Fuelled by recruiting and a massive $65 million arena investment, the Skyhawks are leveraging speed and physicality to redefine the blueprint for Division I independence.
Stonehill is constructing their Division I hockey program the right way. They haven't cut corners, and understand a team is built both on and off the ice. Entering year five, the Skyhawks have a solid foundation of both players and infrastructure for a sustainable future.
On the ice, Head Coach David Berard has a dozen freshmen inbound to Easton for 2026-27. While a large recruiting class may give some the impression Stonehill could take a step backward, just the opposite appears to be the case. When researching the Skyhawks' Freshman Focus piece in July, the overarching theme of Coach Berard's selections became apparent.
Take Nikita Ivashchenko, a 6 foot 1 winger who balances finesse and physicality quite well. His 31 goals took home part of third place in the BCHL while his combined 69 points were fourth. Yet Ivashchenko was not one dimensional, accumulating 32 penalty minutes by leveraging his aforementioned frame.
It's not just incoming freshmen who fit into Coach Berard's mold. Transfer Dimitry Kebreau showed offensive promise while spending two years at Alaska–Anchorage. If not limited by injury last season, I imagine he'd have exceeded his 23 points in 31 games.
Like Ivashchenko, Kebreau is fast, furious and productive. The constants across the Skyhawks' players are speed, skill and intensity, making for a group who is hard to play against. Ivashchenko and Kebreau are just two examples of this.
Goaltending remains solid with the addition of Mason Vaccari. In his 2025-26 age out year of junior hockey, Vaccari recorded an OHL second 36 wins in 51 games with a .907 save percentage and 2.70 goals allowed average. He joins fellow freshman Pierson Haislet and rising junior Linards Lipskis in the rotation.
Off the ice, school administration is investing in the team's long-term success. Last May, it was announced that Stonehill received a $15 million donation. This kickstarted a $65 million ice hockey and basketball arena named the Tom & Kathleen Bogan Arena.
"The arena will provide the College with the necessary resources to enhance the student experience and deepen Stonehill's relationship with neighboring communities that will have access to the facility," Tom & Kathleen Bogan said in the release "Supporting Stonehill's mission of educating hearts and minds via this new addition to the campus landscape is truly exciting."
Everyone wants to see college hockey grow and Stonehill's holistic progression as a program shows the next schools that want to join Division I how it's done. Between strong recruiting and a dedication to improve, I'd wager that Stonehill receives the next NCAA Tournament berth given to an Independent team.
