New Hampshire announces hockey arena upgrades
The University of New Hampshire announced it will use a $4 million gift to create a dedicated strength and conditioning space for its men’s hockey team.The gift came from 1987 UNH graduate Anthony DiLorenzo and came at a time when the hockey team was forced to do pregame stretches on the concourse of its hockey arena as fans filed in.
A recent story from The New Hampshire Union Leader detailed the plan for the upgrades to the Wildcats men’s hockey team’s facilities.
Below is an excerpt from The New Hampshire Union Leader.
DiLorenzo’s gift paired with $6 million in state funding leaves the university $6 million shy of its $16 million goal that will be used for the strength and conditioning space, to create a study, nutrition and fueling center for players and renovate the locker rooms and offices for coaches and administrative staff.
“I’m just humbled by his (DiLorenzo’s) generosity. … and I’m significantly grateful for Governor Sununu’s willingness to get involved as well,” said Mike Souza, the UNH men’s hockey coach. “It’s a game-changer for our program, to be quite honest with you. It’s overdue and it’s significant and it’s super exciting.”
The current strength and conditioning space inside the Whittemore Center, which opened in 1995, is a small room containing a handful of fitness bikes, treadmills, and weights. The new space will give ice and field hockey players a convenient area to train and, Souza said, help alleviate some of the stress on the Field House across the street.
The Field House is used by UNH’s more-than-500 student-athletes.
When he polled his players a few years ago about what additions they would like for the program, a proper strength and conditioning area was the top choice, Souza said.
According to UNH Director of Athletics Allison Rich, currently, if ice hockey players want to do additional training after getting off the ice, they usually cross the street to the Field House and then go back to their locker room at the Whittemore Center if they want to shower afterward.