By: Cadeyn McCrory
The Men's Division 1 ACHA hockey team came into 2024-25 hoping to exceed expectations bringing back most of the same roster from the following season. Coach Mike Joseph added a transfer forward in Devin Rohrich and a freshman class highlighted by Nick Dobransky and Jimmy Passanante. RMU spent the first two weekends facing Canisius and Syracuse on the road, going 1-3 in the four contests.
The Colonials collected two wins against RIT in the home opening series and then were greeted by a familiar foe in Kent State to start the divisional schedule. RMU fell 3-2 in that contest but got back to their winning ways vs. Mercyhurst 6-1, including four consecutive first-period goals. RMU continued the win streak with two dominant wins over the Temple Owls and then again vs. rival West Virginia.
The injury bug started to catch up for the Colonials as RMU would lose the next 7 straight games including to the team that eliminated them in last year's playoffs, John Carroll, to close out the 2024 calendar year.
A healthy Colonials roster took the ice in 2025 in their annual Ronald McDonald House Charity Game vs Mercyhurst in early January. The Colonials dominated in front of the sold-out crowd with an 8-1 victory. RMU took their final weekend trip to Rhode Island falling in both contests but not without a stellar performance by Goalie Reno Patrick who stopped 60 of 63 shots in the final game.
RMU then hosted former ECHA champions in Drexel and upset them in a come-from-behind OT victory thanks to Connor Moran. RMU fell in the next three contests and then had a dominant showing over the Duquesne Dukes 7-2. RMU followed that up with an upset victory over the Kent State Flashes 5-3 to secure a spot in the CHMA playoffs. The Colonials would fall to WVU the following weekend and then have a canceled senior night due to weather that resulted in a skills competition amongst the players.
RMU finished as the #6 seed in the playoffs and met the Kent State Golden Flashes for the third time this season. The Flashes dominated and eliminated the Colonials 9-0.
Another roller coaster of a season comes to a close but a lot to be proud of given their circumstances. Keith Reed, Robert Byrne, Tyler Draper, Nathan Isaac, and Reno Patrick will depart the roster after many great years of service to this hockey program and leave some massive holes in the roster to be filled.
Team leaders
Goals: Devin Rohrich (21), Connor Moran (12), Michael Hurst (11), Tyler Draper (9), Garrett Walker (8)
Assists: Michael Hurst (22), Devin Rohrich (15), Connor Moran (12), Garrett Walker (11), Anthony Chiaramonte/Keith Reed/Tyler Draper (10)
Points: Devin Rohrich (36), Michael Hurst (33), Connor Moran (24), Tyler Draper/Garrett Walker (19)
Wins: Patrick Colburn (6), Reno Patrick (5)