Robert Morris University - Pennsylvania Women's Ice Hockey

Colontino enters his sixth season as head coach of the Robert Morris women's ice hockey program. Since being hired in June of 2011, Colontino has guided RMU to new heights. In 2015-16, Colontino led RMU to an overall record of 17-16-5 (.513), including a mark of 7-9-4 (.450) in the CHA. The Colonials advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 CHA Tournament, winning a three-game series over Lindenwood, 2-1, at the RMU Island Sports Center, before falling to No. 1 seed Mercyhurst, 4-2, in the semifinals in Buffalo, N.Y., at the HARBORCENTER. In the history of the CHA Tournament, Robert Morris became the first team to force and win a third game in a best-of-three series thanks to its win over Lindenwood. The future looks bright, as the Colonials return nine of their top 10 scorers from last season, a year in which RMU established a new school record for points (292) thanks to 108 goals and 184 assists. In 2014-15, Colontino helped the Colonials to a .500 conference record and a trip to the College Hockey America (CHA) Quarterfinals. Robert Morris tabbed four wins and two ties in its last 10 games of the regular season. The future looks bright for the program in 2015-16, as the Colonials return three of their four leading scorers from last season and 2013-14 All-CHA Second Team selection Brittany Howard, who missed the majority of the 2014-15 campaign due to injuries. The Colonials gained national recognition in 2013-14, as Colontino guided them to a school-record 24 wins (24-8-3) and their first appearance in the national polls. Robert Morris ranked as high as seventh in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Womens College Hockey poll and eighth in the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) rankings. The Colonials also rattled off seven straight wins between Nov. 23 and Jan. 5, and held an unbeaten streak of 14 games, from Nov. 9 to Jan. 24. On Jan. 18, Colontino gained the top spot on the programs career win leaderboard with his 53rd thanks to a 5-1 victory at No. 10 Quinnipiac. Two keys to Robert Morris success in 2013-14 were its stellar defensive and special teams play. The Colonials were one of nine teams in the nation to allow an average of less than two goals per game, as their 1.77 mark paced the CHA and ranked eighth nationally. The penalty kill unit also was the CHAs best with a percentage of 88.3, good enough for fifth nationally. In 2012-13, Colontino led the Colonials to a record of 15-15-3, and earned a trip to the CHA semifinals for the fourth straight year. The 15 wins included a two-game sweep of No. 4/5 Mercyhurst in December, and a triple-overtime CHA first round victory over Lindenwood. The latter set a new record for the longest game in program history, as the contest lasted 108 minutes before Cobina Delaney found the back of the net. In Colontinos first season, he made an immediate impact on the Robert Morris program.  He led the Colonials to the largest year-to-year win improvement in Division I women's hockey in 2011-12 before guiding the squad to a storybook ending as RMU captured the program's first-ever conference championship.  His turnaround of the RMU program earned him USCHO (U.S. College Hockey Online) National Coach of the Year accolades. Colontino led the squad to one of the biggest regular-season wins in program history on Jan. 21, when Robert Morris scored twice in the final three minutes to defeat conference powerhouse Mercyhurst for the first time ever. The victory not only ended the Lakers' 28-game conference unbeaten streak, but it would serve as a harbinger of things to come for the Colonials. RMU entered the 2012 CHA Tournament as the second seed, but with top-seeded Mercyhurst having won nine straight tournament titles, the Lakers were clearly still the team to beat. After dispatching of Niagara in the semifinals, Robert Morris and Mercyhurst met with the championship on the line. The Colonials opened up a two-goal lead within the first 12 minutes and never let Mercyhurst pull even, as RMU held on for a 3-2 win to dethrone the long time CHA champions. Robert Morris' success occurred due to dramatic improvements on both ends of the ice. RMU broke the single-season school records for both overall goals and goals per game as it averaged over one goal per game more than last season. The Colonials' progress on the defensive end was even more evident as RMU was one of eight squads nationally to allow fewer than two goals per game as Robert Morris allowed approximately 1.90 goals per game fewer than it conceded during the 2010-11 season. Before coming to Robert Morris, Colontino had served as associate head coach at Mercyhurst since 2006. While there, he helped guide teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of his five years, including two Frozen Four berths. Colontino has over a decade of women's hockey coaching experience at the Division I level. Prior to his stint at Mercyhurst, he was an assistant coach with the women's team at the University of North Dakota for four years. He helped launch the women's program with the Fighting Sioux in 2002 and was part of the coaching staff the following season when North Dakota won 11 of its final 12 games to post a winning record in just its second season of existence. He began his coaching career as an assistant with Mercyhurst in 2000. Before moving to the coaching side, Colontino played for four years at Mercyhurst and earned multiple notable awards in the process. While serving as a team captain in his senior season, he was named both Mercyhurst Student-Athlete of the Year and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Co-Defensive Player of the Year, while leading the Lakers to a then school-record tying 23 wins. Colontino, who was also an All-MAAC First Team selection, helped Mercyhurst to a winning record in each of his seasons on the ice with the Lakers. Colontino earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercyhurst in anthropology/archaeology in 2000 and proceeded to earn a Master of Science degree from Mercyhurst in organizational leadership in 2002. Paul Colontino Head Coach 2012 USCHO National Coach of the Year 2012 CHA Coach of the Year Paul Colontino enters his sixth season as head coach of the Robert Morris women's ice hockey program. Since being hired in June of 2011, Colontino has guided RMU to new heights. In 2015-16, Colontino led RMU to an overall record of 17-16-5 (.513), including a mark of 7-9-4 (.450) in the CHA. The Colonials advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 CHA Tournament, winning a three-game series over Lindenwood, 2-1, at the RMU Island Sports Center, before falling to No. 1 seed Mercyhurst, 4-2, in the semifinals in Buffalo, N.Y., at the HARBORCENTER. In the history of the CHA Tournament, Robert Morris became the first team to force and win a third game in a best-of-three series thanks to its win over Lindenwood. The future looks bright, as the Colonials return nine of their top 10 scorers from last season, a year in which RMU established a new school record for points (292) thanks to 108 goals and 184 assists. In 2014-15, Colontino helped the Colonials to a .500 conference record and a trip to the College Hockey America (CHA) Quarterfinals. Robert Morris tabbed four wins and two ties in its last 10 games of the regular season. The future looks bright for the program in 2015-16, as the Colonials return three of their four leading scorers from last season and 2013-14 All-CHA Second Team selection Brittany Howard, who missed the majority of the 2014-15 campaign due to injuries. The Colonials gained national recognition in 2013-14, as Colontino guided them to a school-record 24 wins (24-8-3) and their first appearance in the national polls. Robert Morris ranked as high as seventh in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Womens College Hockey poll and eighth in the United States College Hockey Online (USCHO) rankings. The Colonials also rattled off seven straight wins between Nov. 23 and Jan. 5, and held an unbeaten streak of 14 games, from Nov. 9 to Jan. 24. On Jan. 18, Colontino gained the top spot on the programs career win leaderboard with his 53rd thanks to a 5-1 victory at No. 10 Quinnipiac. Two keys to Robert Morris success in 2013-14 were its stellar defensive and special teams play. The Colonials were one of nine teams in the nation to allow an average of less than two goals per game, as their 1.77 mark paced the CHA and ranked eighth nationally. The penalty kill unit also was the CHAs best with a percentage of 88.3, good enough for fifth nationally. In 2012-13, Colontino led the Colonials to a record of 15-15-3, and earned a trip to the CHA semifinals for the fourth straight year. The 15 wins included a two-game sweep of No. 4/5 Mercyhurst in December, and a triple-overtime CHA first round victory over Lindenwood. The latter set a new record for the longest game in program history, as the contest lasted 108 minutes before Cobina Delaney found the back of the net. In Colontinos first season, he made an immediate impact on the Robert Morris program.  He led the Colonials to the largest year-to-year win improvement in Division I women's hockey in 2011-12 before guiding the squad to a storybook ending as RMU captured the program's first-ever conference championship.  His turnaround of the RMU program earned him USCHO (U.S. College Hockey Online) National Coach of the Year accolades. Colontino led the squad to one of the biggest regular-season wins in program history on Jan. 21, when Robert Morris scored twice in the final three minutes to defeat conference powerhouse Mercyhurst for the first time ever. The victory not only ended the Lakers' 28-game conference unbeaten streak, but it would serve as a harbinger of things to come for the Colonials. RMU entered the 2012 CHA Tournament as the second seed, but with top-seeded Mercyhurst having won nine straight tournament titles, the Lakers were clearly still the team to beat. After dispatching of Niagara in the semifinals, Robert Morris and Mercyhurst met with the championship on the line. The Colonials opened up a two-goal lead within the first 12 minutes and never let Mercyhurst pull even, as RMU held on for a 3-2 win to dethrone the long time CHA champions. Robert Morris' success occurred due to dramatic improvements on both ends of the ice. RMU broke the single-season school records for both overall goals and goals per game as it averaged over one goal per game more than last season. The Colonials' progress on the defensive end was even more evident as RMU was one of eight squads nationally to allow fewer than two goals per game as Robert Morris allowed approximately 1.90 goals per game fewer than it conceded during the 2010-11 season. Before coming to Robert Morris, Colontino had served as associate head coach at Mercyhurst since 2006. While there, he helped guide teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of his five years, including two Frozen Four berths. Colontino has over a decade of women's hockey coaching experience at the Division I level. Prior to his stint at Mercyhurst, he was an assistant coach with the women's team at the University of North Dakota for four years. He helped launch the women's program with the Fighting Sioux in 2002 and was part of the coaching staff the following season when North Dakota won 11 of its final 12 games to post a winning record in just its second season of existence. He began his coaching career as an assistant with Mercyhurst in 2000. Before moving to the coaching side, Colontino played for four years at Mercyhurst and earned multiple notable awards in the process. While serving as a team captain in his senior season, he was named both Mercyhurst Student-Athlete of the Year and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Co-Defensive Player of the Year, while leading the Lakers to a then school-record tying 23 wins. Colontino, who was also an All-MAAC First Team selection, helped Mercyhurst to a winning record in each of his seasons on the ice with the Lakers. Colontino earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Mercyhurst in anthropology/archaeology in 2000 and proceeded to earn a Master of Science degree from Mercyhurst in organizational leadership in 2002.

Walkland enters her third season as an assistant coach with the Robert Morris University women's hockey team. In August of 2014, head coach Paul Colontino hired the former Colonial to his staff as an assistant. Walkland spent 2012-13 and 2013-14 as the top assistant coach at the State University of New York at Oswego commonly known as Oswego State. Under her leadership, Oswego State which competes in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West in NCAA Division III reached new heights as a program, breaking the school record for wins in a season with 12 in 2012-13 and 17 in 2013-14. The Lakers also finished third in the ECAC West last season, which marked their highest finish ever in conference. Walkland played for the Colonials from 2006-2010, serving as an assistant captain during her junior and senior seasons. A three-time College Hockey America (CHA) All-Academic Team honoree, she finished her career with 41 points (17G, 24A) in a program record 140 games played. On Feb. 7, 2009 against Sacred Heart, Walkland tallied a goal and five assists in a 12-0 win over the Pioneers. Her assist total in that contest still stands as the second best in a single game at RMU. After her playing days, Walkland returned to Robert Morris as the hockey operations manager from 2010 to 2011. Afterward, she began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant with the Rochester Institute of Technology, spending one season with the Tigers before moving to her previous coaching position at Oswego State. Walkland found success in her lone year at RIT, helping the Colonials now conference rival to a 28-1-1 record and Division III national championship in 2011-12. Walkland has also worked with USA Hockey, serving as the New York State District Evaluator in March of 2012 and as a U16/U17 Player Development Camp Intern Coach in July of the same year. A native of Pittsford, N.Y., Walkland graduated from Robert Morris in 2010 with her Bachelors degree in business administration. She later earned a Masters degree in instructional leadership at RMU in 2011.

The 2025-26 campaign marks his seventh year with the Colonials.  Cavanagh, who spent the 2021-2022 season as an assistant coach with the Dalhousie University Tigers, is in his second stint at Robert Morris, having spent three years as the Director of Hockey Operations. "We are extremely excited to have Liam back with RMU women's hockey," Bittle said. "Liam played an integral part in our success in his previous tenure with our team. He has a tremendous work ethic and bleeds RMU red and blue. He will be an amazing ambassador for our program and a tremendous asset to our current and future student athletes." During the 2021-22 season at Dalhousie, Cavanagh was the primary goalie's coach as he worked alongside Team Canada's Olympic Head Coach, Troy Ryan. He helped the Tigers earn a spot in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) Quarterfinal round. Prior to his stint at Dalhousie, Cavanagh, a native of Nova Scotia, served as the Director of Hockey Operations at Division III UMass Boston for the men's hockey program for two seasons. He was part of the staff that helped the Beacons to its first conference regular season and tournament titles since 1982 and the program's first NCAA Frozen Four appearance. Cavanagh also produced promotional material to elevate the profile of the UMass Boston men's hockey team. In his first stretch with Robert Morris, Cavanagh helped the Colonials post a 57-34-14 record in his three seasons with RMU. He was part of the staff that helped the Colonials make three-straight appearances in the College Hockey America (CHA) Championship game, while winning back-to-back CHA regular season titles in 2018 and 2019. "I'm exceptionally grateful to Athletic Director Chris King and head coach Logan Bittle for the opportunity to return to Robert Morris University," Cavanagh said. "It's great to be back in Pittsburgh, a place I was fortunate to spend a number of years learning from some of the best coaches around. I've had the pleasure of working with coach Bittle previously and knowing the culture and pride the RMU family has built is extremely exciting to return to." Earning a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Acadia in 2017, with a focus in marketing and finance, Cavanagh then received a Master's of Science degree with a focus in Data Analytics and Nonprofit Leadership at Robert Morris in 2019. Prior to his career on the business and coaching side of hockey, Cavanagh was a goaltender for Charles P. Allen High School and with junior programs in the MHL and NSJHL. Cavanagh is the founder and CEO of several startup companies including a sports apparel company that focused on charitable efforts rather than profit-making. He also founded a non-profit organization that was built to help professional and collegiate athletes understand the importance of a balanced lifestyle, while maintaining and understanding the significance that mental health plays in everyday life. His coaching career began in 2009 with Finngoalie, a group that provides training for professional/elite goaltenders, where he excelled his coaching skills, drill development, and evaluation which has enabled him to work with elite goaltenders and players around the world through the summer months.