“I think it’s unbelievable. There have been generous people that have made great donations and I know all of our players really appreciate it. It’s some of the top stuff teams would want,” senior captain Austin Czarnik said. “The weight room is perfect, and the new lounge will be great for our meetings. We’re really fortunate that we’ve got this.”
Chad Twaro, assistant athletic communications director, said construction on this project began in early March, and players began using the new facilities in June. While there is still some detail work to be finalized, the majority of the structure is complete and accessible to the team and coaches.
“Developing our student athletes here, now, is first and foremost the most important thing to do,” Head Coach Enrico Blasi said. “We want to make sure they have everything they need here to develop in all aspects of their life, which is why they’re here.”
Blasi also hopes the improvements will help in future recruiting.
“We’re competing against Notre Dame, Michigan, on a daily basis, and those schools are investing in their programs,” Blasi said. “This shows we’re continually investing in not only the program but in the well being of student athletes.”
With this weight room and workout facility at the ice center, team members can now exercise whenever they wish instead of having to wait for scheduled times at the university’s Student-Athlete Development Center.
Blasi said he hopes the space will also be used to allow team members to focus on individual development.
“If our guys want to go in there, it’s their area for them to get better,” Blasi said. “We’ve always had a scheduled time, and now we don’t have a scheduled time — it’s our time.”
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