A new women's hockey program will join the ACHA in 2024 at the University of Arizona.
A new women's hockey program will join the ACHA in 2024 at the University of Arizona.
The University of Arizona Wildcats will begin offering ACHA Division I women's hockey in the Fall of 2024. The school has been offering men's hockey since 1979, but are now set to add a women's hockey program.
The school also announced the hiring of Caitlin Hogan as the program's inaugural head coach. Hogan spent four seasons playing NCAA Division I hockey with St. Cloud State, scoring 127 points in 149 games for the program.
“I’m excited to have Caitlin be the first head coach of our women’s team, said Troy Vaughn, the University of Arizona's senior director of campus recreation in a news release. "She brings knowledge, experience, excitement and such a positive attitude to the job. She is going to be great here at UArizona."
“Being named the new head coach for the first-ever University of Arizona Women’s Hockey team is a tremendous honor," said Hogan. "There is definitely a sense of pride and responsibility in being involved in building the foundation of this new team…I can’t wait to hit the ice."
According to the ACHA's announcement on the new program, "The program will be dedicated to accelerating the growth of women’s hockey in Arizona, while also ensuring more young women have the opportunity to experience the benefits that the sport offers."
The team will open their tenure in the Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League Conference in the Fall of 2024 playing at the Tuscon convention Center before moving to the Mosaic Quarter Ice Plex when it is completed in 2025.