Sacred Heart Universitys new hockey arena is a continuation of a multi-year expansion program to support student growth, engagement and personal development.

Sacred Heart University (SHU) recently broke ground on its $70 million hockey and skating arena located on the Universitys west campus. The new facility will house Division I mens and womens hockey programs, the figure skating team, the mens club team, and a new womens program starting next fall.

It is the continuation of a multi-year expansion program to support student growth, engagement and personal development, said John J. Petillo, SHUs president, in a statement. This facility will serve our student-athletes both on and off the ice.

The arena will be named for the Martire family, Frank and Marisa Martire, who gifted $5 million in support of the arena. Frank Martire is a 1969 graduate of SHU and a chairman of the universitys board of trustees.

Development and construction of the 122,158-square-foot facility is a collaboration among JLG Architects, the SLAM Collaborative, Dimensional Innovations and Consigli Construction.

Details of the new arena include:

In addition to guest lectures, concerts and other activities, there will be reserved open skating time available to students, faculty, staff and community members.

Sacred Heart spent a lot of time focusing on the fan experience, said Jim Barquinero, the senior vice president of Enrollment and Athletics, in a statement. We want this arena to be a destination for fans and families to enjoy cheering on the Pioneers. From fan engagement, youth programs, high school games and open skate, all are welcome.

Another part of the multi-year expansion program at SHU includes the three-story, 56,000-square-foot Bobby Valentine Health & Recreation Center, that opened August 2019. Learn more about the center in the upcoming Building Blocks feature in the May/June issue of Campus Rec Magazine.

Rendering image courtesy of SLAM Collaborative and JLG Architects.

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Breaking Ice on Sacred Heart University's New Hockey Arena - Campus Rec Magazine