Robert Morris University Athletics

July 28, 2015
Every year around this time, the RMU men's hockey team hosts a youth clinic at the Island Sports Center. The goal? Grow the game, especially in this region.

Here's a video feature on that very topic:


 

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July 23, 2015
As mentioned below, senior winger Brandon Denham had the chance to showcase his skills at back-to-back NHL development camps this month. Last week, Matt Gajtka from RMU Media Relations interviewed Denham at Pittsburgh's CONSOL Energy Center after an on-ice session governed by the Penguins' coaching staff.

Thanks to video coordinator Becky Schoenecker for the excellent shots of Denham in action. We had some technical difficulties with the microphone, so we've included subtitles to compensate for the noisy Pens dressing room:


 

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July 14, 2015
It's development camp season in the National Hockey League, as the 30 teams take a look at up-and-coming players - both drafted and undrafted - in a controlled, competitive setting.

Once again, RMU players are taking part in the fun, with senior Brandon Denham (Jets, Penguins) and junior Daniel Leavens (Jets) each receiving invitations to skate alongside fellow pro prospects under NHL roofs.

For Denham, this is nothing new, since he participated in Calgary Flames development camp last year. The 6-foot-4 winger is quite busy this month, as he skated in Winnipeg last week and is just starting Penguins camp at CONSOL Energy Center. More on that story coming later on RMUColonials.com, but take a look at the play Denham made to end the Jets' prospect scrimmage a week ago:



As far as Leavens goes, last week in Winnipeg was his first experience donning an NHL practice jersey. The forward had a breakout season as a sophomore, putting up 27 points (7g, 20a) to attract attention as part of the Colonials' impressively deep attack. Leavens recently spoke with Matt Gajtka of RMU Media Relations about his week with the Jets...

Q: What were your feelings on getting the call from the Jets to attend camp?

Leavens: I was obviously very excited to hear the Jets were interested in me. Growing up, it's every kids dream to play in the NHL, so when you hear from an NHL team it is surreal. Couldn't have been more excited to go to Winnipeg and show what I could do.

Q: What was the most exciting part of camp?

Leavens: The most exciting part of the camp had to be the fans. The entire camp was great, but the thousands of fans that were at every on-ice event was crazy exciting. The passion they have for the game and team is unmatched anywhere else. 

Q: What were your goals entering the camp? Do you feel you accomplished those?

Leavens: I wanted to go in there and not just be another player and do my best to make a name for myself. Being a free-agent invite, they have top prospects that are much closer to being NHL ready, but I wanted to show I could keep up with those guys. I think overall I did a good job in trying to stand out throughout the week. 
 

Q: How was it to have a teammate (Denham) with you through the process?

Leavens: It was awesome. Going with Denham made me a lot more comfortable, especially with him having been to an NHL camp last summer. Being able to share the experience with someone I've played with for two, going on three, seasons just made it that much better. 

Q: What are your plans for the rest of the summer?

Leavens: My plans are to take a few days off and then get back to training. I'll be heading back to Pittsburgh in about a month to gear up for another run at the NCAA tournament with the boys. Really excited to get back for my junior year. 
 

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June 22, 2015
The RMU academic calendar officially flips over on July 1, so it's a great time to take a closer look at the six new student-athletes who will arrive in Moon Township this fall to comprise the 2015-16 freshman class.

With the winningest class in program history - Cody Wydo, Scott Jacklin, Jeff Jones and David Rigatti - having graduated this spring, the Colonials' depth will have to rise to the forefront to keep the program on top in the Atlantic Hockey Conference.

In alphabetical order, here's a little more about all six of the newcomers...

Adam Brady - The Kingston (Ontario) Voyageurs' leading regular-sesaon scorer this year (77 points in 46 games) chipped in 29 more points in 24 playoff contests. With Brady and fellow RMU recruit Alex Tonge leading the way, the "Vees" rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to down Aurora in the second round of the Ontario Junior Hockey League postseason. Kingston went all the way to Game 7 of the OJHL championship series before falling to the defending title-holders in the Toronto Patriots.
 

Kyle Eastman - A native of the western New York town of Angola, Eastman nevertheless listed his favorite NHL team as the Philadelphia Flyers during his final year with the Tri-City (Neb.) Storm of the Tier I United States Hockey League. That fact may not endear him to most western Pennsylania hockey fans, but the 6-foot-1 power forward should find some kinship in that area with RMU junior defenseman John Rey, also an ardent supporter of the orange and black.

Kyle Horsman - Like many Colonials of the past and present, Eastman comes to American college hockey from the British Columbia Hockey League, a high-caliber Canadian circuit that allows its players to maintain NCAA eligibility - unlike the three major-junior leagues. Horsman, who played three years for the Cowichan Valley Capitals, will join fellow BCHL alumni Chase Golightly (Prince George) and Rob Mann (Penticton) on next year's RMU team. 



Eric Israel - The lone defenseman of the six-man class, Israel put up stunning offensive numbers for the Central Canada Hockey League's Brockville (Ontario) Braves, with 92 points (28g, 64a) in 119 games over two seasons. Future RMU teammates Tyson Wilson and Andrew Pikul also suited up for Brockville. A native of Huntington Woods, Michigan, Israel told College Hockey News senior writer Mike McMahon in 2013 that he feels RMU's assertive style of play is a perfect fit for his strengths.

Alex Tonge - Like his frequent Kingston linemate Brady, Tonge lit up the OJHL over the past two seasons. The 6-foot Tonge piled up 141 points in 82 regular-season games for his hometown team during that span, with Brady netting 137. (Tonge led the Voyageurs with 36 points in this year's playoffs, too.) The Kingston duo was also together for the Canada East squad during the 2014 World Junior-A Challenge; Tonge scored two goals and added an assist in the prestigious yearly event.

Brandon Watt - A centerman, Watt wore a letter on his jersey for the Nepean (Ontario) Raiders in 2013-14, then finished his junior career with the Ottawa Jr. Senators of the same league. Like Israel, Watt has been committed to Robert Morris since the fall of 2013, so in the meantime he's watched the Colonials program claim a couple of AHC banners from afar. Watt confided with Nate Ewell of College Hockey, Inc. that becoming a Division I hockey player has been his goal since his early teenage years.
 

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June 10, 2015
In case you missed it, the Colonials released their 2015-16 regular-season schedule last week, featuring 14 home games at 84 Lumber Arena, the program's first visit to the University of Michigan, and two holiday tournaments - including the fourth-annual Three Rivers Classic at CONSOL Energy Center.

With just 34 games on the schedule - less than half of what an NHL team plays - every time the Colonials take the ice, it's important.

However, there are certain matchups on the calendar that catch the eye more than most. Let's look at a few of those now...

Oct. 15-16 vs. Air Force / Feb. 19-20 at Air Force: The Colonials and Falcons will once again get together for four games this season, giving these old College Hockey America rivals an opportunity to grow their shared history even further.

Last year's season series was especially memorable, as three of the four games went to overtime, with each side winning at the other's rink and a tie thrown in for good measure. Colonials senior winger Cody Wydo scored this spectacular third-period goal Nov. 15 to tie the game 1-1 on the Island:



Air Force would go on to win that game 2-1 in overtime, but RMU had its revenge this January, sweeping the Falcons in a two-game set at Colorado Springs. In the process, the Colonials snapped a seven-game losing streak at Cadet Ice Arena and skated to the verge of an Atlantic Hockey Conference regular-season crown.

Audio highlights from that series:



Oct. 30-31 at Michigan: You knew we'd get to this series eventually. After facing league foes Air Force and Niagara in the first two weekends of the season, the Colonials take a week off from Atlantic Hockey play to challenge the always-game Wolverines at 92-year-old Yost Arena.

If you were curious, this series will allow RMU to complete "Big Ten Bingo." The Colonials have played five of the six Big Ten hockey teams in their 11 seasons, with Ohio State (eight games) as their most frequent opponent from that conference.

Robert Morris has faced Penn State five times - winning three of those - while Michigan State (two games in 2011), Wisconsin (two in 2007) and Minnesota (2014 NCAA Tournament) have also been checked off the list. The only Big Ten school that remains uncovered on the bingo card is Michigan, which will be rectified over Halloween weekend.

Dec. 4-5 at Rochester Institute of Technology: As the fall semester comes to an end, the Colonials will return to the site of one of their greatest triumphs, the Gene Polisseni Center on the campus of RIT. It was there that RMU scored a 4-3 comeback victory on Feb. 20 to clinch its first-ever regular-season conference championship:



With RIT coming off its second AHC postseason title, this series will match the two most recent Atlantic Hockey representatives in the NCAA Tournament. Expect more of what we saw this Feburary, with two attack-minded teams trading punches in front of the Tigers' usually-raucous fanbase.

Dec. 28-29 - Three Rivers Classic / Jan. 2-3 - Ledyard Classic at Dartmouth: We're combining two "series" into one, since the Colonials will take on four non-conference opponents over the span of seven days. First comes the yearly Three Rivers Classic, which will once again show off one of Division I hockey's burgeoning rivalries: Robert Morris vs. Penn State.

After the Colonials share the Pittsburgh Penguins' home ice with the Nittany Lions to conclude the first day, RMU will hope to be in position for its second 3RC trophy. No matter what happens, they'll square off on the second day with either Clarkson, which boasts two western Pennsylvania goalies on its roster in Greg Lewis (Mars) and Steve Perry (Ligonier), or 2013 Frozen Four participant UMass-Lowell.
 

Three days later, the Colonials will be in Hanover, New Hampshire for Dartmouth's annual get-together. This trip will mark the first time RMU competes as a guest in an invitational tournament since Oct. 7-8, 2011, when it split a pair in Nebraska as part of the Mutual of Omaha Stampede. The Colonials program has come through in this situation before, winning the Nye Frontier Classic in Alaska to start the 2007-08 season.

Either 2014 NCAA national champion Union or Hockey East's Merrimack will provide the opposition on the second day of the Ledyard Classic.

Jan. 22-23 vs. Mercyhurst: Finally, a chance to strike back against the team that ended RMU's outstanding 2014-15 season. Even though they posted a school-record 24 victories on the year, the Colonials suffered a 4-3 overtime loss to in-state rival Mercyhurst on March 20 in the Atlantic Hockey semifinal round, thus ending their quest for a second straight NCAA Tournament berth.

For the second consecutive year, Atlantic Hockey's unbalanced schedule dictates that RMU and Mercyhurst will play in only one weekend series. The Colonials and Lakers will have to squeeze all of the usual emotion into two games on Neville Island.
 

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May 26, 2015 
With the hockey season coming to an end in all corners of the continent, it's a perfect time to look back at 2014-15 for our program alumni who are playing professionally.

All told, 17 former Colonials skated in the pro ranks this season for 21 different teams in eight leagues worldwide. The most common league for RMU graduates was the ECHL, as 11 skaters and one goaltender took the ice in what is widely considered the premier "Double-A" circuit in North America.

Three former Colonials - Andrew Blazek, Nathan Longpre and Denny Urban - played in the American Hockey League this season, putting them one step below the NHL. Longpre, who held the RMU career scoring record until he was surpassed by Cody Wydo this season, has competed in 229 AHL games for four different franchises since leaving Moon Township in 2011.

The 17 Colonial alums (10 forwards, six defensemen, one goalie) who played pro this season combined to dress for 759 games, scoring 169 goals and accumulating 795 total points.
 

Here are more superlatives from Robert Morris University's pro hockey contingent:

• Adam Brace (at RMU from 2009-13) had the most prolific scoring season among former Colonials, putting up 36 goals and 76 points in 80 games for the ECHL's Florida Everblades. For much of the season, Brace skated on the same line with fellow RMU product Chris Kushneriuk (2008-11), who chipped in 25 points (10g, 15a) in 49 games. Kushneriuk completed his fourth season of professional action after recovering from aggressive cancer.
• Three former Colonials served in formal leadership roles with ECHL teams. Sean Berkstresser (2004-08) sported the captain's 'C' on his jersey while playing in 59 games for the Gwinnett (Ga.) Gladiators, while Jake Obermeyer (2006-09) and Ryan Cruthers (2006-08) were assistant captains for the Tulsa (Okla.) Oilers and Reading (Pa.) Royals, respectively.
• Goaltender Eric Levine (2009-13) continues to be a willing and able traveler, manning the crease for four pro franchises in 2014-15. The 26-year-old Illinois native finished the year with the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies (.922 SV%, 2.64 GAA), but he also donned the uniforms of the Peoria (Ill.) Rivermen, Indy Fuel and Fort Wayne (Ind.) Komets. Levine has been on the roster of nine different teams in three leagues since finishing his collegiate career.
• Speaking of journeys, six RMU alums flew overseas to compete in six separate countries. Classmates Zach Hervato and Brendan Jamison (both at RMU from 2009-13) were teammates once again with the Hull Stingrays of the Elite Ice Hockey League, which is based in the United Kingdom. Cody Crichton (Denmark), Joe Harcharik (Poland), Evan Renwick (Belgium) and Colin South (France) plyed their trade in continental Europe over the winter months.
• Renwick (2010-14) wins the prize for competing the furthest north on the globe, as he jumped to the ECHL's Alaska Aces in the second half of the year, eventually taking part in 24 games. Meanwhile, Harcharik (2009-11) recently hopped a long flight to the Southern Hemisphere, becoming the first Colonial to play in the Australian Ice Hockey League when he joined the Sydney Bears.

For more on this subject, including all of the RMU standouts who took their talents to the next level, go to our Colonials in the Pros page. If you have any additional info on any of our program alums, please send an email to Matt Gajtka at sidga01@rmu.edu.
 

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May 19, 2015 
Welcome to the Overtime blog!

With the RMU men's hockey program now well into its second decade, there are plenty of storylines and alumni to keep up on. Program all-time leading scorer Cody Wydo fits the bill in both categories, as the first Hobey Baker Award finalist in Colonials' history followed up a tremendous college career by making his professional debut with the ECHL's Wheeling (W.Va.) Nailers.

 

Wydo, a 24-year-old native of Southgate, Michigan, scored six points (1g, 5a) in 12 games with the Nailers, spanning regular-season and playoffs. Although Wheeling fell to Toledo in the first round of the postseason, Wydo demonstrated some of the same abilities that made him the NCAA's active leading goal-scorer from the middle of his junior season on.

The Colonials' former captain caught up with Matt Gajtka from RMU Sports Information for a brief interview...

Q: What was the transition like from college hockey to the professional level?

Wydo: I thought it went pretty well for me. The pace was a little bit faster, but there was a lot more structure with how teams played.

Q: How did you try to fit in with the Nailers, who had played almost an entire season before you signed in late March?

Wydo: I just tried to come in and help the team out by doing anything that I thought would make the team better. I thought it was going to be a little awkward at first, but it was a great group of guys who welcomed me like I was playing there all year.

Q: What was it like to have your RMU teammates - and a lot of Colonials hockey fans - at your first game with Wheeling?

Wydo: That will be one I always remember. It was great having them there, especially since I scored my first goal while they were there.

Q: Now that we're a couple months past the college season, what will you remember most about your senior year on the ice?

Wydo: Winning the team's first regular-season championship is what I will remember most.



Q: What are your plans for next season?

Wydo: Hopefully I will get a tryout in the AHL and make a team there, but if not I hope to have a spot back in Wheeling for next year.

Thanks to Cody for the time! Look for more from the Overtime blog as the summer moves along.