Women's Hockey | 7/31/2015 12:57:00 PM
Pittsburgh, Pa. – A new season brings a new title for
Logan Bittle of the
Robert Morris University women's hockey staff, as he has been elevated to the position of associate head coach for the 2015-16 campaign.
The former assistant has been a part of the RMU hockey family since he first step foot on campus as a student in 2004. The Peoria, Ill., native competed on the inaugural Colonials men's hockey team and continued to grow with his alma mater's hockey program as an assistant coach on the women's side in 2010. After five years serving as an assistant to head coach
Paul Colontino, the decision was made to promote Bittle to a new, well-deserved role.
"Some of the big things that make [Logan] so deserving of this title are his work ethic and his loyalty to not only the hockey programs but the school as a whole," said Colontino. "He's got a true love and passion for Robert Morris and Robert Morris athletics that filters down into his specific role with the women's hockey program. He's just earned the title and he's earned it through his actions. I'm extremely excited about this opportunity for him."
Entering his sixth year as a member of the women's hockey coaching staff, Bittle brings a great deal of knowledge from his experience as a player at the collegiate level, competing for the Colonials from 2004-2008, and in the professional ranks with the Dayton Bombers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and the New Jersey Rockhoppers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL).
"I've been here since day one of the men's program," Bittle explained, "so to see how Robert Morris has developed as a school and as a hockey program in the last 10 years is something special. It's definitely family for my wife and I. She played here as well, so we're both really happy to be connected with Robert Morris and it's quite an honor to be named associate head coach of a program I've been a part of for some time now."
In his first year on the bench for the Colonials, Bittle helped the squad advance to the College Hockey America (CHA) Semifinals for the second consecutive season and establish a new program-record unbeaten streak, all while navigating a highly-demanding schedule--RMU played 15 games against teams that finished the year ranked or receiving votes nationally.
In his second year as an assistant coach for RMU, Bittle helped guide the Colonials to their most successful year in program history. Bittle assisted Colontino in leading the Colonials to their first-ever CHA Tournament Championship. RMU also gained its first two victories over nationally-ranked Mercyhurst, breaking the Lakers' 28-game conference unbeaten streak.
In 2012-13, Bittle assisted in RMU's 15-15-3 season, marking the second straight campaign that the Colonials won 15 or more games. RMU went 3-2-1 against nationally-ranked opponents in the 2012-13 regular season and advanced in the CHA postseason for the fourth straight year.
Bittle helped the Colonials become a national figure in collegiate women's hockey in 2013-14, as Robert Morris finished the season at 24-8-3 and 13-5-2 in CHA play. The Colonials spent 13 consecutive weeks ranked in the Top 10 of the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls and earned a first-round bye in the CHA Tournament.
In 2014-15, the Colonials compiled a .500 conference record and earned their sixth consecutive trip to the CHA Tournament.
With just a couple of weeks before the team reports for preseason camp, Bittle is already embracing his new role and establishing objectives for the new season ahead.
"I know a lot of our girls have been working really hard this summer," said Bittle, "so once they get back and the new players get settled and comfortable with college life, our main goals are to grow as a team and work together toward the common goal we have of winning the CHA Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament."
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