Re-Visiting the Fall of Robert Morris: Where did the Women go?

When Robert Morris shuttered their women's hockey program following 2020-2021, it sent women scattering across the continent to pro, USports, and other NCAA programs. A smaller handful stayed on campus and will rejoin the roster for the RMU reboot this Fall.

Robert Morris returns to NCAA Division I this season, but when the team folded following the 2020-2021 season, it sent ripples across the women's hockey landscape scattering players. 

Where did they go?

Captain and leading scorer Lexi Templeman found a spot in Ohio State for the 2021-2022 season, and this year won a PHF title, winning the Isobel Cup with the Toronto Six as a first year professional. Defender Emily Curlett followed Templeman to Ohio State and this season played in the PWHPA with Team Adidas where she had four points in 12 games. Raygan Kirk, Robert Morris' starting goalie in their final year also went to Ohio State. The trio won a national championship with the Buckeyes that season. Kirk played in her second season with Ohio State this year posting an 8-2-1 record with two shutouts.

Emily Harley jumped immediately from Robert Morris to the Buffalo Beauts of the PHF, and this past season, the six-foot blueliner suited up for the Metropolitan Riveters. 

Michaela Boyle went from Robert Morris to Boston College, and this season played 16 games with the PHF's Buffalo Beauts.

Rounding out the top six scorers from Robert Morris' final season were Maggy Burbidge and Ellie Marcovsky, both of whom played college hockey last season. Burbidge played for St. Francis Xavier in USports, earning First Team All-Canadian honors leading the nation in scoring with 47 points in 24 games. Marcovsky recently finished her third season in the NCAA, playing for Princeton this year.

Anjelica Diffendal spent the past two seasons playing for the PHF's Buffalo Beauts. Leah Marino left the NCAA early to play in the PHF with the Toronto Six, and last season with the Metropolitan Riveters.

Defender Anna Fairman left North America to play in China with the KRS Vanke Rays for a season where she also represented China at the 2022 Olympic Games before returning to the NCAA with Long Island University this season.

Other players who were still in college hockey this season include Arielle DeSmet (Syracuse), Mackenzie Krasowski (Ontario Tech), Molly Pedone (Utica College), Joelle Fiala (British Columbia), and Marah Wagner (RIT).

Perhaps the most intriguing group of all is a set of players who will return to Robert Morris, or who never left, this season to help re-boot the new Colonials' lineup. Defender Gillian Thompson was one of the roster's best players prior to their multi-season hiatus, and was one of only a few players who did not leave the school. She'll be joined by other members of the 2020-2021 roster including Wasyn Rice, Chace Sperling, and Allyson Hebert who will all return to the ice this season with the Robert Morris Colonials.

There will be familiar faces, and some familiar foes when the Robert Morris Colonials women's hockey team makes their return to NCAA Division I hockey this season.