Last week, Northfield Mount Hermon hockey players stepped onto a sheet of ice they will now call home.
The newly opened Ice Barn welcomed students for the first time, giving the boys' and girls' hockey teams the opportunity to share the ice for their first official skate together. After months of anticipation, the moment marked an exciting new chapter for NMH athletics and the hockey programs.
The Ice Barn gives the programs a dedicated home that is built on the foundation created at McCollum Arena over the previous 60 years. The Ice Barn was designed with both programs in mind, providing new spaces and a modern environment for players and coaches. McCollum, meanwhile, is being converted into a multiuse field house, which opens this fall.
For the players, the first skate was about more than simply stepping onto a new rink. It was a chance to take in a space they had watched come together over the past 18 months: to feel the new ice beneath their skates, explore their new surroundings and begin creating memories in a place that will be a central part of their daily lives.
"It was a really special moment to see my girls walk into the rink, along with their brand-new locker room," Bri Wood, head coach of the girls' varsity team said. "There has been so much excitement surrounding the new Ice Barn, and getting both programs on the ice together for the first time made it all feel real."
Pictured Jake Bennett, Bri Wood, Telia Marks-McCall and Brian Hargrove
Senior Dan Tracy, captain of the boy's team agreed.
"It was pretty surreal stepping onto the ice for the first time," he said. "We've watched the rink come together over the past year and a half, so being able to finally skate in it with our teammates was really special. I think everyone is excited to make some memories."
Before the teams took the ice, Head of School Brian Hargrove spoke to the players about the significance of the moment and the work that made the new facility a reality.
"We are super excited about this new chapter at NMH and appreciate our donors and the people who made this possible," Hargrove said.
The Ice Barn represents more than a new athletics facility. It is a space where generations of scholar-athletes will practice, compete, build relationships, and create memories and traditions of their own.