Schneider Arena
Encyclopedia
Schneider Arena is a 3,030-seat hockey arena
in Providence, Rhode Island
. It is home to the Providence College
Friars
men's
and women's
ice hockey
teams.
It was opened on September 24, 1973 with a 1-0 win over the University of Pennsylvania
hockey team, and was named in honor of Rev. Herman D. Schneider, O.P., the founder of Providence College hockey and a longtime teacher at the school. It is located at the far northern end of campus, on the corner of Huxley Ave. and Admiral St., and is notable for the reflective energy-conserving ceiling that was installed in 1992. In 1999, the arena's scoreboard was replaced. The arena was intended to move the hockey team from its various off-campus arenas, such as the Rhode Island Auditorium
, one year after the men's basketball team left its own on-campus arena, Alumni Hall, in favor of the larger, downtown Providence Civic Center
.
The arena is also used extensively by local hockey organizations and is the traditional site of the state high school ice hockey championships. It is also occasionally used for concerts, although most school-sponsored concerts are held in Alumni Hall. Due to its low ceiling, it has never been used for basketball.
On June 16, 2006, Providence College announced an anonymous donation of $340,000 made to be used for renovations to the arena. The original red and yellow seats, which checkerboard throughout the arena, were replaced with modern seats that are black and silver (black and white are the school colors, with silver being the current accent color). In addition, upgrades were made to the Friends of Friar room (behind the east end of the arena), a new training room, new office space, updated locker rooms, and updated concession areas.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. It is home to the Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
Friars
Providence Friars
The Providence Friars is the name of the athletic teams of Providence College. They compete in the Big East Conference for every sport except for ice hockey, where they compete in Hockey East and in women's volleyball, where they compete in the America East Conference...
men's
Providence Friars men's ice hockey
The Providence Friars men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents the Providence College. The Friars are a member of Hockey East. They play at the 3,030-seat Schneider Arena in Providence, Rhode Island.-External links:*...
and women's
Providence Friars women's ice hockey
The Providence Friars women's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents the Providence College. The Friars are a member of Hockey East...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
teams.
It was opened on September 24, 1973 with a 1-0 win over the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
hockey team, and was named in honor of Rev. Herman D. Schneider, O.P., the founder of Providence College hockey and a longtime teacher at the school. It is located at the far northern end of campus, on the corner of Huxley Ave. and Admiral St., and is notable for the reflective energy-conserving ceiling that was installed in 1992. In 1999, the arena's scoreboard was replaced. The arena was intended to move the hockey team from its various off-campus arenas, such as the Rhode Island Auditorium
Rhode Island Auditorium
Rhode Island Auditorium was an indoor arena in Providence, Rhode Island, at 1111 North Main Street. It hosted the NBA's Providence Steamrollers from 1946 until 1949, and the Providence Reds ice hockey team until the Providence Civic Center was opened in 1972. The arena held 5,300 people and opened...
, one year after the men's basketball team left its own on-campus arena, Alumni Hall, in favor of the larger, downtown Providence Civic Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Dunkin' Donuts Center , is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States...
.
The arena is also used extensively by local hockey organizations and is the traditional site of the state high school ice hockey championships. It is also occasionally used for concerts, although most school-sponsored concerts are held in Alumni Hall. Due to its low ceiling, it has never been used for basketball.
On June 16, 2006, Providence College announced an anonymous donation of $340,000 made to be used for renovations to the arena. The original red and yellow seats, which checkerboard throughout the arena, were replaced with modern seats that are black and silver (black and white are the school colors, with silver being the current accent color). In addition, upgrades were made to the Friends of Friar room (behind the east end of the arena), a new training room, new office space, updated locker rooms, and updated concession areas.