Moon Township, Pa. - Robert Morris University women's hockey head coach Paul Colontino announced the hiring of Allison Rutledge as an assistant coach Thursday.
Rutledge, who previously served as an assistant coach at Wayne State since 2007, has earned national recognition and demonstrated success as both a Division I player and coach and also boasts eight years of experience in College Hockey America (CHA) competition.
"Allison brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the staff and program both on and off the ice," Colontino said. "Allison had an outstanding collegiate career and is currently well entrenched in her coaching career. Her enthusiasm and passion for the game combined with a strong work ethic will make her an excellent addition to the staff."
In her first season at Wayne State, Rutledge and her fellow Warrior coaches were named the National Coaching Staff of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) after finishing the season with the first national ranking in program history and securing a school-record 22 wins. Rutledge helped Wayne State to a share of its first CHA regular-season championship along with breaking the school records for longest winning streak (nine games) and longest unbeaten streak (11 games). The Warriors advanced to the CHA Championship, and despite winning the regular-season series with nationally-ranked Mercyhurst, Wayne State lost in overtime to the Lakers in the tournament final.
Rutledge helped Wayne State claim its second straight 20-win season the following year as the Warriors went 21-9-2 to rank seventh nationally in winning percentage and once again advanced to the CHA Tournament Championship.
"It's an absolute pleasure to be joining the Robert Morris University women's ice hockey program," Rutledge said. "The RMU student-athletes have proven to be exemplary individuals on and off the ice, and their strong character will be the backbone to our team success this season and in the years to come. I look forward to the opportunity to learn from both the student-athletes and staff and also look forward to sharing my experience and knowledge with the program."
In addition to overseeing numerous off-ice duties for the Warriors, Rutledge supervised the team's goaltenders and defensive skaters. She coordinated all goalie development and also managed Wayne State's defensive corps during games, determining pairings and ice time. Rutledge guided her goaltenders and defensemen to seven all-conference honors during her time at Wayne State in addition to three all-rookie selections. In the 2008-09 season, the Warriors had a freshman goalie start 21 games and post a .898 save percentage, a mark which Rutledge worked with the netminder to improve. During this past season, that goalie finished second nationally among qualifying players with a single-season school record 978 saves and led the league with a .921 save percentage.
Away from the ice, Rutledge acted as Wayne State's academic coordinator, advising and guiding students for academic success while also monitoring their academic eligibility. She also ran the team's video operations, analyzing game and practice tapes for student-athletes and fellow staff members. Rutledge also led the staff's efforts for scheduling, travel and community service and assisted with the program's recruiting and compliance responsibilities.
Rutledge had a strong pedigree for working with Wayne State's goalies as she was an All-American goaltender during her playing days at Niagara. She started 110 games in her collegiate career and ranks third all-time in NCAA history with 3,405 saves.
After Rutledge earned CHA All-Rookie honors in her freshman campaign and recorded 38 saves as the starting goalie in the CHA Championship, she posted a .929 save percentage in her sophomore season, ranking fifth nationally, and allowed a mere 2.21 goals per game. The following season she led the nation with 1,103 saves, a mark that still stands fifth in single-season Division I history, and claimed All-CHA First Team honors. Rutledge, who was invited to Hockey Canada's U-22 Selection Camp in 2006, again surpassed the 1,000-save mark in her final season and was selected as a Reebok Hockey All-American after her senior year. Rutledge also garnered her second-consecutive first team all-conference honor in 2007 after starting each one of her team's 35 games that season.
Rutledge helped Niagara advance to the CHA Championship in three of her four seasons with the Purple Eagles and currently ranks 15th in career save percentage among Division I netminders who completed their careers with at least 1,000 saves.
While her on-ice accomplishments were significant, Rutledge collected hardware for her work in the classroom as well. She was named the CHA Student-Athlete of the Year in the 2006-07 season and was awarded CHA All-Academic accolades in all three of her eligible seasons. The two-time captain also earned American Women's Hockey Coaches Association (AWHCA) National Scholar Athlete honors after her senior season.
Rutledge has instructed at multiple hockey camps across the United States and Canada and also served as an alumni panelist for a Niagara University 'Life After Sport' program.
Rutledge graduated from Niagara magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in secondary education in 2007. She is currently writing her master's thesis and intends on earning a Master's of Education in special education from Wayne State this fall with a concentration in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
