Pittsburgh Penguins

RMU ice hockey players excited for opportunity to play at Heinz Field

PITTSBURGH — While playing at Heinz Field may not be the most important game the men's hockey team at Robert Morris University will have played this season, it will be the biggest in sheer size.

The team will take the outdoor rink at Heinz Field on Sunday, Feb. 16, one day after the Penguins face the Flyers in the Stadium Series.

"I mean we were all hoping for it, knowing the Pens were going to play there, but I didn't really think it was going to happen," said Luke Lynch, a Shaler native who is in his freshman year at RMU.

Growing up watching the Steelers play on the field where he'll be competing holds a special meeting for Lynch, who knows his friends and family will be in the stands cheering him on.

"I think we're going to take a couple of looks around and realize we're playing at Heinz Field. But as soon as the puck's dropped, it's all business," said Lynch.

"We're going to try and have fun with it outdoors. When you're a little kid outdoors on the pond, that's when you're having the most fun. I think we'll try to bring that aspect of it," said Rob Mann, a senior on the team who grew up playing on frozen ponds in Ontario, Canada.

The 84 Lumber Arena, where the RMU team typically plays, can hold 1,500 fans in a sellout. But that adds up to just a fraction of the thousands of fans expected to cheer them on at Heinz Field Sunday night.

"It will be something our guys remember and cherish for the rest of their lives," said Derek Schooley, RMU's head coach.