Ready For Prime Time
Robert Morris Hockey Poised to Take the Next Step
By Stacy Gault

Over the past few decades, Pittsburgh has been known as a hockey town, primarily due to the success of the Penguins. Recently, collegiate hockey is also making a name for itself.

Robert Morris University took the first step toward establishing a Division I hockey program by purchasing the 32-acre Island Sports Center on Neville Island in August 2003.

"Obviously the big hurdle most schools have when starting a hockey program is the expense of the sport, primarily the facility and ice time, so purchasing the Island Sports Center then allowed us to begin both men and women's ice hockey," said athletic director Craig Coleman.

Head coach Derek Schooley was hired by the late director of athletics Susan Hofacre and spent his first season strictly recruiting.

"That whole first year we had nothing. When I first started I was given a desk with a phone, not even a computer," said Schooley. Coaching five years at the Air Force Academy and a year with Cornell University, Schooley is well respected in the hockey coaching community, Coleman said.

"He's good from the X's and O's standpoint, but more importantly he recruits a high quality of young men and demands they represent the hockey program and university well."

The team is graduating 14 seniors this year from the first recruiting class, including defenseman Chris Kaufman, who said he felt privileged to be at Robert Morris. "Helping to establish a new program is something not a lot of people can say they've done," Kaufman said. "It's something special to be a part of."

He was just one of 25 freshman his first year, competing for playing time, knowing he could get more ice time than freshman at other schools. "We were a bunch of kids trying to get playing time."

Kaufman said they worked to slowly gain the respect of other schools and the hockey community, eventually playing the big name teams after a few years of the "no-names."

Despite the program's youth, Robert Morris defeated No. 2 Notre Dame last year and No. 8 Boston University last October. Improving their record every year, Robert Morris posted a 15-15-4 record for 2007-08, including postseason play.

In addition, Colonials forward Ryan Cruthers was named a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award this past season, the annual honor given to the top NCAA men's ice hockey player. Cruthers became the first RMU men's ice hockey player in the program's four-year history to be nominated for the Hobey Baker Award. Just last month, Cruthers also established another first for RMU hockey as he signed a contract with the American Hockey League's Sound Tigers. Bridgeport is the AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders.

With a taste of success, Schooley finds himself and his hockey team at a crossroads.

"We've got to a point where we have a choice right now, move forward and continue to take this program to new heights or take steps backward," Schooley said. Although the team is losing 14 seniors, they have found quality youth to fill those roles. Denny Urban, a freshman from Pittsburgh, came to Robert Morris after playing a year in the United States Hockey League. Leading defenseman in scoring with 21 points this year, Urban said he started to feel comfortable in the middle to end of the season.

"It was a definitely a big jump in competition." As for next year, Urban said he's not setting any specific goals, just to play well and help the team win the league championship.

"If I score less points and the team is winning more, that's OK by me."

For now, the Robert Morris hockey team will still compete in the College Hockey America conference next year. Schooley attended a national coach meeting in Naples, Fl. in late April to discuss possible realignment of the conference, which was heavily rumored to be disbanding. Schooley says that is not the case.

"There are numerous options with numerous solutions on the table right now, but we're set for next year," said Schooley.

Not only has the team been successful on the ice, they are also branching out into other parts of the community. Schooley said they've built a solid relationship with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The partnership is helping to market the Robert Morris hockey program in addition to summer hockey camps and a campaign with Visit Pittsburgh to bring the Frozen Four tournament to Pittsburgh in 2013. Not only is Robert Morris set a goal to host the Frozen Four, Coleman said the overall goal is to play in the tournament within the next few years as well.

"We are setting our sights at getting into the NCAA tournament and hopefully getting into the Frozen Four and competing for a national championship."