Men's Ice Hockey 4/7/2023 12:00:00 PM Omar Ricardo Aquije

How an arena helped hockey win two titles

Colgate is the only D-1 school to have two hockey teams win league titles this season — and its home rink played a role

When the men's hockey team defeated Harvard 3-2 to win the ECAC title on March 18, it capped off an incredible winter for Colgate Athletics.

With women's hockey already raising its own league championship trophy, thanks to an 8-2 bludgeoning of Clarkson on March 4, the men's victory meant both programs were crowned champs in the span of three weeks.

It's something no other D-1 program in the country has done this season.

While Colgate's two hockey teams took different paths to glory, they share one important element that contributed to their success: The Class of 1965 Arena.

The state-of-the-art facility, which opened its doors for the first time on Oct. 1, 2016, has given an enormous boost to the recruitment efforts of both hockey programs.

As a result, Colgate has drawn top talent that has helped both teams win league titles.

"I'm convinced that we don't win this championship without the beautiful Class of 1965 Arena," said men's hockey head coach Don Vaughan.

During the 2003-04 season, Vaughan was serving as interim athletic director when he pitched the idea of a new hockey rink to Colgate administration and the Board of Trustees.

Among the reasons for considering a new building was that Starr Rink, the home of Colgate Hockey for 50 years, was an out-dated facility that could no longer be renovated.

Meanwhile, Colgate was competing against programs with modern facilities, which made it harder to land top recruits.

When recruits visited Colgate, coaches touted everything but the very facility that they called home.

"Starr Rink was no longer the marquee of a recruiting visit," Vaughan said. "It was almost an afterthought. We were selling prospective recruits the rest of campus and a great education, but the facility itself was getting tired. From a recruiting standpoint, we felt we needed something that would allow us to continue to be competitive against so many of the other Division I schools that had nice facilities or were building something new."

As Colgate considered replacing Starr Rink, another key selling point was that a modern building would eventually lead to championships.

hockey ecac conference championship trophy — Both 2022-23 ECAC conference championship trophies belong to Colgate.

The Board of Trustees went forward with the idea, which led to a $37.8 million project to construct a new arena. The bulk of the cost was covered through overwhelming support from donors.

Now, for the first time since the Class of 1965 Arena opened, both hockey programs are ECAC champions.

Women's hockey has won three consecutive conference titles. The men's 2022-23 championship was the program's first in more than 30 years.

The new facility arrived as the women's team was on the rise. A year before the arena opened, the team achieved its first 20-win season in more than a decade. The following season, the team moved into its new home and went 22-11-3.

From there, the Raiders would reach the 20-win mark four more times, which includes two 30-win seasons and a trip to the Frozen Four.

Greg Fargo, head coach of women's hockey, said the building arrived at a perfect time.

"We were building momentum with our program," Fargo said. "Combine that with the opening of a new rink, and it allowed us to recruit the next level of players."

In the first few years after the arena opened, the team was led by stars like Jessie Eldridge, Shae Labbe, Livia Altmann, and Nicole Gass.

Jump forward to 2022-23 and women's hockey has evolved into one of the best programs in the nation. The team ended the season with a 36-6-2 record, ranked as high as third in the country, and advanced to the national tournament for a third straight year.

The program has recruited exceptional talent, led by team captain Danielle Serdachny. The Edmonton, Alberta, native was the nation's leading scorer with 25 goals and 46 assists for 71 points.
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Since moving into the new facility, the Raiders have seen a number of student-athletes selected to national teams like the U-18, U-22, and development squad. Others have played for the top teams of their respective nations.

Eldridge and Serdachny have played for Team Canada. Noemi Neubauerova represented the Czech Republic in the 2022 Winter Olympics. Altmann was selected to Switzerland's top hockey team, and Kas Benitol suited up for China.

The current roster also has nine student-athletes who have played for U-18 teams.

As the Class of 1965 opened, men's hockey recruited standout student-athletes like Bobby McMann, who was the team's best offensive player for three straight seasons and signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs after he graduated from Colgate. McMann made his NHL debut with the Leafs on Jan. 11.

This year's team was led by the remarkable goaltending of Carter Gylander, whose 1,044 saves on the season is a program record. The Beaumont, Alberta, native was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings before he committed to Colgate.

Alex Young was playing junior hockey in western Canada when he was drafted by the San Jose Sharks. Now at Colgate, Young has blossomed into a star, playing alongside his brother Colton Young. Alex led the team in scoring with 21 goals and 18 assists for 39 points.

As the Raiders made their championship run, the contributions came from throughout the lineup, with standouts like Matt Verboon and Nick Anderson — along with the Young brothers — playing their best when the games mattered the most.

hockey ecac champs — Colgate is the only D-1 school with two hockey teams win conference titles in the same season.

The Raiders now play in a sparkling 2,222-seat building, which has been lauded for an innovative design that has enhanced viewing experience for fans while creating an electric atmosphere.

"The size of it and the number of seats that we landed on for fans, it's really the perfect size for our teams and our community," Fargo said. "One thing I love about it is the environment when those seats are filled. Having been to other facilities, larger buildings that are half full, it's easy for the energy to get lost. We got it right."

For coaches and student-athletes, the arena provides glamorous locker rooms, along with lounges, offices, and ample space to train.

"We have an arena that allows our players to come in and train in a first-class facility and be in a place where interactions between players and coaches can happen," Fargo said. "Whether they're skating or practicing, they know they're in one of the best arenas in the country. It brings a whole other level of professionalism to our program that you can't get at too many other places."

Now with the Class of 1965 Arena to show off, coaches have seen positive reactions from potential recruits. One recruit who will join the men's team next season committed to Colgate before leaving campus, Vaughan said.

"We usually give them some time to decide," Vaughan said. "We want them to think and decipher the trip. But he was so convinced this was the perfect place. The arena is now sort of the show-stopper on the recruiting trip. It has that wow factor that you want."

But hockey recruits are not the only prospective student-athletes who visit the arena. When recruits for other Colgate teams are on campus, a stop at the Class of 1965 Arena is added to the visit.

And Colgate Hockey does the same thing. When the men's team brings in a potential recruit, all the athletic facilities are added to the itinerary because it shows Colgate's commitment to athletics.

"When you build something like this, it certainly sends a message to your recruits, to your alumni, to your fan base and supporters, and to other students on campus that athletics is important to us," Vaughan said. "You don't make an investment like Colgate did with this facility without realizing that Colgate athletics is important. It can be a source of pride for all of Colgate that we have this facility."

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Players Mentioned

#21 Noemi Neubauerova: F; 5' 8"; Senior

#9 Danielle Serdachny: F; 5' 9"; Senior

#27 Nick Anderson: D; 5' 10"; Junior

#37 Carter Gylander: G; 6' 5"; Junior

#13 Matt Verboon: F; 6' 1"; Senior

#21 Alex Young: F; 5' 11"; Junior

#12 Colton Young: F; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#21 Noemi Neubauerova
: 5' 8"; Senior
: F

#9 Danielle Serdachny
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

#27 Nick Anderson
: 5' 10"; Junior
: D

#37 Carter Gylander
: 6' 5"; Junior
: G

#13 Matt Verboon
: 6' 1"; Senior
: F

#21 Alex Young
: 5' 11"; Junior
: F

#12 Colton Young
: 6' 0"; Senior
: F