AUBURN — The Norway Savings Bank Arena is getting another tenant for the 2016-17 season.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Central Maine Community College Mustangs will be fielding a men’s hockey team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, according to a joint announcement with the arena and the City of Auburn.

“Well at the community college, we are setting up a hockey program because it’s going to be the only serious hockey program in any community college in all of New England,” CMCC President Scott Knapp said. “We think it will have major impact of the enrollment of the college, it’s going to have a major impact of the image of the college and the college is always interested in supporting the city of Auburn.”

The ACHA is a governing body like it’s counterpart the NCAA. The funding for the hockey program will come out of the Students Activity Fund where ACHA program fees cost anywhere between $1,300 and $1,600. Joining the ACHA, they will also have a USA Hockey membership, which is the national governing body of the sport. Players will have to maintain at least 2.0 GPA to be eligible to play games.

“This is will come from the college’s Student Activity Fund,” Knapp said. “The fact is, this is a question which sports are we going to able to (fund). It’s dedicated funding that doesn’t come out of the college budget.”

For the first season, the Mustangs will play an independent ACHA schedule and have already received commitments to play Tufts University, Bryant University, the Coast Guard, Bates College, Southern Maine, University of New England, Dartmouth, Thomas College and Southern New Hampshire.

Athletic Director David Gonyea said they will be petitioning to join ACHA’s Division II in the following years where Bates, Maine, St. Joseph’s, UNE and Thomas College are members of the Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association conference. Bowdoin also plays in ACHA’s Division II independent schedule

Maine, Bowdoin, UNE, USM, Tufts, Southern New Hampshire and Dartmouth teams are separate from their varsity teams that play at the NCAA level, in either the Division I or III levels.

Gonyea’s first order of business is to find a coach.

“First step is to hire a coach and just recruiting this year, put the program together, put the schedule together,” Gonyea said. “We will go on the ice in 2016-17.”

With St. Dom’s, Edward Little, Gray-New Gloucester/Poland/Oak Hill and Leavitt calling Norway Savings Bank home, plus with Lewiston High School and the L/A Fighting Spirit across the river, CMCC will be able to recruit in its own backyard. Gonyea also said they will be recruiting players from out-of-state.

Auburn’s mayor, Jonathan Labonte is excited for the potential events that could be coming to the city.

“It’s great to have the high school programs based in town. The move of St. Dom’s was big to keep this building moving, (and) the growth of the (Maine) Gladiators,” LaBonte said. “Adding a full-time college program here, CM has a strong reputation of not only building successful programs, but attracting tournaments. We are trying to grow the area through athletics and having a college team that I am confident that will be a winner will help.”

Rink manager Marc Gosselin said their will be plenty of ice time with two ice sheets to fit the Mustangs in addition to the six high school programs (including the St. Dom’s and EL/Leavitt girls’ programs) and the Maine Gladiators youth program that calls Norway Savings Bank Arena home. Everyone said if Ingersoll Arena was still in use adding CMCC hockey would have been difficult.

Gosselin has already spoke with the ACHA about holding tournaments at the arena.

“I have talked to the ACHA and talked to them about that a little bit,” Gosselin said. “I have a bug in their ear about that. They are very interested because of the two-sheet component here in Auburn. Just because if you have two-sheets, you have a little more flexibility in timing and how you can put a tournament over the weekend. You will cut down on costs for traveling for the other teams.

“The bug is in the ear with the ACHA. Dave and I both had some great conservations with the people there. They have been very supportive in communicating with us about it.”

The ACHA has a separate National Championship Tournament for each of the three men’s divisions on separate host sites. The Division II and III tournament last year lasted over four days and had 16 teams which were divided into four pools of four teams. Each team plays the three teams in their pool. The four pool winners determine the semifinal matchups with the winners of the semifinal games going on to the Championship game.

The Division I Tournament is a 20 team single elimination tournament that lasts over five days.

Gonyea also said the school has had hosting basketball tournaments on campus.

Right now there’s no immediate plans to add a women’s team, but the possibility does exist in the future.

nfournier@sunjournal.com

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