Augustana breaks ground on $40 million hockey arena

Augustana University held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday for its $40 million Midco Arena, facilitated by a lead gift from T. Denny Sanford, Midco and Sanford Health. It will be the home for the Vikings' Division I men's hockey program — set to take the ice for the 2023-24 season.

"Hockey is the right program at the right time for where Augustana is now, and it's just been so affirming because of all the enthusiasm that our campus, alumni, community and donors have expressed," Augustana President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin said.

Plans call for Midco Arena to have 3,000 seats plus luxury suites. Augustana hopes to hire a men's hockey coach by May 2022.

Junior Nathan Smith and senior Dryden McKay of Minnesota State Mankato were named Central Collegiate Hockey Association forward and goalie of the week, respectively. Smith, a center, had two goals and three assists as the Mavericks swept defending NCAA champion Massachusetts 2-0 and 6-3 last weekend on the road. McKay stopped 37 of 40 shots in the two games.

The Mavericks, who moved up four spots to No. 1 the USCHO.com poll this week, will host No. 2 St. Cloud State in a pair of nonconference contests Friday and Saturday. Both teams are 2-0.

• Gophers offensive lineman Conner Olson was selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award — an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.

• The Gophers' Bethany Hasz was named the Big Ten women's cross country athlete of the week after placing 10th at Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational last Friday in the women's Blue Division 5K (16:31.6). Minnesota was fifth in the team standings and moved up one spot to No. 6 in this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's national coaches' poll.

• Four MIAC players were selected for D3football.com's team of the week: Augsburg wide receiver Dominic Smith, Bethel safety Nate Farm, and two Carleton players: cornerback Ryan McGregor and return specialist Travis Brown.