Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League

Last updated
Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League
Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League.png
Founded1995
CommissionerMike Walley (since 2012)
Sports fielded
DivisionDivision II & III
No. of teams63
Headquarters North Carolina
Region Southeast
Most recent
champion(s)
Rowan
(Men's) / High Point
(Women's)
Most titles Georgetown
(Men's - 6 titles)
Official website Official website

The Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) is a non-NCAA collegiate ice hockey league in the mid-atlantic and southeast regions of the United States. The Mission of the ACC Hockey League is to provide student-athletes an option to compete in organized intercollegiate ice hockey without the high expenses of NCAA level hockey.

Contents

All teams in Men's Division II compete out of the ACHA Southeast Region in Division II. All teams in the Women's Division also compete out of the ACHA Southeast Region in Division II. The Men's Division III level competes in the AAU as the Premier teams are apart of the Division II level with some being dual within Division III of the ACHA. The Elite teams are a part of the AAU Men's Division III level. Mike "Sheriff" Walley is the current executive director of the league. [1]

Current members

Men's Division II

Premier teams play a 10-game league schedule with 2 games against each division opponent and one game against each team from other two divisions. Elite teams play an 11-game league schedule with 2 games against each division opponent, two games against a non-division opponent and three games at the fall tournament. The top 8 teams in the Premier will get post-season bids with the three division winners getting the top three seeds. The top 10 teams in the Elite will get post-season bids with the four division winners getting the top four seeds. Teams seeded 7-10 will participate in a Play-In Game.

DivisionInstitutionLocationNicknameArenaTeam ColorsPrimary conference
Premier - Carolina Division University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Tar Heels Orange County Sportsplex   ACC (DI)
University of North Carolina at Wilmington Wilmington, NC Seahawks Wilmington Ice House   CAA (DI)
Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA Hokies LancerLot Sports Complex   ACC (DI)
Premier - Mid Atlantic Division University of Delaware Newark, DE Blue Hens Fred Rust Ice Arena    CAA (DI)
University of Maryland College Park, MD Terrapins The Gardens Ice House    Big Ten (DI)
North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC Wolfpack Wake Competition Center   ACC (DI)
Premier - North Division Pennsylvania State University State College, PA Nittany Lions Pegula Ice Arena    Big Ten (DI)
Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ Broncs Ice Land Arena   MAAC (DI)
Rowan University Glassboro, NJ Profs Hollydell Ice Arena   NJAC (DIII)
Elite - Capitol Division Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Hoyas The Gardens Ice House    Big East (DI)
George Washington University Washington, D.C. Colonials The St. James    A-10 (DI)
Princeton University Princeton, NJ Tigers Baker Rink    Ivy League (DI)
Saint Joseph's University Philadelphia, PA Hawks Haverford Skatium   A-10 (DI)
Elite - Carolina Division Elon University Elon, NC Phoenix Orange County Sportsplex   CAA (DI)
High Point University High Point, NC Panthers Greensboro Ice House   Big South (DI)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC 49ers Extreme Ice Center   AAC (DI)
Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Demon Deacons Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex    ACC (DI)
Elite - Mid Atlantic Division Denison University Granville, OH Big Red Lou & Gib Reese Ice Arena   NCAC (DIII)
James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Dukes Haymarket IcePlex   Sun Belt (DI)
Stevenson University Stevenson, MD Mustangs Reisterstown Sportsplex   MAC (DIII)
West Virginia University Morgantown, WV Mountaineers Morgantown Ice Arena    Big 12 (DI)
Elite - Virginia Division Duke University Durham, NC Blue Devils Orange County Sportsplex   ACC (DI)
East Carolina University Greenville, NC Pirates Carolina Ice Zone   AAC (DI)
University of Richmond Richmond, VA Spiders Richmond Ice Zone   A-10 (DI)
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA Cavaliers LaHaye Ice Center    ACC (DI)

Women's Division II

DivisionInstitutionLocationNicknameArenaTeam ColorsPrimary conference
North Division Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Hoyas The Gardens Ice House    Big East (DI)
George Washington University Washington, D.C. Colonials The St. James   A-10 (DI)
James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Dukes Haymarket IcePlex   Sun Belt (DI)
University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA Cavaliers LaHaye Ice Center    ACC (DI)
South Division High Point University High Point, NC Panthers Greensboro Ice House   Big South (DI)
North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC Wolfpack Wake Competition Center   ACC (DI)
Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA Hokies LancerLot Sports Complex   ACC (DI)

Men's Division III

DivisionInstitutionLocationNicknameArenaTeam ColorsPrimary conference
Premier - Capitol Division Catholic University of America Washington, D.C. Cardinals Fort Dupont Ice Arena   Landmark (DIII)
George Mason University Fairfax, VA Patriots Prince William Ice Center   A-10 (DI)
University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD Terrapins The Gardens Ice House    Big Ten (DI)
United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD Midshipmen McMullen Hockey Arena    Patriot (DI)
Premier - North Division Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD Greyhounds Reisterstown Sportsplex   Patriot (DI)
Rowan University Glassboro, NJ Profs Hollydell Ice Arena   NJAC (DIII)
Stevenson University Stevenson, MD Mustangs Reisterstown Sportsplex   MAC (DIII)
West Chester University West Chester, PA Golden Rams Ice Line Quad Rinks    PSAC (DII)
Premier - South Division Appalachian State University Boone, NC Mountaineers Greensboro Ice House   Sun Belt (DI)
College of Charleston Charleston, SC Cougars Carolina Ice Palace   CAA (DI)
Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA Captains Hampton Roads Iceplex   C2C (DIII)
Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC Chanticleers Wilmington Ice House   Sun Belt (DI)
High Point University High Point, NC Panthers Greensboro Ice House   Big South (DI)
Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Flames LaHaye Ice Center    ASUN (DI)
Elite - North Division American University Washington, D.C. Eagles Cabin John Ice Rink   Patriot (DI)
James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Dukes Haymarket IcePlex   Sun Belt (DI)
Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Blue Jays    Centennial (DIII)
University of Maryland, Baltimore County Catonsville, MD Retrievers The Gardens Ice House    America East (DI)
Millersville University Millersville, PA Marauders Lancaster Ice Rink   PSAC (DII)
Montgomery College Rockville, MD RaptorsRockville Ice Arena   NJCAA
Northern Virginia Community College Alexandria, VA NighthawksPrince William Ice Center   NJCAA
York College of Pennsylvania Spring Garden Township, PA Spartans York Ice Arena    MACCC (DIII)
Elite - South Division The Citadel Charleston, SC Bulldogs Carolina Ice Palace   SoCon (DI)
Longwood University Farmville, VA Lancers LaHaye Ice Center    Big South (D)
University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA Eagles Prince William Ice Center   C2C (DIII)
Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA Monarchs Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex   Sun Belt (DI)
Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA Keydets LaHaye Ice Center    Southern (DI)
Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Rams Richmond Ice Zone   A-10 (DI)
College of William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Tribe Hampton Roads Iceplex   CAA (DI)

League Expansion

Tournament Championships

The 2024 ACCHL playoff tournaments features all nine teams qualifying from the M2 Premier Division as seeds 8 & 9 participate in a Play-In Game; the winner is awarded the Admiral's Cup. The M2 Elite & M3 Premier Divisions have the top ten teams qualify with seeds 7-10 participating in Play-In Games. The M3 Elite Division has the top six teams qualify with the 1 & 2 seeds getting a bye into the Semi-Finals; the winner is awarded the Commissioner's Cup. The Women's Division features the top four teams qualifying as the winner is awarded the Commodore's Cup.

YearAdmiral's Cup ChampionRunner-UpRegular Season ChampionTournament Location
1996 Virginia (1) North Carolina Virginia Tech (1)Fort Bragg, NC
1997 Liberty (1) North Carolina Virginia (1)Charlottesville, VA
1998 Duke (1) Virginia Virginia (2)Charlottesville, VA
1999 Maryland (1) North Carolina Virginia (3)Charlottesville, VA
2000 Virginia (2) Maryland Virginia (4)Ashburn, VA
2001 Maryland (2) NC State NC State (1)Laurel, MD
2002 Liberty (2) Maryland NC State (2)Laurel, MD
2003 Liberty (3) Maryland NC State (3)Raleigh, NC
2004 Duke (2) Virginia Duke (1)Charlottesville, VA
2005 Georgetown (1) Virginia Virginia (5)Hillsborough, NC
2006 Duke (3) Georgetown Duke (2)Charlottesville, VA
2007 Georgetown (2) Duke Georgetown (1)Arlington, VA
2008 Georgetown (3) Duke Virginia Tech (2)Roanoke, VA
2009 Virginia Tech (1) Duke Virginia Tech (3)Roanoke, VA
2010 Virginia Tech (2) Georgetown Maryland (1)Arlington, VA
2011 NC State (1) Maryland Maryland (2)Hillsborough, NC
2012 Georgetown (4) Maryland Georgetown (2)Hillsborough, NC
2013 Georgetown (5) NC State NC State (4)Laurel, MD
2014 Georgetown (6) NC State NC State (5)Annapolis, MD
2015 North Carolina (1) Georgetown NC State (6)Annapolis, MD
2016 George Washington (1) NC State NC State (7)Charlottesville, VA
2017 Virginia (3) NC State Virginia (6)Charlottesville, VA
2018 Charlotte (1) Wake Forest George Washington (1)Charlottesville, VA
2019 NC State (2) Virginia NC State (8)Winston-Salem, NC
2020 NC State (3) Wake Forest NC State (9)Winston-Salem, NC
2021*NC State (4) Virginia Tech N/A (COVID)Winston-Salem, NC
2022 NC State (5) North Carolina Virginia Tech (4)Winston-Salem, NC
2023 Penn State (1) North Carolina Penn State (1)Winston-Salem, NC
2024 Rowan (1) UNC Wilmington Rider (1)Winston-Salem, NC
YearAdmiral's Cup ChampionRunner-UpRegular Season ChampionTournament Location
2023 West Virginia (1) Charlotte Saint Joseph's (1)Winston-Salem, NC
2024 West Virginia (2) Denison Denison (1)Winston-Salem, NC
YearCommodore's Cup ChampionRunner-UpRegular Season ChampionTournament Location
2022 NC State (1) West Virginia West Virginia (1)Winston-Salem, NC
2023 Georgetown (1) NC State Georgetown (1)Winston-Salem, NC
2024 High Point (1) Virginia Tech Virginia (1)Winston-Salem, NC
YearCommodore's Cup ChampionRunner-UpRegular Season ChampionTournament Location
2020 Christopher Newport (1) College of Charleston Chesapeake, MD
2021*Coastal Carolina (1) Liberty N/A (COVID)Winston-Salem, NC
2022 Coastal Carolina (2) Liberty Liberty (1)Lynchburg, VA
2023 Coastal Carolina (3) Liberty Liberty (2)Winston-Salem, NC
2024 High Point (1) Rowan Rowan (1)Winston-Salem, NC
YearCommissioner's Cup ChampionRunner-UpRegular Season ChampionTournament Location
2022 William & Mary (1) Appalachian State William & Mary (1)Lynchburg, VA
2023 Loyola Maryland (1) William & Mary William & Mary (2)Winston-Salem, NC
2024 William & Mary (2) Johns Hopkins William & Mary (3)Winston-Salem, NC

ACC Fall Tournament

From 2009 to 2020, NC State hosted the Stephen Russell Tournament at some point every season to commemorate the loss of their goaltender, Stephen Russell, who had passed away. The team retired Russell's #20 in his honor.

Starting in the 2021–2022 season, the ACC began to host what is now the annual fall tournament for all M2 member teams for a three-game league weekend. The tournament takes place at The St. James in Springfield, Virginia. The league will typically invite two non-members from ACHA Men's Division II to come participate as well. In 2022, the ACC began awarding a Men's Premier and Elite winner separately as well as a Women's winner which is held on a different weekend.

The current tournament features a conglomerate scoring system of winning periods (2 points per period) and whole games (4 points = W, 2 points = OT/SOW, 1 point = OT/SOL, and 0 points = L). The totals are added for a final score.

YearTournament Champion
2013 NC State
2014 North Carolina
2015 NC State
2016 James Madison
2017 James Madison
2018 Virginia
2019 NC State
2020 NC State
2021 NC State
2022 Rowan (Premier) | Denison (Elite) | Virginia Tech (Women's)
2023 Rider (Premier) | George Washington (Elite) | Virginia (Women's)

ACHA Men's Division II Southeast Regionals

The ACHA hosts their regional tournaments towards the end of February. Four regions (Northeast, Southeast, Central and West) see teams ranked #3-14 compete in a single elimination, three-day weekend for two berths to the Men's Division II National Tournament. The top two teams in each regional automatically qualify.

ACHA Men's Division II National Tournament

The ACHA hosts the Men's Division II National Tournament every March, hosting 16 teams. Those teams are put into four separate pools with a team from each region. Winner of each pool advances to the Final Four.

AAU Men's Division II National Tournament

The AAU hosts the Men's Division II National Tournament every March, hosting 20 teams (32 teams prior to 2024). Teams are split into five pools based on their national ranking. Winner of each pool advances to the Quarter-Finals plus three wild card teams. The overall winner is the AAU Division II College Hockey National Champion.

AAU Men's Division III National Tournament

The AAU hosts the Men's Division III National Tournament every March, hosting 8 teams. Teams are split into two pools based on their national ranking. The top two teams from each pool advance to the Semi-Finals. The overall winner is the AAU Division III College Hockey National Champion.

Related Research Articles

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Golden Grizzlies</span> Sports teams of Oakland University

The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies are the athletic teams that represent Oakland University (OU) in the Horizon League and Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The school fields 16 teams: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, men's and women's track, and women's volleyball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spain men's national ice hockey team</span>

The Spanish men's national ice hockey team is the national men's ice hockey team of Spain. The team is administered by the Spanish Ice Sports Federation, itself a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). As of April 2020, the Spanish men's national program is 31st on the IIHF World Rankings and has 135 registered players. The men's national team currently competes at the IIHF World Championship Division II, Group A level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Valley State Lakers</span>

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Hockey Mid-America</span>

College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) is an American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I ice hockey conference with teams in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The league was formed in 2006 after members of the now defunct University Hockey League organized the league and moved from the ACHA's Division II to Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League</span>

The Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League (TSCHL) is an ACHA Division II level ice hockey league. ACHA Division II level consists of players with previous Jr. A, AAA or Midget Major experience, along with high caliber high school experience. The level can range from varsity high school up to NCAA Division III skills, depending on the programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association</span>

The Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Hockey Association (MACH) was a college ice hockey league based in the Southeastern region of the United States. The conference was part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 and finished the 2022-2023 season with five teams from colleges and universities based in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindenwood Lions</span> Athletic teams of Lindenwood University

The Lindenwood Lions and Lady Lions are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Lindenwood University, located in St. Charles, Missouri, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the Ohio Valley Conference for most of its sports since the 2022–23 academic year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Collegiate Club Hockey Association</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League</span>

The Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League (GLCHL) is an American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division I level ice hockey league. The GLCHL is made up of nine schools, including one in Indiana, one in Illinois, and seven in Michigan.

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The Millersville Marauders are the athletic teams that represent Millersville University of Pennsylvania, located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davenport Panthers</span> Athletic teams that represent Davenport University

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Nittany Lions men's ice hockey</span> College ice hockey team

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The Lindenwood Lady Lions ice hockey team represents Lindenwood University located in St. Charles, Missouri. The Lady Lions currently participate in the NCAA Division I competition as a member of College Hockey America (CHA). The team played with no conference affiliation as an Independent program for its first season of NCAA competition. During the 2011–12 season, Lindenwood was accepted into College Hockey America (CHA) beginning in the 2012–2013 season. 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 DI level.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State women's ice hockey club</span> College ice hockey team

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UMass Minutewomen ice hockey</span> College ice hockey team

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.

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The North Iowa Bulls are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). They play their home games at the Mason City Multipurpose Arena in Mason City, Iowa. The organization also operates a Tier III junior team in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) that was known as the North Iowa Bulls from 2011 to 2021 before relocating the Tier II Amarillo Bulls' franchise to Mason City and rebranding the Tier III team as the Mason City Toros. The Bulls are coached by Todd Sanden, who has been with the North Iowa team since its inception in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minot State Beavers women's ice hockey</span> College ice hockey team

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.

References

  1. "ACCHL: Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites". Archived from the original on 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  2. "Membership History". Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League. Retrieved 2023-01-15.