RMU Celebrity Hockey Game a Massive Success, RMU Hockey Alumni team wins 12-11

Former Steeler Brett Keisel skates against RMU alumni in the RMU Celebrity Hockey Game. Photo credit: Ethan Morrison

Owen Krepps
November 8, 2021

CRANBERRY, Pa.– The RMU Celebrity Hockey Faceoff game took place Sunday afternoon with Team RMU Hockey Alumni defeating Team Celebrity All-Stars by the narrow score of 12-11.

Team RMU was comprised of alumni members of RMU hockey and Team Celebrity All-Stars featured local celebrities such as Mayor Bill Peduto, Eric Tangradi, Ryan Malone and Colby Armstrong.

Here was everyone who was in attendance, including mascots Iceburgh and the Pirate Parrot.

It was a jam-packed day with tons of fun and celebration of the RMU hockey teams which remain in limbo. The RMU men’s and women’s hockey programs were abruptly discontinued in May of 2021 and are not playing this current season.

If enough money is fundraised by this December from outlets such as the Pittsburgh College Hockey Foundation, the teams will return for the 2022-23 season.

All of the proceeds from this game went towards the “Hockey is the Goal Movement” which included ticket sales, raffle items, autographed memorabilia, and much more.

There was a fight, 23 goals scored, windmill saves, mascots on the ice, and a shootout all in this game. It was truly chaos and trying to put into words what happened at the UMPC Lemieux Sports Center on Sunday evening is something that I don’t think I can do justice.

Since this is a charity game, I am not going to even attempt to recap this. Three things about the game are true though.

  1. Brett Keisel on skates is terrifying
  2. Josh Getzoff should try out as the Penguins’ center until Crosby and Malkin come back
  3. Tyler Kennedy still cannot hit the net

Having so many members from not just the Pittsburgh hockey community, but just the hockey community, in general, was monumental. The ‘On the Bench’ boys hail from Alberta, Canada, and made the trip to show their support as well as ‘snipe on some tendies.’

“Let’s get some money raised because we never want to see puck fall off the Earth. The teams were just ripping and then they pulled the plug. Let’s get this farm back up, donate some coin. If you have like $20 just do it,” Jacob from On the Bench said, who “holds the record for most stick infractions in one period in the Virgin Island Elite League”.

Former Pittsburgh Penguin Ryan Malone, who grew up in and around the Pittsburgh area did so without any Division I hockey programs in the area until Robert Morris came along in 2004.

“It was fun having the band here, the kids, and all the community was just awesome to see,” Malone said, whose team couldn’t complete the comeback in the third period. Malone stated the strategy was to feed ‘the big moose in front’ in Brett Keisel to get him a goal but it never happened.

Right before the Celebrity Faceoff Game, the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite and Shaha Panthers played a youth hockey game. Many of the kids on both teams stuck around to watch the All-Star Faceoff and were seen running around the rink trying to get autographs from the players.

Eight-year Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto drew a correlation between this and the RMU hockey programs.

“I think we have been able to see the growth of youth hockey throughout western Pennsylvania, the growth of high school hockey, and Robert Morris has led in the growth of division one hockey and there is still a lot more potential with it.”

It was an eventful and successful day for the Hockey is the Goal campaign to try and reinstate the Robert Morris men’s and women’s hockey teams.

A Farewell from Owen Krepps and to RMU Hockey

Now if I may, I want to say a few things real quick.

This is my last article for RMU Sentry Media/Colonial Sports Network. I have been hired as the beat writer for the Vegas Golden Knights through Dan Kingerski and National Hockey Now. As a senior, this is the prime journalism job that I have always dreamt of fresh out of college.

I want to make it clear that I would have never been able to make it to where I am now without the support of RMU Hockey. Hockey has always been my favorite sport on Earth and the two successful division one teams that RMU had on campus were the reason I chose the university.

I covered both the men’s and women’s teams since the beginning of my freshman year and have learned so much as a journalist thanks to people like Matt Gajtka, Derek Schooley, Dylan McKenna, Becky Schoenecker and so much more.

Thank you all, and I look forward to coming back to hopefully visit some RMU hockey games! Let’s save these teams once and for all.