| Team Name: | Robert Morris Colonials |
| Current: | 2023–24 Robert Morris Colonials women's ice hockey season |
| University: | Robert Morris University |
| Sex: | women's |
| Conference: | Atlantic Hockey America |
| Conference Short: | AHA |
| Location: | Neville Township, Allegheny County, PennsylvaniaNeville Township, Pennsylvania |
| Coach: | Logan Bittle |
| Coach Year: | 1 |
| Coach Wins: | 15 |
| Coach Losses: | 19 |
| Coach Ties: | 1 |
| Arena: | Clearview Arena |
| Capacity: | 1,200 |
| Ncaatourneys: | 2017, 2021 |
| Conference Tournament: | CHA 2012, 2017, 2021 |
Robert Morris Colonials women's ice hockey is a college ice hockey program representing Robert Morris University in NCAA Division I as a member of the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) conference.
The program was suspended, along with the men's team, after an announcement by the university on May 26, 2021. On December 17, 2021, it was announced both programs would be reinstated for the 2023–24 season.[1] Shortly after that season, the Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America, respectively home to the Colonials men's and women's teams, merged to form Atlantic Hockey America.[2]
March 31, 2004: Robert Morris University announced that an NCAA Division I women's ice hockey team would compete, in the College Hockey America (CHA) Conference, starting with the 2005–06 season.
Kevin McGonagle was named the first head coach, but following a 1–7–0 start he was dismissed[2]. Assistant coach Jody Katz[1] was named the interim head coach for the rest of the season, and men's assistant coach Nate Handrahan was named new head coach for the 2006–07 campaign.
Nate Handrahan was head coach for five years from the 2006–07 through the 2010–11 seasons. He successfully built a stable program, bringing talented players into the program who would excel after his tenure. and amassed a 52–111–14 record, before taking the head coaching job of the Ohio State women's hockey program.
Paul Colontino was named head coach for the 2011–12 season, and remains in the position. He made the Colonials a competitive team, finishing with more wins than losses in 5 of 6 years. In his first year, Colontino led the Colonials to their first CHA Tournament championship. As the CHA had not automatic berth in the NCAA tournament at the time, their CHA win ended their season.
The most successful season for the Colonials was the 2016–17 season. Their 24–5–6 record (15–3–2 in the CHA) earned them their first year-ending ranking, 8th, in both the USCHO and USA Today polls. They won the CHA regular season championship for the first time, and took the Tournament Championship as well, to earn their first entry to the NCAA national championship. They were defeated by top ranked Wisconsin 0–7 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Colonials forward Jaycee Gebhard scored 44 points on the season, making her the highest scoring first year player in the country for the season. Brittany Howard became the first Colonial player to be named CHA Player of the Year.
The Colonials went on to finish at the top of the CHA standings in 2017-18 and 2018–19, marking three years in a row that they won the regular season championship. They went to four straight championship games, ending the season as conference runner up in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Over the course of four seasons (2016–20), the Colonials posted an overall record of 62-22-12 (.777 points percentage), including the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017.[3] The program qualified for the 2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, ranked as the #8 seed.[4]
On February 3, 2022 Logan Bittle was named the head coach for the program's return in the 2023-2024 season [5]
| Won Championship | Lost Championship | Conference Champions | League Leader |
| Logan Bittle | 15 | 19 | 1 | CHA | 11 | 8 | 1 | 3rd CHA | Lost Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| 2022–23 | Program was suspended by the university | |||||||||||
| 2021–22 | ||||||||||||
| Paul Colontino | 16 | 8 | 1 | CHA | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3rd CHA | Won Quarterfinals vs. RIT Won Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst Won Championship vs. Syracuse | 2nd Appearance Lost Quarterfinal vs. Northeastern | ||
| Paul Colontino | 20 | 12 | 4 | CHA | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2nd CHA | Won Semifinals vs. Penn State Lost Championship vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| Paul Colontino | 16 | 14 | 6 | CHA | 13 | 4 | 3 | 1st CHA | Won Semifinals vs. Syracuse Lost Championship vs. Syracuse | Did not qualify | ||
| Paul Colontino | 21 | 8 | 4 | CHA | 14 | 3 | 3 | 1st CHA | Won Semifinals vs. Penn State Lost Championship vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| Paul Colontino | 24 | 5 | 6 | CHA | 15 | 3 | 2 | 1st CHA | Won Semifinals vs. Lindenwood Won Championship vs. Syracuse | 1st Appearance Lost Quarterfinal vs. Wisconsin | ||
| Paul Colontino | 17 | 16 | 5 | CHA | 7 | 9 | 4 | 4th CHA | Won Quarterfinals vs. Lindenwood Lost Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| Paul Colontino | 11 | 19 | 5 | CHA | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4th CHA | Lost Quarterfinals vs. RIT | Did not qualify | ||
| Paul Colontino | 24 | 8 | 3 | CHA | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2nd CHA | Lost Semifinals vs. RIT | Did not qualify | ||
| Paul Colontino | 15 | 15 | 3 | CHA | 9 | 10 | 1 | 4th CHA | Won Quarterfinals vs. Lindenwood Lost Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| Paul Colontino | 19 | 9 | 4 | CHA | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2nd CHA | Won Semifinals vs. Niagara Won Championship vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| Nate Handrahan | 6 | 21 | 7 | CHA | 2 | 9 | 5 | 4th CHA | Won Quarterfinals vs. Wayne State Lost Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| Nate Handrahan | 11 | 24 | 1 | CHA | 3 | 12 | 1 | 5th CHA | Won Quarterfinals vs. Wayne State Lost Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | ||
| Nate Handrahan | 12 | 20 | 3 | CHA | 5 | 9 | 2 | 3rd CHA | Lost Semifinals vs. Wayne State | Did not qualify | ||
| 2007–08 | Nate Handrahan | 12 | 22 | 1 | CHA | 2 | 10 | 0 | 4th CHA | Lost Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | |
| 2006–07 | Nate Handrahan | 11 | 22 | 2 | CHA | 1 | 11 | 0 | 4th CHA | Lost Semifinals vs. Marcyhurst | Did not qualify | |
| 2005–06 | Kevin McGonagle | 5 | 24 | 2 | CHA | 1 | 9 | 1 | 4th CHA | Lost Semifinals vs. Mercyhurst | Did not qualify | |
| 2004–05 | Jody Katz | 4 | 17 | 2 |
| = CWHL All-Star | = NWHL/PHF All-Star | = Clarkson Cup Champion | = Isobel Cup Champion |
| Player | Position | Team(s) | League(s) | Years | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michaela Boyle | Forward | Buffalo Beauts | PHF | 1 | |||
| Delayne Brian | Goaltender | Calgary Inferno | CWHL | 6 | 1 (2016) Playoff MVP | ||
| Anjelica Diffendal | Forward | Buffalo Beauts | PHF | 2 | |||
| Megan Eady | Melbourne Ice SDE | AWIHL SDHL | |||||
| Anissa Gamble | Forward | CWHL | 1 | ||||
| Jaycee Gebhard | Forward | Brynäs IF | SDHL | 1 | |||
| Brittany Howard | Forward | Toronto Six Toronto Furies Dream Gap Tour | PHF CWHL PWHPA | ||||
| Brianne McLaughlin | Goaltender | Buffalo Beauts | NWHL | 1 (2017) |
| Brianne McLaughlin[13] | Goaltender | 2010 Winter Olympics | Silver | ||
| Brianne McLaughlin | Goaltender | 2014 Winter Olympics | Silver |