ECAC Northeast

Last updated
Eastern College Athletic Conference - Northeast
Eastern College Athletic Conference logo.png
Conference NCAA
Founded1971
Ceased2016
CommissionerRudy Keeling
Sports fielded
Division Division III
No. of teams9 (final season)
Headquarters Centerville, Massachusetts
Region Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Locations
Map - College Hockey - D3 - ECAC Northeast states.svg

The ECAC Northeast was an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference. For many years it was one of the three men's hockey conferences that operated under the umbrella of the Eastern College Athletic Conference; the others were the ECAC East (now the New England Hockey Conference), and the ECAC West (soon to be the United Collegiate Hockey Conference). Member institutions were located in the New England region of the United States, in the states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Contents

Unlike the ECAC East and ECAC West, there was no women's division of the ECAC Northeast. Most ECAC Northeast schools did not sponsor women's ice hockey; the two that did (Nichols & Salve Regina) played in the ECAC East.

The ECAC Northeast dissolved in 2016 when The Commonwealth Coast Conference, a Division III all-sports conference and the primary conference of most ECAC Northeast members, decided to sponsor men's ice hockey as a varsity sport. [1] Becker, Johnson and Wales, and Suffolk joined the CCC as associate members for ice hockey, while CCC member University of New England moved their men's team from the ECAC East to play in the CCC league. [1]

History

The foundation of the ECAC Northeast was laid in 1971 when ECAC 2, the college division of the ECAC created a third conference called ECAC 3. When the NCAA created Division III in 1973 ECAC 3 was placed at that level and remained there for the rest of its existence. In 1985, as a result of the NCAA beginning a Division III Tournament, ECAC 2 was reorganized into two separate conferences, ECAC East and ECAC West, with each becoming D-III leagues. To prevent confusion, ECAC 3 was renamed as ECAC North/South with all members split into North and South divisions (similar to how ECAC 2 had been divided into East and West divisions). This arrangement continued until 1992 when ECAC North/South was rearranged into three divisions (North, South and Central) and renamed ECAC North/South/Central. Over the course of the 1997–98 season the South Division lost 6 of its 8 teams, mostly to Division I, but rather than return to a two-division arrangement the league rebranded as ECAC Northeast. A year later the four member schools who were from Division II schools began playing in a separate tournament which allowed the other programs to play in an NCAA-sanctioned D-III conference tournament for the first time. As a result, ECAC Northeast got its first automatic bid to the tournament in 2000. In 2009 the nine schools whose primary conference was either MASCAC or Northeast-10 left when those two leagues began sponsoring ice hockey. The remaining teams stayed on for another seven years but in 2016 the Commonwealth Coast Conference, the primary conference for seven of the nine member teams, began sponsoring ice hockey. All nine teams joined CCC as either full or associate members and the ECAC Northeast was dissolved.

ECAC Northeast Tournament

Upon its founding, ECAC 3 instituted a tournament. Originally only a single game the championship slowly expanded along with the league.

Members

There were nine member schools as of the conference's final season in 201516.

[2] LocationAthletic nicknameColorsFoundedJoinedLeftCurrent Conference
Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts Lord Jeffs [a 1]    182119721992 NESCAC
Assumption College Worcester, Massachusetts Greyhounds    190419732009 Northeast–10
Becker College Worcester, Massachusetts Hawks  178420062016 CCC
Bentley University Waltham, Massachusetts Falcons    191719771998 Atlantic Hockey
Bryant College Smithfield, Rhode Island Bulldogs    186319731975Dropped Program
Canisius College Buffalo, New York Golden Griffins    187019801982 Atlantic Hockey
Clark University Worcester, Massachusetts Cougars    188719781981Dropped Program
Connecticut College New London, Connecticut Camels    179419801991 NESCAC
Curry College Milton, Massachusetts Colonels    187919832016 CCC
Endicott College Beverly, Massachusetts Gulls    193920152016 CCC
Fairfield University Fairfield, Connecticut Stags  194219741998Dropped Program
Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, Massachusetts Falcons    189419752009 MASCAC
Framingham State University Framingham, Massachusetts Rams    183919722009 [a 2] MASCAC
Franklin Pierce University [a 3] Rindge, New Hampshire Ravens    196220022009 Northeast–10
Gordon College Wenham, Massachusetts Fighting Scots    188919741981Dropped Program
Hawthorne College Antrim, New Hampshire Hilanders   196219841988College Closed
Hobart College Geneva, New York Statesmen    182219781983 NEHC
Iona College New Rochelle, New York Gaels    194019771998Dropped Program
Johnson & Wales University Providence, Rhode Island Wildcats    191419972016 NEHC
Keene State College Keene, New Hampshire Owls    190919831986Dropped Program
Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania Flying Dutchmen    186619982004 UCHC
Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Mountain Hawks    186519711986Dropped Program
University of Massachusetts Boston Dorchester, Massachusetts Beacons    196419801982 NEHC
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth [a 4] Dartmouth, Massachusetts Corsairs    189519742009 MASCAC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts Engineers    186119711975Dropped Program
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Buccaneers    189119751978Dropped Program
Nasson College Springvale, Maine Lions   191419721974College Closed
City College of New York New York, New York Beavers    184719761977Dropped Program
Nichols College Dudley, Massachusetts Bison    191419712016 CCC
North Adams State College North Adams, Massachusetts Mowhawks    189419711975Dropped Program
Plymouth State University Plymouth, New Hampshire Panthers    187119732009 MASCAC
Queens College New York, New York Knights      184719761980Dropped Program
Quinnipiac University Hamden, Connecticut Braves    192919761998 ECAC Hockey
Ramapo College Mahwah, New Jersey Roadrunners    196919761981Dropped Program
Rochester Institute of Technology Henrietta, New York Tigers      182919721980 Atlantic Hockey
Roger Williams University Bristol, Rhode Island Hawks      195619831998Dropped Program
Sacred Heart University Fairfield, Connecticut Pioneers    196319931998 Atlantic Hockey
Saint Michael's College Colchester, Vermont Purple Knights    190419822001 Northeast–10
Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island Seahawks    193419972016 CCC
University of Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania Royals    188819851991Dropped Program
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York Thoroughbreds      190319831998 NEHC
University of Southern Maine Gorham, Maine Huskies      187819721995 [a 5] NEHC
Southern New Hampshire University [a 6] Manchester, New Hampshire Penmen    193219772009 Northeast–10
St. John's University New York, New York Red Storm    187019801992Dropped Program
Stonehill College Easton, Massachusetts Skyhawks    194819782009Independent
Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Rams    193419802016 NEHC
Trinity College Hartford, Connecticut Bantams    182319741991 NESCAC
Tufts University Medford, Massachusetts Jumbos    185219862001 NESCAC
Upsala College East Orange, New Jersey Vikings   189319791988College Closed
Villanova University Radnor Township, Pennsylvania Wildcats    184219821998Dropped Program
Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts Leopards      190419922016 CCC
Wesleyan University Middletown, Connecticut Cardinals    183119711995 NESCAC
Western New England University Springfield, Massachusetts Golden Bears    191919802016 CCC
Westfield State University Westfield, Massachusetts Owls      187419741978 [a 7] MASCAC
Worcester State University Worcester, Massachusetts Lancers    187419712009 MASCAC

† as of 2018

  1. Amherst's original, unofficial nickname for its teams, the Lord Jeffs, was retired in 2016 due to controversy over the propriety of honoring Lord Jeffrey Amherst.
  2. Framingham State played in ECAC 2 from 1979 thru 1982.
  3. Franklin Pierce was known as 'Franklin Pierce College' until 2007.
  4. Massachusetts Dartmouth was known as Southeastern Massachusetts University until 1991.
  5. Southern Maine Suspended its program from 1975 thru 1985 and changed its name from University of Maine at Portland-Gorham in the interim.
  6. Southern New Hampshire was known as New Hampshire College until 2001.
  7. Westfield State returned to ECAC Northeast for 1 season in 2008–09.

* Assumption, Franklin Pierce, Southern New Hampshire, and Stonehill are Division II schools; and were not allowed to participate in the ECAC Northeast playoffs after 1999, nor were they eligible for the Division III national tournament.

Membership timeline

Endicott CollegeBecker CollegeFranklin Pierce UniversityLebanon Valley CollegeSalve Regina UniversityJohnson %26 Wales UniversitySacred Heart UniversityWentworth Institute of TechnologyTufts UniversityUniversity of ScrantonHawthorne CollegeCurry CollegeVillanova UniversitySkidmore CollegeRoger Williams UniversityKeene State CollegeSaint Michael's CollegeWestern New England UniversitySuffolk UniversitySt. John's University (New York City)Connecticut CollegeUniversity of Massachusetts BostonCanisius CollegeUpsala CollegeStonehill CollegeHobart and William Smith CollegesClark UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversityIona CollegeBentley UniversityQuinnipiac UniversityRamapo CollegeQueens College, City University of New YorkCity College of New YorkFitchburg State UniversityMassachusetts Maritime AcademyUniversity of Massachusetts DartmouthUniversity of Massachusetts DartmouthFairfield UniversityTrinity College (Connecticut)Gordon CollegeWestfield State UniversityPlymouth State UniversityBryant CollegeAmherst CollegeRochester Institute of TechnologyFramingham State UniversityUniversity of Southern MaineUniversity of Southern MaineNasson CollegeNichols CollegeWorcester State UniversityAssumption CollegeWesleyan UniversityLehigh UniversityMassachusetts College of Liberal ArtsMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyECAC Northeast

References

  1. 1 2 "Commonwealth Coast Conference to Add Men's Ice Hockey in 2016-2017". 2 October 2015.
  2. "NCAA - ECAC Northeast history and statistics". Hockey DB. Retrieved November 24, 2018.