With three weeks to go in the Atlantic Hockey regular season, things are looking up for Robert Morris.
Derek Schooley had to build his team back from practically scratch after the school unceremoniously canceled its successful men’s and women’s programs at the end of the 2020-21 season.
Schooley brought in 16 freshmen plus a few players who had continued at RMU and not transferred to other teams and used the transfer portal to attract veteran players, including nine graduate students.
As expected, there were growing pains out of the gate. The Colonials were winless (0-9-1) through a stretch from Oct. 28 to Dec. 6.
“We had to learn to play together,” said Schooley. “There’s something to be said for the normal process, where you’re adding seven or so players to 20 guys with experience in your systems. That’s far easier to bring those new guys along. Here, everybody had to learn to play the same system.”
There’s been steady improvement since then.
In early December, Robert Morris got its first sweep of the season in a home-and-home series with Niagara. That kicked off its current stretch of 7-7 hockey where six of those seven losses were to ranked teams (Minnesota, Arizona State, and Rochester Institute of Technology).
The Colonials are coming off a sweep of Mercyhurst that moved them out of the basement to ninth in the standings.
“We’ve played much better since Thanksgiving,” said Schooley. “Some of the results don’t show that, but considering the schedule we’ve played, it hasn’t been easy, facing some tough opponents. But playing those games, and challenging those ranked teams, is helping us to understand what to do to be successful.
“We’ve had some ups and downs, but we’re learning to play together, and we’re playing our best hockey now.”
Schooley has two experienced goaltenders to lean on in graduate students Chad Veltri, a transfer from Niagara (he was the winning goalie for the Purple Eagles against RMU in what was the Colonials’ final game before the program was shut down), and Francis Boisvert, a St. Lawrence transfer.
Veltri, who recorded his 3,000th career save back in December, is averaging over 40 saves a game this season, and has four 50-save performances this year.
Bosivert has come up big for RMU recently, including a 50-save performance in a 2-0 shutout of American International on Jan. 26.
“They’re a great one-two punch for us,” said Schooley. “Right now, we’re riding the hot goalie (Boisvert) but it’s no different with Chad. They have a good relationship and push each other to be better goalies.
“They’ve both been outstanding. Our goalies have been our MVPs.”
The Colonials have a balanced scoring attack, led by rookies Tanner Klimpke (10-10-20) and Walter Zacher (5-12-17) as well as veteran transfers Dallas Tulik (Ferris State; 5-13-18 this season) and Rylee St. Onge (Mercyhurst; 8-7-15 this season).
Five of Robert Morris’ top ten scorers are freshmen, which bodes well for the future.
The Colonials are still mathematically in the hunt for a first-round bye, but that’s a long shot. Schooley has a more attainable goal in mind.
“Home ice in the first round,” he said. “We’re playing well enough to accomplish that. But we have our work cut out for us, facing a good Army team this weekend. And Canisius gave us trouble earlier in the season, we play them again. And finally at Air Force, which is always difficult.
“We’ve got to continue to play the way we’re playing and follow our process.”
