ADAMS TWP — When he's not putting up a roof, he's getting on the ice.

Mike Harshman, a 1978 Mars graduate and former Planets hockey player, wouldn't have it any other way.

"I enjoy hockey. It's my passion," he said.

That's why he's coaching two teams this season.

A roofer by trade, Harshman, 49, is in his first year as the junior varsity coach of Butler High, which doesn't have a varsity team. He is in his second year of coaching the Slippery Rock University women's hockey team.

Harshman has 16 years of coaching experience and is qualified to coach Level 5 USA hockey.

"That's as high as you can go at the amateur level and I'm not planning on going pro," he said. "But I am planning on winning a lot with these two teams."

Harshman was the junior varsity coach at Shaler the past five years. Four varsity coaches were fired during his tenure there, but he was never given the job.

Kurt Hetz took over Shaler's varsity last year and guided the Titans to the Class AAA Penguins Cup.

"I coached and helped develop 19 of the 20 players on that team," Harshman said. "I saw Butler had an opening for a coach and figured I might get a chance to coach a varsity team there."

He will.

Butler has no varsity team this season, but will have one next year — the JV team Harshman is running right now. Ryan Gillon is the lone senior on the Tornado's 17-player roster.

"We'll get four or five players back who aren't with the program right now because they're varsity caliber guys who don't want to play junior varsity," Harshman said. "Once they're back, combined with what we've got, I expect to make a run at the Penguins Cup next year."

Butler is 4-3-2 at the JV level so far, but the Golden Tornado won a preseason tournament that included a 10-0 pasting of Seneca Valley in the championship game.

The Rock women's team is 4-3 as well and had two players — defender Ally Zube and forward Katie Sines — play in the ACHA All-Star Game last year. Zube was named the ACHA's most valuable defenseman.

"SRU went through three head coaches, all young guys, and one of the players called me asking if I would coach them," Harshman said. "I found out it was a volunteer position and I wanted to help out."

Now he doesn't want to let go.

Harshman runs his roofing business during the day and is generally on the ice seven nights a week. The SRU women's team plays on weekends, the Butler junior varsity plays on weekdays.

Butler has practice Sunday afternoons at the Ice Connection in Valencia. The SRU women practice Sunday nights at BladeRunners in Warrendale.

"It all works out," Harshman said. "When there is a SRU practice conflict with a Butler game, my son takes over the women's practice."

Mike Harshman Jr., 25, is the assistant coach of The Rock team.

"I like where both of these programs are headed," Harshman said. "That's why, as long as they'll have me back, I'll be back in both places next year."