Volpe Complex
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| J. Thom Lawlor Arena at the S. Peter Volpe Athletic Center |
|
|---|---|
| Lawler Arena | |
| Location | North Andover, Massachusetts |
| Broke ground | 1972 |
| Opened | November 28, 1972 |
| Owner | Merrimack College |
| Operator | Merrimack College |
| Surface | 200x85 ft (hockey) |
| Construction cost | $2 million |
| Tenants | Merrimack College Warriors athletics |
| Capacity | 3,000 (hockey arena) 3,617 (basketball arena) |
The S. Peter Volpe Athletic Center is the home of the Merrimack College Warriors athletics teams. It has a basketball court and hockey arena. The Volpe Center is the home of the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the volleyball team. Lawler Arena is the home of the Division I ice hockey team, which had won the 1978 Division II national title before transitioning to Division I and joining the prestigious Hockey East Conference.
The athletic center is named for S. Peter Volpe, a member of the college's Board of Trustees and benefactor. His construction company was responsible for the building of the McQuaid Library on campus. His brother, John Volpe, was U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Richard M. Nixon. The hockey arena is named for J. Thom Lawler, former coach of the men's hockey team who died in 1978 at age 44, just after leading the team to their national title.
