Last Friday, when Mercyhurst beat Bowling Green 4-3 in overtime, they thought it was coach Rick Gotkin’s 600th win, but it was actually his 599th. Gotkin said, “It doesn’t matter to me. I look at it as a program milestone. That achievement, should I be fortunate enough to get there, is really a program achievement. The coaches, the administrators, and the players all share in it.” Gotkin, a New Hyde Park, N.Y. native, has been coaching at Mercyhurst for 36 seasons and has won 599 games, making him the leading active coach. He has coached in over 1,200 games at the same school, which is third all-time in Division I. Gotkin has led his teams to the NCAA tournament in Division I, Division II, and Division III, a unique accomplishment. He has also guided his teams to four regular season and three playoff titles and has qualified for postseason play in 33 of his 36 seasons. Gotkin’s journey to Mercyhurst was not straightforward. He arrived on campus in 1988 and has been coaching at the same school ever since. Before that, he played for Canton and Brockport and majored in physical education. He initially planned to be a teacher but got into coaching and never looked back. Gotkin has faced various challenges throughout his coaching career, including coaching, recruiting, and even doing laundry. He and his wife used to pack equipment and do laundry together, turning it into their date night. Gotkin’s current challenge is coaching a young team with 11 freshmen and 2 transfers. Despite the ups and downs, he is optimistic about the team’s potential. The Lakers have had some close games, including a 4-3 win against Bowling Green in overtime. They are gearing up for a tough match against Rochester Institute of Technology this weekend. Gotkin is excited to see how the team performs and is proud of what he and the Lakers have achieved over the years. He said, “It doesn’t feel like (36 years) until I say it. I’ve always been happy at Mercyhurst. I kind of know what happy looks like for me, and this is it.”