Established | 1991 |
---|---|
Type | Chartered non-profit corporation |
Purpose | Sport governing body |
Location |
|
President | Paul Hebert |
Executive Director | Craig Barnett |
Website | www |
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a college ice hockey association. The ACHA's purpose is to be an organization of collegiate affiliated programs, which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes quality in collegiate ice hockey. The ACHA currently has three men's and two women's divisions and includes approximately 450 teams from across the United States and Canada. Most ACHA teams offer few athletic scholarships and typically receive far less university funding. The ACHA offers an opportunity for college hockey programs that struggle with large budgets and Title IX issues, as an alternative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) financial structure. [1]
The interest in college hockey has grown as the game of hockey has grown in the United States. But as aggressively as the sport has grown at the grass-roots level, the number of NCAA programs has not expanded as rapidly to meet the demand as these youth players reach college and look to extend their hockey-playing experience. This is why the ACHA level was created.
The ACHA's primary mission is to support the growth of two-year and four-year collegiate hockey programs nationwide. The ACHA identifies standards that serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level. The ACHA emphasizes academic performance, institutional sanction, eligibility criteria, and standards of play and opportunities for national competition, and the ACHA promotes all aspects of collegiate hockey stressing the personal development of individual athletes as well as national recognition for member organizations. In order to do this, the ACHA has developed organizational by-laws and a Policies and Procedures Manual to provide the policy foundation for the organization as it works to fulfill its purpose. These documents are reviewed yearly at the ACHA's annual meeting.
The ACHA's policies cover team and player eligibility, rules of play, ranking procedures, national tournament procedures, and other administrative issues, although the ACHA parallels the NCAA Division III with most eligibility requirements, recruitment processes, gameplay rules, etc. The league holds its annual meeting in conjunction with the annual convention of the American Hockey Coaches Association, in the month of April in Naples, Florida.
The ACHA was established on April 20, 1991. Fifteen charter members met during the Chicago Showcase in Skokie, Illinois at the North Shore Hilton. These member teams had been playing college hockey for many years but wished to legitimize its play by standardizing some of its procedures.
The members that created the organization were Tom Keegan (ACHA), Al Murdoch (Iowa State), Joe Battista (Penn State), Jim Gilmore (Ohio), Ernie Ferrari (Stanford), Howard Jenks (California), Jeff Aikens (North Dakota State), Don Spencer (West Virginia), Jim Barry (Navy), Scott Fuller (Navy), Leo Golembiewski (Arizona), Ron Starr (DePaul), Cary Adams (PCHA), Jim Warden (PCHA) and Jack White (UCLA).
The inaugural year of the ACHA was the 1991–1992 season. The goal of the organization was to create an impartial governing body to monitor national tournaments, player eligibility, and general oversight. Over the years the ACHA quickly grew to over 150 teams in three men's divisions.
A Women's Division was added in 2000 with a second Women's division being added for the 2006–2007 season.
By the 2001–2002 season, marking their 10th anniversary, the ACHA had a total of 179 teams registered with 33 teams in Division I, 100 teams in Division II, 18 teams in Division III, and 20 teams in the Women's Division.
By the 2002–2003 season that number raised to over 250 teams, with Division III adding over 80 teams alone.
By the 2003–2004 season the number raised to 278 teams: 40 teams in D-I, 124 teams in D-II, 87 teams in D-III, and 27 teams in the Women's Division.
By the summer of 2007 ACHA membership had reached 360 teams (M1-54, M2-190, M3-139, W1-32, W2-8), that cover 48 of the 50 states.
During the summer of 2009 the University of Alaska Fairbanks established a Women's Division II team becoming the 49th state in the ACHA. Hawaii is currently the only state without an ACHA team.
Every year since 2003, the Men's Division I Showcase has been an event that features some of the top teams in the ACHA.
ACHA partners with Fasthockey.com to broadcast many of the league's games. [2]
In 2017, the ACHA adopted a new hosting format for holding the annual National Championship Tournament for all Men's & Women's Divisions. Then ACHA Executive Director Michael Walley championed an idea to hold all of the ACHA's National Championship Tournaments in one major U.S. city, in partnership with that city's National Hockey League (NHL) team. The inaugural year saw the 2017 ACHA National Championship Tournament Festival held in Columbus, Ohio, in partnership with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. Then ACHA Executive Director Michael Walley assumed the role of Tournament Director for the inaugural tournament, Andy Storz was placed in the role of National Tournament Manager-Game Day Hockey Operations/P.A. Announcer/Anthem Soloist, while Fasthockey.com handled broadcasting. In July 2017, after undergoing a nationwide search, Russ Slagle was selected by the ACHA's Board of Directors and appointed to fill the vacant staff position of ACHA National Tournament Director, and A.J. Boldan was placed in the role of National Tournament Manager-Broadcast Operations/Executive Producer in conjunction with the ACHA opting to engineer its own National Tournament broadcasts on a newly launched YouTube channel "ACHA National Championships".
The ACHA includes both Men's and Women's Divisions. The Men's side is made up of three Divisions: 1, 2, and 3. Division 3 was the last to be established in 1999. Each division has its own distinguishing set of guidelines which are explained below. The Women's side has two divisions. Division 1 began in 2000 and Division 2 is the most recent addition to the ACHA with its inception in 2006.
Despite most teams' non-varsity status, the caliber of ACHA play can be quite high, especially in Division 1. Many large universities that do not sponsor hockey at the NCAA varsity level have become powerhouses, such as Ohio University, Adrian College, and Lindenwood University. Additionally, several universities that do sponsor NCAA varsity hockey teams also field ACHA-affiliated teams. Of all non-varsity sports activities, the ACHA-affiliated hockey teams generally garner the most attention at their universities, such as Missouri State where it is the third-largest spectator sport. The same can be said for the Arizona and University of Georgia who draw the third-largest fan base behind football and basketball. [ citation needed ]
All ACHA teams are members of USA Hockey and the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA).
ACHA Men's Division 1 comprises 72 teams as of the 2023–2024 season. Some of these teams also compete against NCAA Hockey D1 and D3 Schools throughout the pre-season in informal exhibition games. Nine conferences and Independent teams compete annually for the Murdoch Cup, which is awarded to the Men's ACHA Division 1 National Champion. Twenty teams compete in the National Tournament. These top-twenty teams are ranked/selected by way of computer rankings, and as determined by auto-berths from the seven regular-season Conference champions. At Nationals, teams ranked 1–12 all receive first-round byes, with teams ranked 13–20 matching up 20 vs 13 (etc.), for the rights to play in the second-round in pre-determined bracket slots. Since 2012, two teams (Penn State and Arizona State) have moved from ACHA to NCAA Division I. A third, Lindenwood moved up in 2022.
Conferences
ACHA Men's Division 2 is currently the largest division in the ACHA, it includes approximately 200 teams in 12 conferences and Independents. These teams are divided into four Regions (Central, Northeast, Southeast and West). A total of 16 teams qualify for the National Tournament, four from each region. Each month of the season a ranking of the top 15 teams in region is released. After the final ranking in February the top two seeds from each region earn an automatic berth into Nationals. Seeds 3–10 compete in their respective single-elimination Regional Tournaments, with the two teams who win both of their games also earning a Nationals berth. The National Tournament is a pool play format with the winners of each pool advancing to the semifinals. The semifinal match-ups are the winner of Pool A vs. Pool C and Pool B vs. Pool D.
Conferences
ACHA Men's Division 3 consists of approximately 140 teams in nine conferences and Independents. These teams are also divided into four Regions (Atlantic, North, Pacific and South). A total of 16 teams qualify for the National Tournament in the same manner as Division 2. The National Tournament has also been conducted in the same manner as Division 2 since 2010. Before that it was single elimination and every team played four games. The one exception is the semifinals match-ups. The winner of Pool A plays the winner of Pool B and the winner of Pool C plays the winner of Pool D.
Conferences
ACHA Women's Division 1 includes 25 teams for the 2019–20 season, with all but independent Wisconsin playing in one of the four WD1 conferences. Eight teams qualify for the national tournament each season: automatic bids are awarded to the playoff champions of the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association, the Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League and Women's Midwest College Hockey, with the remainder of the field filled out by the highest-placing teams from the last of a series of weekly computer rankings. At nationals, the eight teams are paired off by ranking (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc.) for a best-of-three first round, with the winners of those series advancing to the semifinals.
Conferences
ACHA Women's Division 2 includes 51 teams for the 2019–20 season, with a majority standing as a member of one of four conferences. All teams are sorted into the Northeast Region (13 teams), the Southeast Region (19 teams), or the West Region (19 teams). At the end of the year, the top four teams from each region in the final edition of a monthly computer ranking are invited to the ACHA National Tournament. The WD2 tournament differs from WD1 in that teams are divided into four pools and play a round robin, with the pool winners advancing to the semifinals.
Northeast Region Conference
Southeast Region Conferences
West Region Conference
Players are selected from only ACHA Men's D1 to represent USA Hockey in the Winter World University Games, an IIHF and FISU event. ACHA Men's D2 and D3 division created the Select Teams to offer opportunities for the other Men division's to experience International hockey and they are ACHA events.
The Division 2 & Division 3 Selects Teams alternate going over to Europe each year during the Holiday Break to play European teams. The players are chosen from a round robin tournament in the spring usually in Pennsylvania. The tournament pits each conference's elite players against each other.
The original ACHA logo was created by Dave Kammerdeiner of the West Virginia University Art Department under the direction of Don Spencer for a cost of $50.
In August 2003, the ACHA held an official contest to design a new logo, with the winning school receiving free registration for the 2003–2004 season. The University of Washington's Husky Hockey team won the contest, with former graphic-design intern Tom Eykemans designing the new version of the logo (as shown above).
Team | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Penn State | 6 | 1990, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 |
Lindenwood | 4 | 2009, 2010, 2016, 2022 |
Ohio | 4 | 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004 |
Adrian College | 3 | 2018, 2021, 2024 |
Minot State | 3 | 2013, 2019, 2023 |
North Dakota State | 3 | 1991, 1993, 1994 |
Central Oklahoma | 2 | 2015, 2017 |
Illinois | 2 | 2005, 2008 |
Arizona State | 1 | 2014 |
Delaware | 1 | 2012 |
Davenport | 1 | 2011 |
Oakland | 1 | 2007 |
Rhode Island | 1 | 2006 |
Iowa State | 1 | 1992 |
Team | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Life University | 5 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 |
Florida Gulf Coast | 4 | 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019 |
Michigan State | 3 | 2005, 2007, 2013 |
Davenport | 3 | 2008, 2009, 2010 |
Mary | 2 | 2021, 2022 |
NYU | 2 | 2015, 2017 |
Oakland | 2 | 2004, 2006 |
Indiana | 1 | 2024 |
Massachusetts | 1 | 2023 |
New Hampshire | 1 | 2014 |
Grand Valley State | 1 | 2011 |
Colorado | 1 | 2003 |
Miami (OH) | 1 | 2000 |
Western Michigan | 1 | 1996 |
Colorado State | 1 | 1995 |
Ferris State | 1 | 1994 |
Buffalo State | 1 | 1993 |
Toledo | 1 | 1992 |
Team | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Hope College | 3 | 2018, 2021, 2022 |
Adrian College | 3 | 2012, 2013, 2014 |
Saginaw Valley State | 2 | 2009, 2010 |
Lawrence Tech | 1 | 2024 |
Michigan | 1 | 2023 |
Sault College | 1 | 2019 |
Aquinas College | 1 | 2017 |
Oakland | 1 | 2016 |
Michigan State | 1 | 2015 |
College of the Canyons | 1 | 2011 |
California University (PA) | 1 | 2008 |
Kennesaw State | 1 | 2007 |
Wright State | 1 | 2006 |
Colorado | 1 | 2005 |
Calvin | 1 | 2004 |
Muskegon College | 1 | 2003 |
Robert Morris (PA) | 1 | 2002 |
Wyoming | 1 | 2001 |
Butler | 1 | 2000 |
Team | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Liberty | 6 | 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
Lindenwood | 4 | 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 |
Miami University | 3 | 2014, 2016, 2017 |
Michigan State | 2 | 2003, 2011 |
Robert Morris (IL) | 2 | 2005, 2007 |
Wisconsin | 2 | 2002, 2004 |
Adrian College | 1 | 2024 |
Minnesota | 1 | 2013 |
Northeastern | 1 | 2012 |
St. Cloud State | 1 | 2001 |
37 teams have appeared in the ACHA Tournament in at least one year starting with 2001 (the first year that the ACHA sponsored a women's division). The results for all years are shown in this table below.
The code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament:
APP | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20† | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
School | |||||||||||||||||||||
Michigan State | 17 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |||
Massachusetts | 16 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | ||||
Michigan | 13 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 | |||||||
Rhode Island | 12 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 7 | ||||||||
Robert Morris (IL) | 11 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||
Liberty | 11 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
Minnesota | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||||||||||
Colorado | 9 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 8 | |||||||||||
Lindenwood | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||
Grand Valley State | 7 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||||||
Penn State | 7 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||||||
Adrian | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||||
Wisconsin | 6 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||||||||
Western Michigan | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||||||
Miami | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
Lindenwood–Belleville | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
St. Cloud State | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
Northern Michigan | 4 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||
Northeastern | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
Maryland | 2 | 4 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
West LA College | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
Connecticut | 2 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
McKendree | 2 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
Arizona State | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
Pittsburgh | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
Boston University | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
Bates College | 1 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
Iowa State | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
Pennsylvania | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
North Country CC | 1 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
Buffalo | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
North Dakota State | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||
Norwich | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||
Nichols | 1 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||
Ohio State | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||
Midland | 1 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||
Minot State | 1 | 2 |
† Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Number shown is the team's final regular season ranking/seeding.
Year | National Champion | Runner Up | Location |
---|---|---|---|
2006–2007 | St. Scholastica | Minnesota-Duluth | Amherst, MA |
2007–2008 | Rainy River CC | Minnesota-Duluth | Bensenville, IL |
2008–2009 | Rainy River CC | St. Scholastica | Rochester, NY |
2009–2010 | Northeastern | Rainy River CC | Blaine, MN |
2010–2011 | Rainy River CC | West Chester | Kalamazoo, MI |
2011–2012 | Wisconsin–Stout | Alaska | Wooster, OH |
2012–2013 | West Chester | Penn State | Ashburn, VA |
2013–2014 | Iowa State | Penn State | Newark, DE |
2014–2015 | North Dakota State | West Chester | York, PA |
2015–2016 | Minnesota–Duluth | Rainy River CC | Kalamazoo, MI |
2016–2017 | Lakehead | North Dakota State | Columbus, OH |
2017–2018 | Lakehead | Minot State | Columbus, OH |
2018–2019 | Assiniboine CC | Minot State | Frisco, TX |
2019–2020 | Tournament not played † | Frisco, TX | |
2020-2021 | Tournament not played † | N/A | |
2021-2022 | Assiniboine CC | Dakota College | St. Louis, MO |
2022-2023 | Sault College | Northeastern | Marlborough, MA |
2023-2024 | Sault College | Assiniboine CC | Boston, MA |
Team | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Rainy River CC | 3 | 2008, 2009, 2011 |
Sault College | 2 | 2023, 2024 |
Assiniboine CC | 2 | 2019, 2022 |
Lakehead | 2 | 2017, 2018 |
Minnesota-Duluth | 1 | 2016 |
North Dakota State | 1 | 2015 |
Iowa State | 1 | 2014 |
West Chester | 1 | 2013 |
Wisconsin–Stout | 1 | 2012 |
Northeastern | 1 | 2010 |
St. Scholastica | 1 | 2007 |
37 teams have appeared in the ACHA Tournament in at least one year starting with 2007, the first year for Women's Division 2. The results for all years are shown in this table below, other than missing data for the third-place games from 2007 and 2009.
The code in each cell represents the furthest the team made it in the respective tournament:
APP | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20† | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
School | |||||||||||||||
Delaware | 10 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
North Dakota State | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4W | ||||||
Rainy River CC | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |||||||
Minnesota–Duluth | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 5 | ||||||||
California (PA) | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 8 | |||||||||
Buffalo | 5 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 5 | |||||||||
Northeastern | 4 | 1 | 8 | 4NE | |||||||||||
West Chester | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||
Northern Michigan | 4 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3W | ||||||||||
Lakehead | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2W | ||||||||||
Boston College | 4 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 1NE | ||||||||||
South Dakota State | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||||||||||||
St. Scholastica | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||
Alaska | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |||||||||||
Minot State | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
Assiniboine CC | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1W | |||||||||||
Vermont | 2 | 6 | 3NE | ||||||||||||
Wisconsin–Stout | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
Penn State | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||
Iowa State | 2 | 1 | 11 | ||||||||||||
Michigan State | 2 | 7 | 4 | ||||||||||||
Navy | 2 | 8 | 4SE | ||||||||||||
Bishop's | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||
Adrian | 2 | 9 | 10 | ||||||||||||
Liberty | 2 | 10 | 2SE | ||||||||||||
Mercyhurst | 2 | 9 | 3SE | ||||||||||||
Rowan | 2 | 12 | 1SE | ||||||||||||
Bates College | 1 | 3 | |||||||||||||
Pennsylvania | 1 | 2NE | |||||||||||||
Connecticut | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||||
Slippery Rock | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||
Wisconsin–La Crosse | 1 | 5 | |||||||||||||
Miami | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||||
Aquinas | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||||
Villanova | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||||
Loyola Chicago | 1 | 11 | |||||||||||||
Montclair State | 1 | 12 | |||||||||||||
New Hampshire | 1 | 2NE |
† Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Number shown is the team's final regular season ranking/seeding.
The Zoë M. Harris Award is given to the player of the year in each ACHA women's division.
Year | Division 1 | Division 2 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Player | School | Player | School | |
2000–2001 | Jennifer Horton [4] | Arizona State | ||
2001–2002 | Andrea Lavelle | Penn State | ||
2002–2003 | Erin Ficken | Wisconsin | ||
2003–2004 | Stephanie Metcalf | Colorado | ||
2004–2005 | Krista Sleen [5] | Robert Morris (IL) | ||
2005–2006 | Kat Hannah [6] | Lindenwood | ||
2006–2007 | Savannah Varner [7] | Robert Morris (IL) | Natalie Domagala [8] | South Dakota State |
2007–2008 | Kat Hannah [9] | Lindenwood | ||
2008–2009 | Maura Grainger | Massachusetts | ||
2009–2010 | Becca Bernet [10] | Lindenwood | Natalie Domagala [11] | South Dakota State |
2010–2011 | Danielle McCutcheon [12] | Robert Morris (IL) | Brenley Anderson [13] | Rainy River CC |
2011–2012 | Ramey Weaver [14] | Robert Morris (IL) | Brie Scolaro [15] | Delaware |
2012–2013 | Cassie Catlow [16] | Rhode Island | Becky Dobson | West Chester |
2013–2014 | Hayley Williams [17] | Robert Morris (IL) | Kacie Johnson [18] | North Dakota State |
2014–2015 | Hayley Williams | Miami University | Kacie Johnson | North Dakota State |
2015–2016 | Brittani Lanzilli | Massachusetts | Sam Jenkins | Central Michigan |
2016–2017 | Kaley Mooney | Miami University | Allison Carlson | Northern Michigan |
2017–2018 | Maddie Wolsmann | Michigan State | Mackenzie Balogh | Minot State |
2018–2019 | Lauren McDonald | Liberty | Madeline Norton | Buffalo |
2019–2020 | Maddie Wolsmann | Michigan State | Meghan Roche | Mercyhurst |
Player | Position | ACHA Team | Years | Professional Organizations Signed With | Years |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daniel Walcott [19] | D | Lindenwood (M1) | 2012–2013 | Selected #140 overall in the 5th round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL) | 2014-present |
Michael Lebler [20] | F | Iowa State (M1) | 2007–2011 | EHC Black Wings Linz (Erste Bank Eishockey Liga) | 2003–2013 |
Anton Lidemar [21] | F | Lindenwood (M1) | 2009–2010 | Başkent Yıldızları SK (Turkish Hockey SuperLig | 2010–2011 |
Adam Kubalski [22] | G | UCLA (M2) | 2003–2007 | KH Sanok, KH Zagłębie Sosnowiec, KTH Krynica (Polish Hockey Superleague) | 2007–2010 |
Justin Depretis [23] | F | Penn State (M1) | 2001–2006 | Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Wichita Thunder (CHL), Indiana Ice Miners (MAHL), Flint Generals (IHL), | 2006–2009 |
Tom Boudreau [24] | F | Robert Morris-Illinois (M2) | 2001–2005 | Huddinge IK (Swedish Division 1), Indiana Ice Miners (MAHL), Reading Royals (ECHL), Bakersfield Condors (ECHL), Wichita Thunder (CHL), Jersey Rockhoppers (EPHL), Mississippi Surge (SPHL), Dayton Gems (CHL) | 2006–2014 |
Curtiss Patrick [25] | D | Penn State (M1) | 2001–2004 | Johnstown Chiefs (ECHL), Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Wichita Thunder (CHL) | 2004–2009 |
Glenn Detulleo [26] | F | Iowa State (M1) | 2000–2001 | Essen Mosquitoes (Oberliga), Berlin Capitals (Oberliga), Missouri River Otters (UHL), Quad City Mallards (UHL), Vancouver Canucks (NHL), Kalamazoo Wings (IHL), Elmira Jackals (UHL), Wichita Thunder (CHL), Mississippi RiverKings (CHL), Huntsville Havoc (SPHL) | 1995–2012 |
Mark Scally [27] | G | Penn State (M1) | 1996–2000 | Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL), Asheville Smoke (UHL), Johnstown Chiefs (ECHL), Texas Wildcatters (ECHL), Asheville Aces (SPHL), Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL) | 2000–2006 |
Cody Stackmann-Staves [28] | D | Pitt-Greensburg (M3) | 2011–2013 | Steel City Warriors (FHL) | 2014–Present |
Ryan Lowe [29] | G | San Jose State (M2) | 2002–2007 | Utah Grizzlies (ECHL), San Jose Sharks (NHL), [30] Canberra Knights (AiHL) | 2007–2015 |
Justin Barr [31] | C | Northern Kentucky (M3) | 2006–2008 | Elmira Jackals (ECHL), Buffalo Sabres (NHL), Danville Dashers (FHL), Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) Anaheim Ducks (NHL), Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL), Cape Cod Bluefins (FHL), Fayetteville FireAntz (SPHL) | 2008–2014 |
Jonathan Juliano [32] | C | Davenport (M1) | 2010–2011 | Augusta RiverHawks (SPHL), Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL), Minnesota Wild (NHL), Danville Dashers (FHL), Dayton Demonz (FHL), Watertown Privateers (FHL), | 2011–Present |
Mike Sellitto [33] | RW | Florida Gulf Coast University (M2) | 2007–2010 | Louisiana Ice Gators (SPHL), Danbury Whalers (FHL), Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL), Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), New York Islanders (NHL) [34] | 2010–2012 |
Paul Kenny [35] | G | Rhode Island (M1) | 2010–2013 | Providence Bruins (AHL), Boston Bruins (NHL) | 2013–Present |
Tim Boyle [36] | D | Endicott College (M2) | 2014–2015 | Wichita Thunder (ECHL), Ottawa Senators (NHL), Selected #106 overall in the 4th round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators | 2015–Present |
Shawn Skelly | F | Adrian College (M3) | 2007–2011 | Toledo Walleye (ECHL), Alaska Aces (ECHL), Bakersfield Condors (ECHL), Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL), Wheeling Nailers (ECHL), Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) | 2011–Present |
Cesare Dall'Ara | G | Kent State University (M1) | 2012–2015 | Hc Neumarkt (Serie B), Sc Auer (Serie B) | 2015–Present |
Ryan Minkoff | F | University of Washington (M2) | 2010–2014 | Virkiä (2. Divisioona) | 2015–2016 |
College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America.
The Grand Valley State Lakers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Grand Valley State University, located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The GVSU Lakers compete at the NCAA Division II level and are members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
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The Western Collegiate Club Hockey Association (WCCHA) is a conference of men's club ice hockey teams from the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) competing at the Division II level. The participating teams come from colleges and universities in the Upper Midwest, including North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Teams in the WCCHA are primarily student-run sports clubs with limited University funding, requiring significant player dues and fundraising for team operation.
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks, commonly known as the IUP Crimson Hawks and formerly called the IUP Indians, are the varsity athletic teams that represent Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The university and all of its intercollegiate sports teams compete in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) within the NCAA Division II. The university sponsors 19 different teams, including eight teams for men and eleven teams for women: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's golf, women's lacrosse, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and women's volleyball.
The Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA) is a non-profit ice hockey league for college club teams based at Midwestern United States schools. It was formed in October 1996. CCWHA is the largest women's collegeiate league in North America. All teams in the league are also required to be members of the ACHA that provides the teams with USA Hockey insurance and other member benefits.
The Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League (ECWHL) is an American Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Division 1 club level hockey-only college athletic conference for women's hockey teams. It is one of four ACHA Women's Division 1 conferences, along with the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association, the Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League, and Women's Midwest College Hockey. Primarily, the league has been concentrated in New England and Upstate and Western New York, with eleven of its thirteen members over fourteen seasons based in those areas.
The Davenport Panthers are the athletic teams that represent Davenport University, located in Caledonia Township, Michigan, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) for most of its sports as a provisional member since the 2017–18 academic year. The Panthers previously competed in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2005–06 to 2016–17.
Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey, formerly known as the Penn State Icers, is a college ice hockey program that represents the Pennsylvania State University. Prior to the 2012–13 season the program was designated a club sport and competed at the ACHA Division I level. PSU was previously a member of the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL, although the team competed as an independent ACHA D-I member for the 2011–12 season before moving to the NCAA D-I level. They play at the Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
The Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey team represents Lindenwood University located in St. Charles, Missouri. The Lady Lions participate in NCAA Division I competition as a member of the Atlantic Hockey America (AHA) conference. The team played with no conference affiliation as an Independent program for its first season of NCAA competition. Lindenwood joined College Hockey America (CHA), a women-only conference, beginning in the 2012–13 season. After the 2023–24 season, CHA and the men-only Atlantic Hockey Association merged to create Atlantic Hockey America. Prior to 2011 the university was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), because the organization does not sponsor women's ice hockey, the program competed in the American Collegiate Hockey Association at the ACHA Division I level.
The Colonial States College Hockey Conference (CSCHC) is a non-varsity club college ice hockey league based in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The conference is part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 and is made up of teams from colleges and universities based in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The Arizona State Sun Devils men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents Arizona State University. It plays its home games at Mullett Arena in Tempe.
The Rhode Island Rams women's ice hockey team represents the University of Rhode Island (URI) in Women's Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Since the team's 1999 inauguration, the Rams have been one of the most successful programs in intercollegiate women's ice hockey, winning nine regular season and nine playoff titles in the 15-year existence of the Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League, both ECWHL records. The Rams have also qualified for 12 of the 18 ACHA National Tournaments held for women's teams, a number that trails only Massachusetts, Michigan and Michigan State. Highlighting Rhode Island's 12 ACHA tournament bids are eight semifinal appearances, including five in a row from 2004 through 2008. The team's present coach, Ashley Pagliarini, was a standout defenseman at URI from 2004 through 2009 and is just the second head coach in team history, taking over for program founder Beth McCann for the 2014–15 season.
The Penn State Women's Ice Hockey Club represents Penn State University (PSU) in Women's Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and in the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA). Since the team's establishment in 2012, it has been very successful, including a pair of ACHA second-place finishes at the Division 2 level in 2012–13 and 2013–14 and an appearance at the ACHA Division 1 national championship tournament to close the 2014–15 season. PSU is one of just three teams to appear in consecutive ACHA Division 2 championship games, joining the University of Minnesota-Duluth (2007–08) and Rainy River Community College (2008–11).
The University of Michigan Women's Ice Hockey team represents the University of Michigan (U-M) in Women's Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and in the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA). The team was founded in 1994 and has been consistently strong throughout its existence, winning a pair of CCWHA playoff titles and qualifying for 13 of the 18 ACHA National Tournaments held for women's teams, a number that ranks third all-time behind Massachusetts and Michigan State.
The UMass Minutemen women's ice hockey team represents the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass) in Women's Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and in the Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League (ECWHL). The Minutemen are one of the ACHA's premier programs, having qualified for 16 of the 20 ACHA National Tournaments held for women's teams, a number second to Michigan State for the all-time lead. Additionally, UMass has won four ECWHL playoff titles and has been the home of two Zoë M. Harris Award winners, one of five ACHA D1 programs to produce multiple recipients of the honor.
The Lindenwood–Belleville Lynx women's ice hockey team represented Lindenwood University – Belleville in Women's Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and in Women's Midwest College Hockey (WMCH), following a successful stint in the Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League (WWCHL). The team was founded for the 2014–15 season, as part of a rapid expansion of LU–B's athletic department, and quickly became one of the ACHA's top programs. The Lynx claimed three regular season conference championships and one playoff title, and qualified for five ACHA National Tournaments, highlighted by a second-place finish in 2019.
The Roosevelt Lakers women's ice hockey team represents Roosevelt University (RU) in Women's Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and in the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA), following the absorption of Robert Morris University Illinois (RMU) and several of RMU's athletic teams, including women's ice hockey, that was finalized in 2020.
Minot State Beavers women's ice hockey represents Minot State University (MSU) in Women's Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) and in Women's Midwest College Hockey (WMCH). MSU was one of the founding members of the ACHA's second women's division in 2006–07, but has seen its greatest successes within the last few years. The Beavers qualified for the ACHA National Tournament for the first time in 2017 and made it to the semifinals, and followed that up with back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019. Minot then jumped to Division 1, and was one of the founding members of WMCH with Liberty University, Lindenwood University–Belleville, the University of Minnesota, McKendree University, and Midland University.
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