After 16 years, the men’s ice hockey team will compete in the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) Conference championship game, marking their third appearance in program history.
The road for the conference title began March 6 on home ice with quarterfinal play against Niagara University. The Pioneers swept the weekend 2-0, advancing to the semi-finals round in the AHA Tournament.
On March 13, the lights dimmed and the band echoed through Martire Family Arena as the Pioneers skated onto the ice. Fans dressed in white filled the stands for Sacred Heart’s semifinals matchup against Robert Morris University (RMU).
The Pioneers’ performance matched the energy in the arena, securing their 22nd win of the season, the most in program history.
Upon entry, fans received white shirts with Big Red the Pioneer’s eyes printed on the front and Fear the Pioneer on the back. While some wore hoodies over them in the cold arena, the Pio Guys took it a step further with their signature look, painting their chests to spell out “#Pioneers!”
“Without a doubt a lot of people came because it was a themed game,” said sophomore Caden Rubenstein. “I think more themed games would absolutely bring more people out.”
The band drove the atmosphere, routinely playing during faceoffs and between periods.
“The band adds a huge part to the game,” said Rubenstein. “They’re basically a hype man for the entire team and the audience.”
Despite the electric environment, the Pioneers started slow. Robert Morris struck first, scoring within the first 10 minutes of the period to take a 1-0 lead. Sophomore goalie Ajeet Gundarah kept the Pioneers within reach with a key save with five minutes remaining.
As the first period winded down, the crowd voiced their frustration when the Pioneers missed an opportunity to score their first goal. Fans shouted, “Shoot it!” and “Set it up!” as the Pioneers ended the period trailing 1-0.
The Pioneers flipped the momentum early in the second period, scoring two goals in the first two minutes. Sophomore Aiden VanRooyan tied the game before senior Noah Ellis scored less than a minute later to go up 2-1.
The Martire Family Arena erupted as everyone jumped to their feet, the goal horn blaring and chants of “Let’s go Pios” echoed throughout the building.
14, 2026.
Source: Josh Gee, SHU Athletics
“Once they hit those two goals back-to-back everyone was going crazy,” said junior Garret Eterno.
Midway through the second period, freshman Jack Hillier extended the lead to 3-1, sending fans to their feet again as players from both teams exchanged words and shoved each other before a media timeout.
Just two minutes into the final frame, sophomore Vitaly Levyy added another goal to make it 4-1.
“It was loud pretty much all night,” said freshman John Colello. “Once we got that separation in the third, I started hearing ‘SHU’s your daddy’ chants.”
Senior Reid Pabich scored with about 10 minutes remaining, extending the lead to 5-1.
Tempers flared again late in the third period after a brief scuffle before another media timeout. After the timeout, Robert Morris switched goalies, drawing reactions from the crowd as fans banged on the glass to distract the new goalie.
As the final minutes wound down, the crowd began chanting “Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye,” sending Robert Morris home as the Pioneers celebrated the most wins in program history.
The following day, the Pios dropped the second game of the series, falling 5-2 to Robert Morris, despite taking an early 1-0 lead.
In Sunday’s win-or-go-home matchup, the Pioneers defeated Robert Morris 5-0, extending the program record to 23 wins. Gundarah’s 36-save shutout performance earned them a spot in the AHA Championship against Bentley University.
The Pioneers will hit the ice for their first championship appearance since 2010 on March 21 against Bentley in Waltham, Mass.
