Dwyer Arena

On May 9, 1995, Niagara University officials proudly announced their intention to construct an on-campus ice arena for the purposes of bringing varsity hockey to the school. 366 days later, that vision became reality when the $6 million NU Ice Complex had its grand opening on May 10, 1996.

The new facility welcomed the brand-new men’s hockey team to the ice for the first time on October 29, 1996. The Purple Eagles hosted Hobart in the arena’s first game and defeated the Statesmen, 12-6. In their first season, Niagara christened the rink with five consecutive wins and went 7-0-2 on home ice before Elmira handed them their first-ever home loss on January 31, 1997. Home ice advantage proved to be a legitimate concern for teams coming to Monteagle Ridge, as the Purple Eagles lost just one home game in each of their first two seasons at the NU Ice Complex.

In 1998, Robert and Connie Dwyer (’65) pledged $3 million to the university for the purposes of expanding the arena and further developing the fledgling hockey programs. To show gratitude for the generous donation, the NU Ice Complex was renamed Dwyer Arena ahead of the 1998-99 season.

On February 11, 2006, the Purple Eagles defeated Air Force by a 5-1 score. Niagara would then go 19-0-2 in its the next 21 games at Dwyer, a 22-game unbeaten streak that set a program record that lasted until November 30, 2008. By the time the streak came to an end, the Purple Eagles had pieced together the fifth-longest home unbeaten streak in NCAA history.

Exactly six years after Niagara started its run against Air Force, the Purple Eagles and Falcons skated to a 3-3 tie, initiating another impressive home streak that lasted until October 5, 2013. Niagara went 19-0-3 in that span before Clarkson ended the run at 22 games, tying the program mark set five years prior and once again matching the fifth-longest home undefeated streak ever in the NCAA. The 2012-13 Purple Eagles finished with the best regular season record in Atlantic Hockey and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.