Central Maine Community College is again expanding its athletic department. The Auburn school’s president, Betsey Libby, announced Wednesday that CMCC will be adding a women’s hockey program that will begin play in the 2024-25 season.

The plan is for the Mustangs to compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association, which includes nearly 90 women’s hockey programs across two divisions, and practice and play at nearby Norway Savings Bank Arena.

In 2015, Central Maine CC revived its men’s hockey program for the 2016-17 season.

“Our men’s hockey program has been an incredible addition to CM, attracting talented student-athletes from all over the country and internationally. Our women’s program will do the same and share the enjoyable and competitive experience within the ACHA,” Libby said in a school news release. “The Norway Savings Bank Arena is the perfect facility, less than a mile from campus.”

In the past five years, CMCC’s athletic department has added golf, track and field and esports. The school also offers men’s and women’s basketball, soccer and cross country, as well as softball, baseball and women’s volleyball.

Central Maine intends to hire a women’s hockey coach during the upcoming school year. Dave Gonyea, the school’s athletic director and men’s basketball coach, is seeking a coach able to recruit and build the program from scratch.

“The hockey coach will spend the first year recruiting and making sure the team will be ready to go when the 2024-25 season starts,” Gonyea said in the news release.

The Mustangs likely will play an independent schedule during their first season. The news release lists club teams from Bentley, UConn, Holy Cross, Boston College, Boston University, Assumption, Northeastern and the University of New Hampshire as potential opponents.

Marc Gosselin, Auburn’s Executive Director of Community Partnerships and Sports Tourism, said that the Mustangs women’s hockey team will be a strong addition to the Auburn-Lewiston area.

“We have experienced significant increase of interest and participation in girls hockey, and having a collegiate women’s hockey program skating at the arena full-time will further promote this,” Gosselin said.