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 2023âÂÂ24 season. 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.
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 2005âÂÂ06 season.
Kevin McGonagle was named the first head coach, but following a 1âÂÂ7âÂÂ0 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 2006âÂÂ07 campaign.
Nate Handrahan was head coach for five years from the 2006âÂÂ07 through the 2010âÂÂ11 seasons. He successfully built a stable program, bringing talented players into the program who would excel after his tenure. and amassed a 52âÂÂ111âÂÂ14 record, before taking the head coaching job of the Ohio State women's hockey program.
Paul Colontino was named head coach for the 2011âÂÂ12 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 2016âÂÂ17 season. Their 24âÂÂ5âÂÂ6 record (15âÂÂ3âÂÂ2 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 0âÂÂ7 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 2018âÂÂ19, 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 (2016âÂÂ20), the Colonials posted an overall record of 62-22-12 (.777 points percentage), including the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017. The program qualified for the 2021 NCAA National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, ranked as the #8 seed.
On February 3, 2022 Logan Bittle was named the head coach for the program's return in the 2023-2024 season