Quinnipiac Beats UConn — In Hockey Arenas, That Is

By Patch Editor Kathleen Ramunni 

Quinnipiac University's TD Bank Sports Center is impressive — even to sports writers.

Joe Connor, writing for uscho.com, the USCHO's Division One Hockey website, ranked his favorite arenas, and while the TD Bank Sports Center wasn't ranked first, it was right behind in second place.


"When I was growing up in Hartford as a kid, Quinnipiac was considered an afterthought for just about everything — academics, athletics, you name it," Connor writes. "Today, this school 40 minutes south of the state capital has everything going for it. 

"The academics are outstanding; the campus, impressive; and the college hockey venue? Awesome," he said. "The student section was pretty wild, too, to say nothing of the team. I caught the Bobcats capturing yet another ECAC Hockey victory."

The first-place award went to Cornell's Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y., to which Connor refers to as "the Fenway Park of college hockey."

Connor wasn't as impressed with the Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum, the on-campus home of the University of Connecticut's men's and women's hockey teams. Connor bestowed on it the "They Definitely Need a New Arena Award."

"The Huskies join Hockey East in 2014-15 and it’s hard to imagine their tiny on-campus venue will be a suitable host," Connor says. "My high school hockey venue was nicer. 

"Granted, UConn will play Hockey East games at the XL Center in downtown Hartford," he said, "but the beauty of college hockey is the on-campus experience, plus Hartford is more 30 minutes away from campus by car."