LA BAHN ARENA
sin's men's and women's hockey teams have plenty of hardware in their trophy cases. The latest trophy for Wisconsin hockey comes in the form of La Bahn Arena, the new facility that is taking shape adjacent to the Kohl Center and re- cenly passed the halfway point of construction. Construction began last April with a sched-
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uled opening this October, when it will become the new home for UW's hockey and swimming and diving teams. The facility will connect to the Kohl Center via an underground tunnel, so the hockey teams can easily skate at both venues. The new arena's impact will be widespread:
all four programs will have new locker rooms, the women's hockey coaches will have new offic- es, and the hockey teams will have a permanent practice facility. Additionally, with its approxi- mately 2,400 seats, the new arena will host most of the women's hockey team's games.
44 ยป VARSITY FEBRUARY 9, 2012
ith 10 national championships and 17 WCHA regular season and playoff championships be- tween the two teams, Wiscon-
The underground locker room area for both
hockey teams includes a complete athletic train- ing room with hot and cold pools, and each locker room suite has a sauna, lounge and video classroom. In the past, the men's hockey team split practice time between the Kohl Center and the off-campus Bob Johnson Hockey Facility at the Alliant Energy Center. The women's hockey team practiced at The Shell, adjacent to Camp Randall Stadium, and competed at the Kohl Center. La Bahn Arena gives both teams one lo- cation to practice and compete. The swimming teams will have a new locker
room and lounge area, as well as their own sports medicine room. A skywalk will run directly from the swimming locker rooms on the second floor to the pools in the SERF. We had a chance to tour the new arena bowl
and hockey locker rooms, and it was easy to tell the venue will be a great benefit to Wisconsin hockey. The following photos and video provide a glimpse into what will become one of the finest hockey facilities in college athletics.
