Maryville Opens Its Division I Transition Season Friday, and Breaks Ground on a Bigger Home to Match

Maryville University men's hockey opens its NCAA Division I transition season Friday, Sept. 25, the first game of a schedule built to prepare the program for full Division I status. A few hours earlier, at the same rink, the university will break ground on the building that transition is meant to fill. "Our student-athletes, past and present, believed in what we were building long before there was a shovel in the ground," said John Hogan, Assistant Athletic Director for Hockey and Head Coach. "Friday is a chance to celebrate what they helped start and take another major step forward for the future of Maryville Hockey and the University as a whole."

The groundbreaking for cutting-edge upgrades to the Maryville University Hockey Center, marking major milestones for the university's rising NCAA Division I hockey program. The ceremony begins at 5 p.m. at 18383 Chesterfield Airport Road. The Homecoming pep rally runs from 5 to 7 p.m., and the Saints face Midland at 7:30. More than 1,200 fans are expected to attend the Black Out game.

Vantage Credit Union, the founding partner of the Division I move, will be on the shovel line with students, alumni and Maryville University leaders. "Vantage has been proud to serve this region since 1957, and Maryville's Division I hockey program is an exciting addition to metro St. Louis," said Eric Acree, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vantage Credit Union.

Vantage committed in February, the largest gift so far to Maryville's $5.5 million campaign to take the program to Division I. The same partnership supports financial literacy workshops and Vantage serves as the Hockey Center's exclusive financial institution sponsor. "Having our name on the ice is an honor, but we go far deeper in our partnership by offering workshops, scholarships and financial wellness experiences for students," said Michael Gatrell, Chief Growth and Revenue Officer at Vantage Credit Union.

The transition schedule runs 26 games, 18 of them against NCAA Division I opponents. Friday opens with ACHA Division I action against Midland before the Saints travel to Yale and Princeton, play Lake Superior State and Ferris State in early November, and meet cross town Lindenwood for the first time in the new era. Maryville completes the move to full NCAA Division I Hockey status.

The project sits inside the Saints Plan, Maryville's strategic commitment to learn deeply, serve boldly and lead with heart, and to build partnerships that strengthen the St. Louis region. "Friday is the start of the transition our players have been working toward, and this groundbreaking makes it official," said Brittany Clarke Fennell, Vice President of Athletics and Recreation at Maryville University. "While this is Maryville's milestone, it's equally a story for all of St. Louis."

About Maryville University

Founded in 1872, Maryville University is a comprehensive and nationally ranked private institution with an enrollment of well over 9,000 students. Maryville offers over 90 degrees at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels, as well as several certificates that align with the undergraduate and graduate education levels. Maryville is recognized as the third fastest-growing private university in the United States by The Chronicle of Higher Education, serving students from 50 states and 56 countries. More than 50,000 Maryville alumni globally, many of whom work and live in the St. Louis region.

About Vantage Credit Union

Vantage Credit Union is a leading, full-service financial institution with over $1 billion in assets and 68,000 member-owners. The credit union's 14 locations serve 19 counties in eastern Missouri, including St. Louis County, St. Louis City and St. Charles County, along with Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois. Vantage Credit Union believes financial services should make life easier, not more complicated. Since 1957, Vantage has put members first with solutions designed to save time, save money and reduce financial stress.