Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena (Plattsburgh city)

the 3,500-seat Stafford Ice Arena is part of the Plattsburgh State Fieldhouse complex.

The arena was officially changed to its current namesake in 1987 to honor longtime New York Senator Ronald. B. Stafford, who retired in 2002 after more than 30 years of public service and support of the College and the North Country.

The ice surface is 185 feet x 85 feet, surrounded by professional-height tempered glass and new boards. The arena boasts a state-of-the-art sound system, four-panel LED scoreboard and two elevated press boxes for television, radio and newspaper coverage.

Plattsburgh State has led the nation in Division III men's hockey total home attendance in six of the last 10 seasons, drawing more crowds than many Division I programs. The school record of 4,000 fans has been reached on 10 occasions. International exhibition matches against teams from Russia and Sweden have been played in front of sellout crowds at the arena.

On the women's side, the Cardinals set a Division III regular-season record with 1,736 in a 4-1 win over Middlebury on Feb. 8, 2006; and the 2007 NCAA championship game outdrew its male counterpart by 300. Plattsburgh has defeated women's opponents at a rate of 92.6 percent and lost only five times in 88 games on home ice.

Stafford Arena has hosted five NCAA Championships, including three men's tournaments and two women's. Major remodeling work in the arena is slated for summer 2008 when bleachers will be replaced by stadium-style seating and outfitted with new dasher boards, benches and glass. This past summer, new light fixtures were installed and the walls were painted.

web.plattsburgh.edu/athletics/facilities/stafford.php