ Lindenwood * RIT * RIT * OHIO STATE OHIO STATE
Lindenwood, Mo. Lindenwood, Mo. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa.
7:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 3:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 2:05 p.m.
1 (Fri.) 2 (Sat.) 9 (Sat.)
MERCYHURST * MERCYHURST * @ Colgate
Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Hamilton, N.Y.
7:05 p.m. 5:05 p.m. 3:00 p.m.
5 (Fri.) 6 (Sat.) 12 (Fri.) 13 (Sat.) 19 (Fri.) 20 (Sat.) 26 (Fri.) 27 (Sat.)
SYRACUSE * SYRACUSE * @ Ohio State @ Ohio State @ RIT * @ RIT * PENN STATE * PENN STATE *
Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Columbus, Ohio Columbus, Ohio Rochester, N.Y. Rochester, N.Y. Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa.
7:05 p.m. 3:05 p.m. 6:07 p.m. 3:07 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 3:05 p.m.
9 (Fri.) 10 (Sat.) 16 (Fri.) 17 (Sat.) 23 (Fri.) 24 (Sat.)
LINDENWOOD * LINDENWOOD * @ Mercyhurst * @ Mercyhurst * @ Syracuse * @ Syracuse *
Pittsburgh, Pa. Pittsburgh, Pa. Erie, Pa. Erie, Pa. Syracuse, N.Y. Syracuse, N.Y.
3:05 p.m. 1:05 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.
2 (Fri.) 3 (Sat.)
CHA Tournament CHA Tournament
Buffalo, N.Y. Buffalo, N.Y.
TBA TBA
DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
Mankato Mankato Maine Maine Brown Brown Penn State * Penn State *
* College Hockey America (CHA) game | Home games bold and all CAPS | All times Eastern
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p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m.
— 52 —
About Robert Morris University
Robert Morris University was founded in 1921 in downtown Pittsburgh as the Pittsburgh School of Accountancy. The school’s founder, educator and accountant, Andrew Blass, rented classroom space in the Blackstone Building. In 1935, the institution changed its name to the Robert Morris School of Business in honor of the Founding Father popularly known as the “financier of the American Revolution.” After leasing space at several Pittsburgh locations, including the William Penn Hotel, the school purchased a building of its own in 1959 at 600 Fifth Ave. Soon after that, in response to a new requirement that Pennsylvania accounting students have a college degree in order to become CPAs, Robert Morris became a nonprofit institution and junior college. At the same time, responding to a development boom near the new airport and Parkway West, Robert Morris acquired Pine Hill Manor, the Moon Township estate of Oliver Kaufmann, and began building a residential campus in 1963. The first students on campus lived in the Kaufmann mansion,
where today sits Massey Hall. By the end of that decade, Robert Morris had become a four-year college. The school continued to grow and expand, joining the NCAA Division I for intercollegiate athletics in 1977 and adding graduate degree programs and more bachelor’s programs as well. For decades, some students commuted or lived on the Moon campus and took classes there exclusively, while others studied entirely at the downtown building, usually in the evenings after work. The Fifth Avenue building was sold in 2010, though the university still offers classes in the Golden Triangle at its RMU Downtown location. In 2002, following approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the college became Robert Morris University. While alumni from the early days may still recognize some of the original buildings, a spate of recent and ongoing new construction — from academic buildings to residence halls to the football stadium — ensure that the institution continues to provide students with a vibrant, attractive residential campus community for living and learning.
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ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS From its fertile beginning as a men’s basketball junior college powerhouse to one of the most diverse athletic programs in the tri-state area, intercollegiate athletics and success at Robert Morris University go hand-in-hand. RMU offers 16 intercollegiate athletics programs, including the only men’s and women’s Division I ice hockey squads and Division I men’s lacrosse team in the Pittsburgh region. Over the last 41 years, the Colonials have claimed 45 conference regular-season championships and 46 league tournament titles. A total of 13 of RMU’s intercollegiate athletic programs have earned at least one tournament championship, with men’s basketball leading the way with eight Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament titles. Men’s basketball has also claimed 11 NEC regular-season championships, the most in school history, while softball owns eight and football and volleyball have each claimed six. For the fourth consecutive year in 2016-17, Robert Morris had a pair of programs earn automatic berths in the NCAA Tournament, as women’s hockey and women’s basketball each qualified. For hockey, it marked the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history after earning their second College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship, while women’s basketball earned its second straight, third in the last four years and
fifth overall. Individually in 2016-17, senior guard Anna Niki Stamolamprou concluded arguably the most impressive career in school history in any sport. During her four seasons in an RMU uniform, Stamolamprou helped the Colonials win three NEC Tournament championships and subsequent bids to the NCAA Tournament. Named the 2017 NEC Player of the Year, Stamolamprou was a two-time NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2016, 2017) for women’s basketball and was also the nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year by both Robert Morris and the NEC. Redshirt junior forward Brittany Howard was selected as the 2017 CHA Player of the Year, the first student-athlete from RMU to garner the top honor, while also claiming the CHA Scoring Trophy. While Stamolamprou and Howard were named the top players in their respective leagues, a total of five student-athletes from Robert Morris were named their league’s top rookie. Freshman forward Jaycee Gebhard of women’s hockey was selected as the CHA Rookie of the Year, while Lilly Harnish (outdoor track & field), Max Palmer (golf), Annie Sachs (women’s lacrosse) and Ryan Smith (men’s lacrosse) took the top rookie accolade in the NEC. It marks the most rookie honors in a single season in school history. The exploits of the intercollegiate athletic
program in 2016-17 has continued a trend that RMU has established since its move to Division I four decades ago. Since 1982, Robert Morris has sent 26 teams to the NCAA Tournament. Men’s basketball has made an NEC record eight appearances, while volleyball has participated in six. The Colonial men’s basketball program qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 1982, 1983, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2009, 2010 and 2015, while volleyball made five straight appearances from 1999 to 2003 before earning the automatic bid in 2015. The women’s basketball team has appeared in five NCAA Tournaments (2007, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017), while men’s soccer has appeared three times (1993, 1994, 2005). Softball (2005), men’s ice hockey (2014) and men’s golf (2015) have also earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. Other programs to have claimed an NEC Tournament championship during that span include three in men’s golf (1995, 1996, 2015), two in men’s cross country (1986, 1987), men’s indoor track & field (1999, 2000) and women’s indoor track & field (1998, 2000) and one each in women’s tennis (1996) and men’s outdoor track & field (2000). The trend of success should come as no surprise. The men’s basketball program has appeared in a national postseason tournament seven times in the last 10 years, including three NCAA Tournaments (2009, 2010, 2015), three NIT’s (2008, 2013, 2014) and the 2012 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). In 2013, Robert Morris became the center
of the college basketball world by defeating defending national champion Kentucky in front of 3,444 fans at the Charles L. Sewall Center, the largest crowd in school history, in the first round of the NIT. In 2012, women’s ice hockey claimed its first College Hockey America (CHA) Tournament championship thanks to a 3-2 victory over Mercyhurst in the championship game at the RMU Island Sports Center. The football team earned the inaugural berth for the NEC in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs in 2010 by claiming its sixth NEC regular-season title. In 2000, football finished 10-0, the first perfect campaign for any sport at RMU. In the process, the team won its second straight NCAA I-AA Mid-Major National Championship, according to Don Hansen’s National Football Weekly Gazette. The program moved into its own on-campus stadium, named Joe Walton Stadium in honor of the program’s first head coach, in 2005. The women’s rowing team claimed two straight Margaret McNiff Trophies in the varsity four classification at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, Pa., in 2000 and 2001. Five teams achieved national rankings during the 1990s, with the 1994 softball team reaching No. 23, the 1994 men’s soccer team peaking at No. 16, the 1996 football squad finishing second in the NCAA I-AA nonscholarship ranks, the 1997 football team placing third and the 1999 football squad finishing No. 1.
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— 58 —
RMU’S CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS — Team — REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS (45) Sport
Year(s)
Men’s Basketball
1982, 2010, Women’s Basketball 2007, Football 1996, Men’s Ice Hockey # 2015, Women’s Ice Hockey * 2017 Men’s Lacrosse 2012 Men’s Soccer 1992, Softball 1997, Volleyball 1999,
1983, 2013, 2008, 1997, 2016
1984, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2008, 2009, 2014 2010, 2014, 2017 1998, 1999, 2000, 2010
1994, 1995, 1996, 2001 1998, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS (46) Sport
Year(s)
Men’s Basketball 1982, Women’s Basketball 1988, Men’s Cross Country 1986, Men’s Golf 1995, Men’s Ice Hockey # 2014 Women’s Ice Hockey * 2012, Men’s Soccer 1993, Softball 1991, Women’s Tennis 1996 Men’s Indoor Track & Field 1999, Women’s Indoor Track & Field 1998, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field 2000 Volleyball 1992,
1983, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2009, 2010, 2015 1991, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017 1987 1996, 2015 2017 1994, 2005 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2005 2000 2000 1993, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2015
Note: All regular season and tournament championships were claimed in the Northeast Conference (NEC) unless otherwise noted. # Atlantic Hockey championship | * College Hockey America (CHA) championship Continued ➞
— 59 —
— Individual — MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (39) 55-Meter Tony Bunbury (1988) 55-Meter Hurdles DeLonte Perkins (1998) • Jim Baughman (1999) 200-Meter William Blake (1999) 500-Meter Jim Baughman (1999, 2000) • Joe Wagner (2005)
1999 VOLLEYBALL
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY (1)
Mile Mike Booth (2006)
Steve Uhing (1987)
3,000-Meter Mike Booth (2006)
MEN’S GOLF (3) Paul Snyder (1986) • Bart Mease (1996) C.G. Mercatoris (2011)
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (30)
High Jump Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001) Jeff Witmyer (2005, 2007, 2008)
55-Meter Hurdles Jackie Gray (1991) • Genita Dickey (2000)
Long Jump Jarrad Pencek (2000, 2001, 2002)
60-Meter Hurdles Genita Dickey (2001) • Jordhanna White (2008)
Triple Jump Elliott Constantine (1989) • Cory Hunt (1993) Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) Nasim Siddeeq (2008)
200-Meter Genita Dickey (2001)
Pole Vault Eric White (2000, 2001, 2002) Josh Ghaly (2007) • Chris Spataro (2008, 2010) Jarad George (2009)
300-Meter Tiphani McKee (2001) 500-Meter Genita Dickey (2000, 2001)
Shot Put Patrick Mangan (1989) • Steve Mitchell (2014)
800-Meter Laura Rivera (1994) • Kerry McKinney (2002) 5,000-Meter Merel Van Steenbergen (2011)
4x400-Meter Relay Robert Morris (1999, 2000, 2001, 2014)
High Jump Michele Roth (2004) • Lilly Harnish (2017)
Distance Medley Relay Robert Morris (2006)
Long Jump Melitta Brown (2008) Triple Jump Brittany Humphress (2007) Yulia Vasilyeva (2013, 2014) Pole Vault Jessica Cooper (2000, 2001) Erica Schmidt (2010) • Casey Folga (2012) Olivia Loy (2013) • Bethany Ledford (2014, 2015) Weight Throw Nicole Downing (2004, 2005) Gabriella Rinehart (2010) • Rachel Boody (2017) 4x400-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2000, 2001)
C.G. MERCATORIS — 60 —
RACHEL BOODY
GENITA DICKEY
COURTNEY LENART
JARRAD PENCEK
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (40)
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (38)
100-Meter Hurdles Jackie Gray (1992) • Genita Dickey (2000) Jordhanna White (2008)
110-Meter Hurdles DeLonte Perkins (1998) Jim Baughman (2000)
400-Meter Hurdles Jackie Gray (1992, 1993) Genita Dickey (1999, 2000) Samantha Simile (2009)
400-Meter Hurdles Frank Bruno (1998, 1999) Jim Baughman (2000) 3,000-Meter Steeplechase Phillips Thompson (2008)
5,000-Meter Ericka Suhy (2001)
High Jump Brad Bruno (1991) Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001) Mark Caskey (2006) • Jeff Witmyer (2008)
High Jump Ericka Frazee (2006) Long Jump Melitta Brown (2008) • Tara Van Schie (2014)
Long Jump Jarrad Pencek (2000, 2001, 2002) Christian Lemke (2004)
Triple Jump Michelle Gawaldo (1998) Brittany Humphress (2005, 2006) Yulia Vasilyeva (2014) • Lilly Harnish (2017) Pole Vault Jessica Cooper (2000, 2001) Erica Schmidt (2009, 2010) • Casey Folga (2011) Bethany Ledford (2012, 2015)
Triple Jump Jarrad Pencek (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) Adam Woodford (2005) • Nasim Siddeeq (2008) Richard Njenga (2014)
Discus Laura Buzzard (1999) • Nicole Downing (2004) Christina Roadman (2005) Aubree Ray (2012, 2014) • Rachel Boody (2017) Shot Put Jessica Guyett (2016) Hammer Throw Nicole Downing (2003, 2004, 2005) Gabriella Rinehart (2009)
Pole Vault Eric White (2002) • Josh Ghaly (2007) Anthony Trunzo (2010) Discus Marcus McCaleb (1997) • Collin Ray (2011 Hammer Throw Kevin Argauer (2009) • Steve Mitchell (2011) Brendan Morales (2013) Javelin Scott Fath (1993) • Chris Carper (2013, 2014) 4x100-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2001, 2004)
Javelin Courtney Lenart (2004, 2005) Stephanie Kuhn (2006, 2007)
4x400-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2001)
4x800-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2017)
4x800-Meter Relay Robert Morris (2014) — 61 —
— 62 —
“Go Colonials” — RMU FIGHT SONG — Everybody Cheer for Robert Morris Stand and show your spirit and your pride! Let’s shout an R-M-U to help our team in blue bring out the fire from deep inside! Let’s go Colonials take it for the win as you hear our shouts of loyalty! We shout all out about our team together to the final victory!
RMU Alma Mater Hail to thee, dear Robert Morris let the anthem ring. Hand in hand and with one voice, your praises we do sing. At your knee we learn and grow, O, shining White and Blue, We salute our days together. Hail to RMU! Ideals high to guide us onward, paths ahead made clear. Pride and loyalty forever, Alma Mater dear. Memories made and lives are changed here, all held fond and true. Hail to thee, dear Robert Morris! HAIL TO RMU!