Tim Benz: As decision day looms for Robert Morris hockey, fundraising efforts approach goals

Most hockey teams go into extra skater mode in the final minutes of a game. For the Robert Morris Colonials, they’ve been living in that world since May.

That’s when university President Dr. Christopher Howard blindsided both the men’s and women’s hockey teams with the news that the programs would be cut. The announcement came on the heels of the women’s team winning their conference tournament and the men’s team claiming first place in its division during the regular season.

In the wake of negative backlash and two potential legal actions from displaced student-athletes, RMU announced in August that it would give the teams four months to raise funding for reinstatement of the programs in time for the 2022-23 season.

The university set a goal of $1.4 million in cash needed to play for this year, along with an additional $1.4 million in pledges to be used for upcoming seasons. The deadline for those goals is Wednesday.

The Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation (PCHF), a group of Colonials alumni and supporters, teamed with the university to raise the money.

According to PCHF co-founder Logan Bittle, the teams have raised $1.5 million for this upcoming season with another $1 million in future pledges.

“I’m really proud of the work of everybody who has been involved with this,” said Colonials men’s coach Derek Schooley. “From people in the athletic department to the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation to the Pittsburgh hockey community, (they) have done an outstanding job getting us to this point. We’ve raised in excess of $2 million since September.”

While a $300,000 shortfall still exists, Bittle says he’s hopeful that the gap can be closed through individual and corporate donations before Wednesday’s deadline.

“The hope is that we’ll get there, or the understanding is that the money is coming and we’ve gotten to where we needed to be,” Bittle said. “The hope is that more money comes in once the programs are reinstated as we have people who said they would give once the programs are back.”

Schooley also says the teams have a combined 500 season tickets sold between the men’s and women’s programs. They usually don’t combine for 100.

Fundraisers have seen a recent surge in the wake of some added publicity. The “On The Bench” hockey show has adopted reinstatement efforts. Outlets such as Barstool have advanced awareness. The Penguins radio and television broadcasts have mentioned the cause on numerous occasions so far this year. There was a sold-out fundraising charity hockey game last month at the UPMC Lemieux Complex in Cranberry.

Ex-Penguin Ryan Malone has embraced the reinstatement goal. The Upper St. Clair product has made frequent trips back to Pittsburgh in recent weeks to facilitate fundraising. He has also become a spokesperson of sorts for the teams on social media, and he organized the production of a hype video featuring former Steelers (Brett Keisel, Shaun Suisham), Pirates (Neil Walker), Penguins (Colby Armstrong) and Colonials alumna and former U.S. hockey Olympian Brianne McLaughlin.

This is OUR TaHn! When you play da ⁦@penguins⁩ ⁦@Pirates⁩ ⁦@steelers⁩ team you play the whole TaHn! Buy in and be part of the greatest comeback in Sports History. Down 500,000 goals! Game ends Dec 15! ⁦@PghCHF⁩ @IronCityBeer⁩ ⁦https://t.co/HujY8tc8ge pic.twitter.com/Yyh2YLA4dK

— Ryan “Bugsy” Malone (@Bugsy12Malone) December 6, 2021

When Alabama-Huntsville’s program went through a similar situation, NHL goalie and Chargers alum Cam Talbot spearheaded a fundraising initiative and helped save the team. The Colonials can’t boast an ex-NHL player yet to help in the same way. But as a native Pittsburgher and former college player (St. Cloud State ‘03), Malone said he felt that he should be the one to step up and help.

“The hockey community is a smaller community than people think. I’ve been lucky and blessed to be a part of it,” Malone said. “I think any NHL player would come back and help his hometown. It just happens to be me this time.”

Since his job was reinstated, Schooley has been able to begin evaluating talent to potentially reconstruct a roster for next year. The women’s team doesn’t have a coach at the moment, as Paul Colontino departed to run the program at Bishop Kearney Selects Academy. Schooley and McLaughlin were also empowered as directors of hockey operations of both teams to keep the women’s program functional until a coach can be named.

If reinstatement occurs.

As Schooley points out, if that happens it would allow for increased revenue streams through merchandise sales and “guarantee games” for bigger institutions who may need dates to fill out pre-conference schedules.

The threats of legal action from players who had to leave campus to continue their college careers have been shelved.

For now. In a spirit of cooperation with the university which has been — at least publicly — in line with the PCHF and outside fundraisers to meet the goal. If the school doesn’t reinstate the programs shortly after Wednesday’s deadline, who knows.

But for the time being, the Colonials appear to be on the doorstep of being resuscitated. If a few more dollars arrive.

And if Howard allows it to happen.