New Haven, Conn, July 6, 2022 – Albertus Magnus College is excited to announce its intent to add women's ice hockey as its 17th NCAA Division III sport, beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. A national search for the program's inaugural head coach will commence immediately. In 2019-2020, the College launched its men's ice hockey program, with plans to bring the women's program quickly forward. The COVID-19 Pandemic delayed planning, but today's announcement brings the initial plans to fruition.
"One of the things that attracted me to the opportunity at Albertus was the administration's commitment to exploring strategic growth opportunities within the athletics department," noted incoming Director of Athletics, Mike Kobylanski, who will begin his tenure at the College on July 11. "Women's ice hockey is a growing sport across the country, and its addition to our Falcons NCAA D III lineup will be a next moment of excitement for the department. I can't wait to see the first group of student-athletes take the ice!"
"As a former NCAA D III hockey player and lifelong fan of the sport, I am thrilled we will bring a women's program forward to complement our men's program," said Albertus President, Dr. Marc M. Camille. "In only its second full season of competition, the College's men's ice hockey team finished 16-8-1 this year, including winning two tournament championships and a win over a nationally ranked, NCAA championship qualifying opponent, and of equal significance, the team's cumulative grade point average for the year was 3.7. I expect our new women's program to aspire to, and achieve, similar competitive successes!"
Over the past decade, the College's NCAA athletics program has been expanding – new women's teams were added in field hockey and swimming and diving, and in addition to the men's ice hockey team, golf and swimming and diving were started. Additional athletics investments led to new full-time coaches, athletics trainers, sports marketers, student success mentors, and graduate assistants. The College's athletics facilities also have improved and expanded, including upgrades to the Cosgrove, Marcus, Messer Athletic Center's training facilities, with renovations to its pool and athletic training spaces, the addition of permanent bleachers and a "jumbotron," and a newly refinished gym floor; the construction of the state of the art field turf, Shea Softball Complex in the heart of the campus; and collaborative partnership initiatives with the City of New Haven and the Town of Hamden led to New Haven's Ralph Walker Ice Rink becoming the home of Albertus ice hockey , Hamden's Rochford Field to be the home of Albertus baseball, and Hamden's New Haven Country Club to be the home of Albertus golf.
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About Albertus Magnus College: Albertus Magnus College, founded in 1925, is a Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. It 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. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students across its traditional undergraduate program, accelerated adult degree program, and 12 graduate programs. Recently, the College launched new Bachelor degree programs in Interdisciplinary Studies, Supply Chain Management, and Game and Computer Arts, and among its graduate programs is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program. Also recently, the College received two significant federal grants in support of student success and well-being: a $300,000 grant from the Department of Justice and a $1.9 million Title III grant from the Department of Education. Just four years out from its historic 100th Anniversary Year, Albertus is implementing its new strategic plan, Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century, which identifies and outlines a bold vision for the future in which the College will 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.
