Merrimack College Athletics :

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Built in summer and fall of 1972 by the Carlson Company, the $2 million, 3,617 seat arena at the S. Peter Volpe Center opened on November 28, 1972. Until it was built, the only sports facility located on campus was a quonset hut serving as a gym that was in operation to that point for 23 years (Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, 11/17/72).

The Volpe Center is the home of Merrimack hockey's J. Thom Lawler Arena and is also home to the Merrimack men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. Merrimack student-athletes on all teams use the strength and conditioning center, and the facility features locker rooms for each team and facilities for visiting teams as well. The Volpe Center has been home to NCAA contests, ECAC Tournaments, Merrimack Christmas Tournaments, the Merrimack Invitational, and the Blue-Gold Tournament. The Volpe Center has also been home to high schools such as Austin Prep, North Andover, North Reading, the MIAA Tournament, and Hockey Night in Boston. The small, intimate setting places spectators right on the brink of the action. From the Union Championship in March of '77 to near sellouts at Hockey East games when opponents such as Maine, UNH and Boston College are in town, the Volpe Center has seen its fair share of action in 34 years.

The building is named after S. Peter Volpe, who at the time was president of the Volpe Construction Co. and member of the board of trustees at Merrimack. Volpe first came to Merrimack in 1964 as guest lecturer to civil engineering students. He was named to the President's Advisory Board of Councelors in 1966, later taking on the task of directing the construction of the library. Volpe was elected to the board of trustees in 1969 and recieved an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering Science from Merrimack College in 1971. That same year his son, Peter J. Volpe, recieved a B.S. in business administration from Merrimack. S. Peter Volpe's brother, John A. Volpe, was the U.S. Secratary of Transportation. The rink was dedicated to S. Peter on Thursday, November 16, 1972. On the day of the dedication, Volpe commented, "Too many times a person is honored after death - I keep pinching myself to see if I'm still alive," (Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, 11/17/72).


Cross Country (M) Cross Country (W) Field Hockey Football Soccer (M) Soccer (W) Volleyball Basketball (M) Basketball (W) Ice Hockey Baseball Lacrosse (M) Lacrosse (W) Softball Tennis (M) Tennis (W) Lawler Completion Project Athletic Staff Directory Blue Line Club Cheerleading Compliance Composite Calendar Directions Facilities From the AD's Desk Intramurals Marketing & Promotions Merrimack Championships Quick Facts Recruiting Questionnaires SAAC SID Downloads Sponsorship Sports Medicine Strength and Conditioning Visitors Guide	[Printer Friendly] Built in summer and fall of 1972 by the Carlson Company, the $2 million, 3,617 seat arena at the S. Peter Volpe Center opened on November 28, 1972. Until it was built, the only sports facility located on campus was a quonset hut serving as a gym that was in operation to that point for 23 years (Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, 11/17/72). The Volpe Center is the home of Merrimack hockey's J. Thom Lawler Arena and is also home to the Merrimack men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. Merrimack student-athletes on all teams use the strength and conditioning center, and the facility features locker rooms for each team and facilities for visiting teams as well. The Volpe Center has been home to NCAA contests, ECAC Tournaments, Merrimack Christmas Tournaments, the Merrimack Invitational, and the Blue-Gold Tournament. The Volpe Center has also been home to high schools such as Austin Prep, North Andover, North Reading, the MIAA Tournament, and Hockey Night in Boston. The small, intimate setting places spectators right on the brink of the action. From the Union Championship in March of '77 to near sellouts at Hockey East games when opponents such as Maine, UNH and Boston College are in town, the Volpe Center has seen its fair share of action in 34 years. The building is named after S. Peter Volpe, who at the time was president of the Volpe Construction Co. and member of the board of trustees at Merrimack. Volpe first came to Merrimack in 1964 as guest lecturer to civil engineering students. He was named to the President's Advisory Board of Councelors in 1966, later taking on the task of directing the construction of the library. Volpe was elected to the board of trustees in 1969 and recieved an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering Science from Merrimack College in 1971. That same year his son, Peter J. Volpe, recieved a B.S. in business administration from Merrimack. S. Peter Volpe's brother, John A. Volpe, was the U.S. Secratary of Transportation. The rink was dedicated to S. Peter on Thursday, November 16, 1972. On the day of the dedication, Volpe commented, "Too many times a person is honored after death - I keep pinching myself to see if I'm still alive," (Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, 11/17/72).