Skate for a Cause: Moon, RMU Host Charity Hockey Games

Teachers in the Moon Area School District will take on the Moon Hockey Club this weekend to raise money for prom activities.

Moon Area School District faculty and students will take to the ice this weekend in a hockey game fundraiser for the high school's upcoming prom season.  "Prom gets more and more expensive every year," said high school teacher Loni Ianessa. "So anything we can do to help would be great."  Ianessa and troupe of teachers in the district will take on the Moon Hockey Club Saturday at the Airport Ice Arena. Proceeds from the match-up will go towards after-prom activities in the district or to individual students who may have trouble paying for the festivities.  Ianessa said 14 staff members at the high school will suit up for the game.  "Hockey's become more mainstream," Ianessa said. "So we figured, more people are playing hockey, let's …

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UPDATE: RMU Begins Repairs to Collapsed Golf Dome

Crews are working to repair the Neville Island facility, which collapsed after strong winds last month.

Work to repair Robert Morris University's collapsed Neville Island golf dome began Monday.  A university spokesman said the facility is expected to re-open to golfers in two weeks. Crews will install a new panel replacing the damaged portion of the dome. The dome will be reinflated Wednesday.  The vinyl 100-foot by 80-foot facilty collapsed June 1 after heavy winds tore a hole in a section of the dome's panel. Employees and golfers escaped without injury, and the university's golf and miniature golf facilities have remained closed since.   The dome's reinflation is expected take three to four hours. The golf dome is located outside of RMU's Island Sports Center. Employees and golfers escaped without injury during its collapse and the …

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RMU Hockey Announces '12-'13 Season

The regular season includes 14 games at the university's Island Sports Center.

No Re-Opening Date Set for RMU Golf Dome

An RMU spokesperson said the university is "evaluating its options."

Robert Morris University has hired the Ontario-based firm World Air Structure Assistance to determine what to do with its Neville Island golf dome that deflated last week after heavy winds.  The white polyvinyl dome, which stood 100-feet long and 80-feet high, deflated after a wind microburst on the island tore a hole in the structure's roof, causing it collapse. Ten people, including staffers and golfers, were able to walk out of the dome before it toppled.  RMU spokesman Jonathan Potts said World Air Structure has evaluated the deflated dome and presented the university with options to repair and rebuild it.  No re-opening date has been announced for the sports dome, which is located next to the university's Island Sports Center arena…

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'Slap Shot' Stars Take Over RMU Sports Center for Charity Game

Stars from the 1977 Paul Newman film entertain on the ice at Robert Morris University's arena.

Fans filled the stands at Robert Morris University's Island Sports Center Saturday to watch Slap Shot stars reunite for a good cause.  Dave Hanson and brothers Steven and Jeff Carlson appeared in the annual "Pucks and Sticks" charity hockey game as their alter egos the Hanson Brothers, stars of the 1977 hockey comedy Slap Shot. The game featured local celebrities, including KDKA-TV's Ross Guidotti and RMU hockey head coach Derek Schooley, vying against Pittsburgh-area EMS staffers. Funds raised at the event will benefit the Pittsburgh Emergency Medicine Foundation.  Hanson now serves as the director of the Island Sports Center. Event organizer John Chamberlin said Slap Shot's cult status among hockey fans has grown in the three decades …

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Jenna Staul

9:07 am on Monday, April 2, 2012

Thanks for sharing, John!   more ›

Get Out: Spring Jazz, 'Wash-n-Wine' or 'Slap Shot' Stars Reunite

Patch gives you some suggestions on how to spend your weekend.

It's Friday afternoon and you need a few good weekend plans.  Fear not — Patch is here to let you know what's going on around town. Don't forget to click on our Events calendar for a comprehensive look at community events in your town.   1. Wash-n-Wine at Larry's Laundro'mutt When/Where: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. tonight at Larry's Laundro'mutt in Sewickely.  Why Go: The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society and Larry's Laundro'mutt will host a Wash-n-Wine event for animal lovers. Dog owners can drop off their favorite furry friend for a bath while enjoying a glass of wine, hot cider and finger foods.  Admission: $10.   2. Spring Jazz Festival When/Where: 6-10 p.m. Saturday at the Sewickley American Legion Post 450 in Sewickely.  Why Go: Get out and…

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Skating Coach Banned from RMU for 'Improper Behavior'

The university did not identify the coach, who is an independent contractor.

Robert Morris University has banned a speed skating coach from university facilities after allegations of improper behavior. The coach, who the university did not identify in a statement, was an independent contractor coaching members of the university's speed skating team at the Island Sports Center on Neville Island. Several of those skaters are affiliated with the Pittsburgh Speed Skating Club, which notified the university of the allegations and contacted Pittsburgh city police. The university did not provide details of the allegations. The university said in a statement that it would "fully cooperate with any investigation." The coach has been banned from the university and RMU's speed skating program has been suspended as a result of…

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RMU Women's Hockey Finishes Pre-Season 3-0

The team opens its regular season on Friday.

RMU Hockey Player Attends Penguins Prospect Camp

As a result of hard work and a major change in his hockey game, Andrew Blazek is paving a road that may one day lead to the NHL.

Andrew Blazek, a student at Robert Morris University, has always wanted to play in the NHL.  He took a step toward realizing that dream when he received an invite to the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect camp. "I never thought of it as real, a real reality until recently," Blazek said, acknowledging he still has a long road ahead of him and that there are no guarantees in sports. Blazek, 23, was not selected in the NHL's entry draft in June. That's not uncommon in hockey because the draft concentrates on relatively young talent. Many late bloomers — and in hockey age 19 is considered to be late — go unnoticed. At 6-feet-1 and 190 pounds, Blazek has the frame for a good defenseman. Until a year and a half ago, Blazek, a native of Upper St. Clair…

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Summer Gets Cool at RMU's Island Sports Center

Attendees enjoy discounted ice skating at Family Fun Night at the Neville Island complex.

Every Friday night between June 3 and Aug. 26, the RMU Island Sports Center offers a deal few can refuse. For a measly $10 per person, visitors receive one round of mini-golf, one hot dog, one small drink and two hours of ice skating, plus rental skates. Not bad for a Friday night, especially if you're in high school and bumming around near Neville Island anyway. Since the beginning of June, Family Fun Nights have attracted skaters and putters, from nearby Coraopolis, Moon Township and Robert Morris University. The only catch: You have to bring your family, and a "family" technically consists of two or more people. The lightning storm and recurring rains kept lots of people indoors two Fridays ago, and few guests took advantage of the …

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