As Robert Morris hockey relaunches, Colonials get Fox Chapel goalie transfer who beat them in the program's last game
For a while, it looked like Chad Veltri would go down in college hockey history as the goaltender who wound up ending Robert Morris’ hockey program.
Now he might be the goalie who helps resurrect it.
On March 14, 2021, Veltri made 44 saves at the Island Sports Center as the goaltender of Niagara against the RMU Colonials. He backstopped the Purple Eagles to a 2-1 victory in what was a decisive Game 3 of an Atlantic Hockey quarterfinal series. Veltri and the Purple Eagles went on to the semifinals. The Colonials season was done.
Shortly thereafter, RMU’s players and coaching staff would find out their whole program was finished.
On May 26, 2021, the university announced plans to scrap both the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams as part of a “series of strategic initiatives” to better position itself for “future growth.”
By December 2021, though, a group of players, coaches, alumni and supporters worked to get the teams reinstated. They will resume play this fall. And, in a serendipitous twist, Veltri may be the starting goaltender when the Colonials take the ice for the first time.
A native of Fox Chapel, Veltri has decided to transfer to RMU for his fifth (and final) year of eligibility.
“That year RMU had a great team, and we peaked at the right time and had a good weekend,” Veltri said Monday. “And it truly shocked everyone when the news came out that they were folding. It’s just crazy to come back there. It’s funny how it happens like that when we beat them in their last game.”
Veltri played 98 career games for the Purple Eagles, leading Atlantic Hockey in total saves this season with 937. He compiled a 41-46-9 record over his four years. But he felt coming home to play his final year of eligibility while helping to relaunch the RMU program was the best fit.
“Being from Pittsburgh, I grew up playing in that rink for youth hockey. You see RMU everywhere around there. It’s a staple in Pittsburgh, being the only college program in Pittsburgh,” Veltri said. “When Robert Morris calls, being from Pittsburgh, that just would be a tremendous experience to play at home. … Looking back on it, it’ll be a great memory for my whole family. To wear that logo, I think it’s something special.”
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Colonials assistant coach Matt Nicholson recruited Veltri to Niagara when he was on the staff there and encouraged Veltri to come to RMU for the rebirth of the team once Veltri made the decision to transfer.
Colonials hockey alumni and Bridgeville native Jordan Timmons also put in a good word for Derek Schooley and his staff. Timmons and Veltri played with the Pens Elite club together. So Veltri says that even though the roster is being rebuilt, the infrastructure of the Colonials program doesn’t have to be entirely reconstructed.
“All the experience that they have there, it doesn’t feel like it’s a new program,” Veltri said. “You know all these guys are experienced in their jobs. They know what they are doing. I have full trust in them.”
According to Veltri, the Colonials staff hasn’t made any promises to him about who else they may recruit or sign out of the portal as competition in net. But at 24 years old, with 37 games under his belt last season, Veltri says he can handle as much of the workload as the Colonials are willing to give him.
“There are obviously no guarantees in life,” Veltri said. “I’m just trying to work hard and guide some of the younger kids with my experience and just prove myself there.”
In Tuesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, Veltri also discusses what it was like to get news of RMU cutting the programs two years ago, his memories of that 2021 playoff win on Neville Island and his thoughts on the transfer portal experience.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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