Bridgewater Ice Arena - Stonehill Skyhawks Women's Hockey
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43
Bridgewater Ice Arena
20 Bedford Park
Bridgewater, MA 02324
Year Opened: 1995
Capacity: 500
A Hawks Nest - For Now
Stonehill began sponsoring women’s hockey in the 2022-23 season. The Skyhawks are members of the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance, a conference consisting of eight mostly former members of Division Two’s Northeast-10 Conference. The conference competes at the Division One level since the NCAA does not recognize D-2 hockey. The Skyhawks won the NEWHA conference tournament in 2024.
When Stonehill began competing at the D-1 level, both their men and women’s teams played their home games at the off-campus Bridgewater Ice Arena. This public rink, located 12 miles from the Stonehill campus, features two NHL-sized rinks, a full-service café and seating for 500. The complex also plays host to numerous high school teams as well as the Bridgewater Bandits of the USPHL. In 2024 the men’s team began playing a portion of their schedule at Warrior Ice Arena in Boston, and now plays their entire schedule there. The women’s team will play an occasional big game at Warrior, such as their game against Boston College to open the 2026-27 season.
Stonehill, which used the nickname “Chieftains” for decades, changed their mascot to the Skyhawks in 2005 to honor the type of planes used by the Navy at the airfield located on campus until 1955.
On May 28, 2025 Stonehill College announced that due to a record $15 million donation from Tom (class of ’72) and Kathleen Bogan, planning has begun on a new hockey and basketball arena on campus. In recognition of their philanthropy, the arena will be known as the Tom and Kathleen Bogan Arena. There is currently no timeline for construction of the arena.
Food & Beverage 2
There is a snack bar located at the back end of the lobby. The menu here isn’t as extensive as other snack bars you’ll find in community rinks, but there are enough choices here to keep all fans satisfied. A combination of breakfast and lunch foods are available here.
Breakfast sandwiches, wraps and prepackaged salads can be purchased here. If you’re just looking for a snack, an assortment of muffins, candy, popcorn and pop tarts are available for purchase. Pepsi products are featured, with hot chocolate and coffee popular choices in this chilly rink. Many fans bring their own beverages in, with lots of Dunkin’ coffee observed in the stands. There are also vending machines in the lobby should the snack bar not be open during your visit.
Atmosphere 1
The game day atmosphere at a Stonehill hockey game is a bare bones one to be sure. With the facility’s physical limitations, you wouldn’t really expect anything more. A simple scoreboard at the far end displays basic game information, and the sound system is in serious need of some TLC. The PA announcer goes about his business in an understated manner, but can be difficult to understand given the sound system on hand. There are no promos or contests during the game to distract and there is little to no noise from the sparse crowd in attendance.
There is little here to even show fans that a Division One hockey team plays here. The USPHL’s Bridgewater Bandits take precedence here, with a sign signifying that they are the main tenant here posted on Bedford Street. Banners along the side of the rink honor all the youth teams that call BIA home. The pro shop here sells Bandits and Northeast Generals gear, but no Stonehill swag. The only mention that the Skyhawks even play here are a pair of banners hung on a far corner of the rink. At least the Skyhawks have their logo painted at center ice.
Neighborhood 2
Given Bridgewater Ice Arena’s location in an industrial park, you wouldn’t expect any attractions or lodging options in the immediate vicinity of the rink. However, there are places to be found a short drive away. Downtown Bridgewater is about two and a half miles away to the north, with Route 44, a local route which connects Providence with Plymouth, passing by three and a half miles to the south. Numerous dining and lodging options can be found in either direction. Barrett’s Alehouse and Fireside Grille are local favorites located close to Bridgewater Ice Arena.
Visitors to Stonehill looking to explore more than just the immediate neighborhood may gravitate to Boston, a 45-minute ride north or Cape Cod, a 30-minute ride to the southeast. A half-hour drive can also bring you to the historic seaside towns of Plymouth or New Bedford. Visitors to the area will find plenty to do in any of these locations, even during the winter months of the hockey season.
Fans 2
Stonehill’s reported attendance is approximately 150 fans per game about a month in to the 2026-27 season. We’ll take this figure as reliable, as Stadium Journey visited the BIA on an Friday evening with a crowd of about 100 fans in attendance. This makes the crowds at Stonehill pretty comparable in size to other women’s programs in the area.
This is what we at Stadium Journey like to call a “friends and family” crowd. Most of the fans in attendance appear to have a connection with the players on the ice. With the BIA located a dozen miles from campus, there is little to no representation from the student body at games.
Access 4
Bridgewater Ice Arena is located 12 miles from the Stonehill campus in suburban Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Situated in a small industrial park just off Route 18, it is very easy to get to from any direction. Interstate 495 passes just a few miles to the south of the rink. Directions to the rink can be found here.
There is plenty of free parking in the lot adjacent to the facility. The Skyhawks play in the east rink, one of two rinks in the facility, which will be on your right as you enter the lobby. Seating consists of metal bleachers that run along the length of once side of the rink. There is some standing room at the near end of the ice. Nets are hung at both offensive zones, but the center sections are free from obstruction. Rest rooms are located just off the lobby and are more than large enough for a typical Stonehill hockey crowd.
Be warned that the rink is very chilly, so dress appropriately. You’ll see lots of hot beverages, blankets and winter coats at the BIA. Fans will often head for the lobby (or even outside) during intermission to warm up.
Return on Investment 5
There is no charge to watch a Skyhawks hockey game. Parking is also free in the arena parking lot. It’s entirely possible to go to a Division One hockey game without spending a cent. Even if you decide to get a snack while at the game, you certainly won’t be breaking the bank.
Extras 1
There isn’t a whole lot going on at a Skyhawks hockey game that can be considered extra. At the far end of the rink are some banners honoring the Skyhawks’ conference titles since their inception in 2022.
Final Thoughts
Bridgewater Ice Arena turned out to be too small for the growing men’s hockey program, but for now, it’s the right size for the fledgling women’s Skyhawks. A bigger nest is planned for them to move into soon, but for now, the BIA suits these hawks just fine.
