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Martire Family Arena

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MARTIRE FAMILY ARENA

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2023-2024 Season

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Martire Family Arena

Sacred Heart’s $70 million premier hockey and skating arena–located on the University’s West Campus in Fairfield–opened in January 2023.

The Martire Family Arena is the crown jewel of Sacred Heart’s robust, multi-year building and expansion program, reflecting the institution’s significant growth and national status. The facility houses both the men and  women’s NCAA Division I hockey programs, the University’s nationally ranked  figure skating team and men’s club ice hockey team , as well as the women’s club program. The new arena also serves as a classroom for SHU students pursuing studies in the areas of sports communication & media, sport management, and others.

The sophisticated venue serves not only the SHU athletic teams but also the University community and residents in the region at large. The construction of the arena reflects our commitment to providing our student-athletes the best experience we possibly can as well as a dedication to all student-athletes, especially men’s and women’s hockey, past and present.

The location of the Martire Family Arena on Sacred Heart’s West campus provides the SHU teams the opportunity to play against national opponents on our campus and allows for those schools and their local (Tri-State/New England) alumni chapters to come to campus for games.

3,600 seats

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Sacred Heart University’s Martire Family Arena Passes Milestone with Topping Off Ceremony

• Campus Life  
• Facilities  

One-of-a-kind facility is set to open in January 2023

Less than seven months after the official groundbreaking, the last piece of steel was put into place at Sacred Heart University’s Martire Family Arena . Home to the school’s Division I hockey programs, club teams and nationally ranked figure skating team, the $70-million project is slated to open in January of 2023 when the men’s team takes on Boston College and the women face off against Harvard.

What has only been imagined through artist renderings is becoming reality with the addition of the final pieces of steel. The concourse from the East Building, at SHU’s West Campus where the success of the varsity hockey programs will be showcased, as well as the east entrance, from which SHU students will enter before they cheer on the Pioneers, are starting to form.

“With each passing day we get closer to opening what is sure to be one of the best collegiate skating facilities on the East Coast,” said Jim Barquinero, SHU senior vice president for enrollment, student affairs and athletics. “We are looking forward to the Pioneers lacing them up. This rink is for all our athletes, past and present.  We know the Martire Family Arena will serve as a cornerstone of the hockey and figure skating community, led by the Pioneers.”

“Driving by the new arena almost every day to go to class, it’s pretty cool to see it start to take shape,” said Braeden Tuck, men’s hockey captain. “My teammates and I couldn’t be more excited to get into our new home in a little over a year and represent Sacred Heart hockey and all those who have come before us.”

Standing on the patio of the West Campus’ East Building—the best vantage point of an arena that will have a raucous college hockey atmosphere with NHL-level amenities—you can see the main concourse and seating bowl coming into form. There, Sacred Heart fans will be treated to the finest food and beverage offerings along with a pro shop to outfit them with all their Pioneer gear needs.

The outlines of the rink, stands for 4,000 fans and VIP suites are also taking shape. In most arenas, the space in between steel beams on the northern side of the building would be filled in with concrete, but the Martire Family Arena will feature state-of-the-art windows that can adjust depending on the time of day to allow for the most natural light while maintaining prime ice conditions.

“I visit the construction site every week, and you can really see the progress,” said Tom O’Malley, women’s ice hockey head coach. “Our new arena is going to be a destination place and ultra-modern. With every day that we get closer to moving into the Martire Family Arena, the pure excitement steadily grows.”

The vision for the Martire Family Arena was originally unveiled to the public at the 2020 CT Ice tournament. The Pioneers are back to defend their title on January 29, starting with Quinnipiac at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.

CJ Marottolo’s men’s squad has had great success early in the season. The New England hockey community took notice when the Pioneers went on the road to defeat #12 Boston University and then got a win and a tie at perennial power Maine.

“I was at the site last week and was able to stand exactly where center ice would be, and I looked up and said ‘wow’ this building is going to be absolutely incredible,” Marotollo said. “Our fans and our community are going to enjoy watching a hockey game in there. The sight lines will all be terrific, the closeness of the seats to the bowl to the ice will definitely let the fans feel the speed of the game and give them an intimate feel.”

The women’s team faced some steep competition early in its schedule but has been rounding into form of late. The Pioneers are 3-0-1 in their last four contests just in time for the Nutmeg Cup, which pits the four Division I women’s programs in the state against each other, set for November 26-27 at UConn.

“It is exciting to finally have a place that we can officially call our own home—it feels like the start of a new era for the program,” said Kelly Solak, women’s senior captain. “It will be such a great place and atmosphere for the Sacred Heart community and families to come out and support our women’s and men’s teams.”

Photo captions: From right, President John J. Petillo, Vice President of Construction & Facilities Management Marc Izzo and Director of Capital Projects Carmelo Cicero-Santalena sign the beam during the topping off ceremony. (header image) The three look on as the beam is placed. (inset)

Sacred Heart University

2021-22 men's ice hockey schedule.

• Choose A Location: All Games Home Games Away Games Neutral Games Go
• Season 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 1999-00 1998-99 1997-98 1996-97 1995-96 1994-95 1993-94 Go

Season Record

• Overall 15-18-4
• Conf 11-12-3
• Away 9-13-4
• Neutral 0-1-0

Scheduled Games

Atlantic Hockey Tournament

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Sacred Heart University Opens New $75 Million Hockey Arena

For years, both sacred heart university hockey programs played their games at separate, off-campus locations. this weekend, that’s set to change., by dave peck • published january 9, 2023 • updated on january 9, 2023 at 6:13 pm.

“It’s incredible,” said graduate student Kelly Solak. “There’s everything you could possibly want in an ice arena on this rink.”

Solak is hardly exaggerating. Sacred Heart University’s new 122,580-square foot Martire Family Arena has everything.

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“There’s no words to be spoken. You walk in, and you want to be in this environment,” junior Erin Fleming said.

It has the standard amenities like a training room, gym and locker room, but in that training room is an underwater treadmill, and with that locker room comes a stocked kitchen.

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For the fans, the arena comes with not one, but two bars, bookending a row of luxury boxes.

“Sitting in meetings on a weekly basis and now to see a living and breezing building, and a spectacular building at that,” said Charlie Dowd, deputy athletic director for Sacred Heart.

The $75 million arena, financed in part by private donations, took about two years to complete, finally giving both the men’s and women’s ice hockey programs a home on campus.

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“I think the anticipation was just building up each year, and then seeing this was just unbelievable,” graduate student Nicole Guidi said.

The rink will see its first game action this weekend when the men host Boston College, followed by the women hosting Harvard on Sunday.

“We’re used to going to some away rinks and we see the student support they have and how hard it is to play in those atmospheres, so for us to finally have an on-campus rink and hopefully have the student body turn out is unbelievable for us,” senior Neil Shea said.

Dowd anticipates that the facility will extend beyond just the Pioneers, from hosting Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) games, to teams on the greater Connecticut hockey circuit.

“Right now, the priority is getting opening day and getting through that successfully, but we will utilize this ice as much as possible,” Dowd said.

Tickets for Saturday’s opener are already sold out, filling the roughly 4,000 seats that the arena can hold.

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Sacred Heart Club Sports

2023-24 men's hockey d2 schedule.

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Sacred Heart University

2023-24 men's ice hockey schedule.

• Choose A Location: All Games Home Games Away Games Neutral Games Go
• Season 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 1999-00 1998-99 1997-98 1996-97 1995-96 1994-95 1993-94 Go

Season Record

• Overall 14-19-3
• Conf 14-10-2
• Home 8-10-1
• Neutral 0-1-0

Scheduled Games

CT Ice (Hosted by Connecticut)

Atlantic Hockey Tournament

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