Albertus Magnus College’s Women’s Ice Hockey Team Takes Center Ice
Weather-delayed Puck Drop Ceremony Takes Center Ice for Inaugural Season, Friday, November 10
Women's Ice Hockey Team
New Haven, Conn., November 8, 2023 – Rainouts in hockey are rare – but now we are raring to go! Albertus Magnus College invites hockey fans from the Greater New Haven area to the Home Opener of its NCAA DIII Women’s Ice Hockey team’s Inaugural Season. New Haven’s Ralph Walker Ice Rink at 1080 State Street will come alive with excitement on Friday, November 10 with a ceremonial puck drop before the Albertus Falcons women face off against Salve Regina at 7:00 p.m.
“Albertus Magnus College was founded 98 years ago by the Dominican Sisters of Peace with commitments to educational excellence, equity, and opportunity. Our mission calls us to respond to the needs of our students and society at large, and expanding athletics opportunities for women is one way we answer that call,“ said Albertus President Dr. Marc M. Camille. “The addition of women’s ice hockey brings a key new team to our NCAA lineup of sports, and our community is excited to cheer on and support the young women who will take the ice as Fearless Falcons student-athletes.” We were founded in 1925 as the first Catholic college for women in New England – at a time when women were not encouraged to get a degree, let alone play sports. At that time, Albertus offered tennis. A lot has changed in our almost 100 years as the most diverse Catholic college in New England. Look at the growing interest in women’s professional sports – think the US Women’s National Soccer Team; the WNBA, and the Women’s Olympic Ice Hockey team that’s preparing for the Paris Games in 2024. As a former DIII hockey player myself, I couldn’t be prouder and more excited.”
“When Albertus debuted its Men’s Ice Hockey team in 2019 the goal was to soon follow with a women’s team,” added Albertus Director of Athletics Mike Kobylanski. “The COVID pandemic delayed our plans, but this year we move forward. Competing in ice hockey at the NCAA DIII level is a dream come true for so many women who have a love of the game. What fills me with pride is that in addition to competing for championships, our student-athletes at Albertus equally focus on achieving their college degrees and giving back through service in the community, all while developing important skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership – skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives, no matter what career path they choose.”
“The roster for this first team has shaped-up very well,” stated Albertus Head Coach Stephen Novodor. “We have local recruits from Connecticut and from as far away as Canada, and they’ve all committed to fearlessly competing, in this inaugural season and beginning next year in the New England Hockey Conference, one of the nation’s best at the NCAA Division III level.”
Admission to the game is free, and it will be live-streamed. The home opener for women’s ice hockey follows the recent announcement by Albertus of its receipt from the State of Connecticut’s Community Investment Fund 2030 (CIF), a grant totaling $3.1 million, the largest single grant in the College’s history. The funding will enable renovations and improvements to athletics and recreational facilities that serve the College and its neighbors in New Haven and Hamden, including expanded facilities at Ralph Walker rink and the Albertus Celentano Field athletic complex.
About Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College, founded in 1925, is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. As New England's most diverse Catholic College, Albertus' values and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For seven consecutive years, graduating classes at Albertus have achieved post-graduate employment and graduate school success at a rate of at least 95%. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and 11 graduate programs. Proud to enroll a student body where more than half of its students come from minority backgrounds with nearly the same percentage of undergraduates receiving Federal Pell Grants and being first generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor’s degree programs in Game and Computer Arts, General Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Project Management, Public Health, Social Media, and Supply Chain Management; among its graduate programs is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program. Just two years from its historic 100th Anniversary Year, the College is implementing its Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century strategic plan, which articulates an inspiring, bold vision to "be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.