United Collegiate Hockey Conference

Last updated

United Collegiate Hockey Conference
United Collegiate Hockey Conference logo.jpg
Association NCAA
Founded2016
CommissionerChuck Mitrano (since 2016)
Sports fielded
Division Division III
Headquarters Rochester, New York
Region Eastern United States
Official website theuchc.com
Locations
United Collegiate Hockey Conference map.jpg

The United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) is a college athletic conference which operates in Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania in the eastern United States. It participates in NCAA Division III as a hockey-only conference.

Contents

History

The conference was announced in 2016 as an association of 10 schools and league play began for the 2017–18 academic year, with nine each playing in the men's and women's divisions. The majority of the member schools were previously members of the now-defunct ECAC West hockey conference. Wilkes University was also announced as a future member for both the men's and women's divisions for the start of the 2018–19 academic year, [1] the same time when charter men's member Nazareth College began varsity women's play in the UCHC. [2] The following season, Alvernia University joined for its first season of varsity women's play. [3] In July 2021, Arcadia University new men's and women's programs were accepted into the league. [4] A year later, Alvernia added its men's team to the conference lineup. [5]

In 2023, the conference was split in two when Misericordia began sponsoring men's ice hockey, allowing the Middle Atlantic Conferences to receive an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament and form a new ice hockey division. In September of that year, Brockport State and Geneseo State announced that their men's teams would be joining the UCHC for the 2024–25, bringing membership back up to eight teams. [6] About a month later, Neumann and Wilkes also announced that they would be leaving the UCHC for MAC as well. [7] This dropped membership back down to six teams, the minimum number of programs required for an at-large bid. A few months later, the conference added four more schools for the 2025 season with Albertus Magnus, Elmira and St. John's Fischer each adding men's and women's hockey while Hilbert's women's team would join. [8]

The league did not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship or the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship for the 2017–18 season but the Men's league gained the bid for the 2018–19 season and the Women's league did for the 2019-20 season. [9]

Members schools

Current members

United Collegiate Hockey Conference
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Mapscaleline.svg
100km
62miles
Red pog.svg
Brockport
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Utica
Blue pog.svg
Nazareth
Blue pog.svg
Manhattanville
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Chatham
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Geneseo
Locations of United Collegiate Hockey Conference members
( Red pog.svg men's only)
SchoolLocationNicknameFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentYear JoinedPrimary ConferenceColors(M)(W)
Chatham University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Cougars1869Private2,3002017-18 PAC    Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Manhattanville University Purchase, New York Valiants1841Private2,7002017-18 Skyline    Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Nazareth University Pittsford, New York Golden Flyers1924Private2,8002017-18 (men)
2018-19 (women)
Empire 8    Green check.svgGreen check.svg
State University of New York at Brockport Brockport, New York Golden Eagles 1867Public7,9242024-25 Empire 8    Green check.svgRed x.svg
State University of New York at Geneseo Geneseo, New York Knights 1871Public4,9102024-25 Empire 8    Green check.svgRed x.svg
Utica University Utica, New York Pioneers1946Private4,4002017-18 Empire 8    Green check.svgGreen check.svg

Future Members

SchoolLocationNicknameFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentYear JoiningPrimary ConferenceColors(M)(W)
Albertus Magnus College New Haven, Connecticut Falcons1925Private1,2002025-26 GNAC    Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Elmira College Elmira, New York Soaring Eagles1855Private1,1702025-26* Empire 8    Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Hilbert College Hamburg, New York Hawks1957Private8002025-26 AMCC    Red x.svgGreen check.svg
St. John Fisher University Pittsford, New York Cardinals1948Private2,7002025-26 Empire 8    Green check.svgGreen check.svg

* Elmira was previously a member of the UCHC.

Membership timeline

St. John Fisher CardinalsHilbert HawksAlbertus Magnus FalconsGeneseo State Ice KnightsBrockport State Golden EaglesArcadia KnightsAlvernia Golden WolvesWilkes ColonelsUtica PioneersNazareth Golden FlyersChatham CougarsManhattanville ValiantsStevenson MustangsNeumann KnightsLebanon Valley Flying DutchmenKing's MonarchsElmira Soaring EaglesWilliam Smith HeronsUnited Collegiate Hockey Conference

  Men    Women    Both  

Former members

SchoolLocationNicknameFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentYear JoinedYear LeftCurrent ConferenceColors
Alvernia University Reading, Pennsylvania Golden Wolves1958Private2,8722019-20 (women)
2022-23 (men)
2023-24 MAC    
Arcadia University Glenside, Pennsylvania Knights1853Private2,4732021-222023-24 MAC    
King's College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Monarchs1946Private/Catholic2,3002017-182023-24 MAC    
Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania Flying Dutchmen1866Private/Methodist1,7502017-182023-24 MAC    
Neumann University Aston, Pennsylvania Knights1965Private/Catholic3,0002017-182023-24 MAC      
Stevenson University Baltimore County, Maryland Mustangs1947Private3,7002017-182023-24 MAC    
Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Colonels1933Private5,0002018-192023-24 MAC    
William Smith College Geneva, New York Herons1908Private2,2292017-182021-22 NEHC    

Champions

Arenas

SchoolArenaCapacity
ChathamHunt Armory Ice Arenan/a
ManhattanvillePlayland Ice Casinon/a
NazarethTim Horton's Iceplex2,000
SUNY BrockportWegmans Ice Arena2,000
SUNY GeneseoWilson Ice Arena2,100
Utica Adirondack Bank Center 3,860

References

  1. "United Collegiate Hockey Conference to debut next season". D3Hockey.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. "Nazareth to add women's ice hockey". nazathletics.com. Nazareth College. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  3. "Alvernia Will Add Women's Ice Hockey as 27th Varsity Sport" (Press release). Alvernia Golden Wolves. March 2, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  4. "Arcadia University to Add Men's and Women's Ice Hockey for 2021-22" (Press release). Arcadia Knights. June 26, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  5. "Alvernia Announces the Addition of Men's Ice Hockey in 2022-23" (Press release). Middle Atlantic Conference. August 3, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  6. "Brockport & Geneseo Ice Hockey Set to Join UCHC in 2024-25". Brockport Golden Eagles. September 6, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  7. "Wilkes and Neumann join the MAC as Associate Members in Ice Hockey". Wilkes Colonels. October 12, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  8. "Albertus Magnus, Elmira, Hilbert, St. John Fisher to join UCHC men's, women's hockey conferences for 2025-26 season". USCHO. May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  9. "UCHC Men get Automatic Bid". D3Hockey.com.