In 1972, Ramapo College was a virtually brand new liberal arts college with little to offer in the way of athletics. That soon changed with the conception of an ice hockey program. By 1974-75, Ramapo College had improved dramatically. Playing in the New Jersey Intercollegiate Hockey League turned Bi-State Intercollegiate Hockey League, the Roadrunners captured their first League Championship. How could the Roadrunners follow up a championship-caliber season in 1975-76? Simple; they won another league championship. Ramapo was a dominant team in the metropolitan league they competed in and the school was building an identity around the team.

            Even after an upset-loss in their third straight trip to the finals, ambitions ran wild and Ramapo upgraded to the ECAC. The first losing season in the team’s history was in the cards as the Roadrunners were overmatched in many of their games posting an overall record of 7-13-2 and a 3-7-2 record in ECAC play. Another rough year followed in the ECAC in 1979-80 for Ramapo’s squad. Still, the Roadrunners were able to stay competitive despite taking their lumps. After a disappointing run in the ECAC 1980-81 was now or never for the team. Unfortunately, the odds were against them, facing the toughest schedule they had seen yet. The team struggled like never before and funding became an issue.

            The Ramapo College administration did not see fit to fund a team that was not producing results, despite what the team had meant to the Ramapo community over the past decade. Short stints of resurrection were made in 1982-83 and once more in 1983-84 but that would be the end of a legendary era of hockey for Ramapo. A desperation letter was sent from the United States Naval Academy urging the Ramapo administration to reconsider its decision for contraction because of the immense impact Ramapo left on Navy’s ice hockey program. The letter fell on deaf ears and ice hockey was cut from the budget.

            After nearly two decades of dormancy, hockey at Ramapo looked as though it could live again in 2004. This time, it would be roller hockey testing the waters in Mahwah, NJ. The Ramapo College Hockey Club was created and developed by junior, Michael DiGiacomo. Throughout 2004 and 2005 the team competed in two different leagues and success was hard to come by. Once DiGiacomo graduated in the spring of 2006, junior Bryan Goletz took over as President of the club and junior, Derek LoGiudice was appointed as the team’s captain. The club competed in two house leagues in 2006-07 and won the league in back to back seasons.

            After the 2006-07 seasons, President Bryan Goletz suggested a jump to a new competitive level in the NCRHA. The team agreed and joined the league with the hopes of hockey becoming a campus culture once again. Leadership came in the form of a former PCRHL player, Chris Romano ( St. Joseph’s University-Philadelphia) and a former Ramapo player, Joe Niclas (’06-’07), who became the team’s coaches in the fall of 2007.

            The Ramapo College Roadrunners who were once a force in northeast collegiate ice hockey are now looking to put the school on the map for intercollegiate roller hockey.