Van Doren Field, the home of Colgate Men’s and Women’s soccer, maintained its infamous condition and rowdy atmosphere for over 26 years. But as the new and improved Beyer Small field has been built and has housed the raiders for the past three years, Van Doren gave up its glory for a pristine, modernized addition to the athletic department: The Class of 1965 Arena.
Every aspect of the new home of men’s and women’s hockey is nothing less than spectacular as the atmosphere created by the structure, creativity, and execution were front and center stage during this weekend’s homecoming.
Entering the arena, the vaulted ceilings and the impressive structure of the lobby take almost everyone by surprise. Ahead, the sleek and modern ticket booths colored by grey and maroon offer an enormous sense of pride for the raiders, and to the left this pride continues on. A gigantic hockey helmet, an exact replica of those worn by our very own Colgate Hockey teams, lie in the corner for fans to take pictures with to mark their entertaining day at The Class of 1965 Arena. Walking from the lobby to the ice itself, staircases cascade up to the stands as the roar of the crowd becomes louder and louder with each successive step.
After handing your ticket over at the door, your eyes will be in complete shock. The massive 2,100 seat stadium is a true beauty to the eye. Many fans said that the rink resembled a “mini NHL stadium” itself. The maroon seats all around the rink illuminate the ice as the fearless men’s and women’s hockey players skate feeling the grooves of the new ice. Straight ahead, a press box and VIP boxes overlook the sideline of the rink as announcers cheer for the men and women in maroon.
Concession stands, gender neutral bathrooms, and press conference rooms fill the walls of the stadium, but at one end behind the goal, a very special portion of seats is dedicated to some very special fans. The student section, which takes up the entire south end of the rink, is filled with Colgate’s very own rowdy raiders. With a sea of maroon roaring for the home team, the atmosphere of The Class of 1965 arena is taken to a new level. The band plays the mighty fight song during each pause in the game as students shout with raider pride. A new feature to the arena that Starr Rink, the old Men’s and Women’s hockey arena, did not have, includes a three-row standup section directly behind the glass. You can even feel the vibrations and hits as two players smash into each other, while you are only protected by a two-inch thick plexiglass wall.
As the game ends and the players skate off the ice to their brand new locker rooms, fans quickly pile out, through the arena and down those same stairs they came up before the game. Taking it all in one last time, above the exit doors maroon letters display an important message for every raider, past and present: wherever you go, go ‘gate.
This past weekend, The Class of 1965 arena was opened to students, parents, citizens of Hamilton, and alumni. The atmosphere created for both the women’s and men’s opening games in the stadium was nothing short of extraordinary. Vicky Chun, Colgate’s athletic director, Ann-Marie-Guglieri, Senior Associate Athletics Director, and the help of hundreds of more people have worked long and hard to get this project completed after almost ten years in the making. Special shoutout to all the alums who made this dream possible for the entire Colgate Community.
And remember, wherever you go, go ‘gate.