New England Hockey Conference

New England Hockey Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded1984
CommissionerKatie Boldvich
Sports fielded
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams12
HeadquartersMarshfield, Massachusetts
RegionNew York and New England
Official websitehttp://www.nehockeyconference.com/
Locations

New England Hockey Conference (formerly the ECAC East) is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference.[1]

History

The New England Hockey Conference began as ECAC East in 1984 when ECAC 2 was split in two and both new conferences dropped down to Division III. The conference was fairly stable for the first decade but began to grow in the mid 1990s. In 1998 four teams left to become Division I programs in the new MAAC conference. A year later, nine more teams split off to join their primary athletic conference, NESCAC, followed by the women's programs in 2001. Membership numbers held steady over the succeeding 15 years, though several teams came and went. In 2015 the conference rebranded itself as the New England Hockey Conference, but no internal changes occurred. Two years later 6 women's and 2 men's programs left to join a variety of conferences, dropping league membership to 11 schools, the lowest number in conference history.

Splintering

In 2022, Johnson & Wales University announced that they would join Commonwealth Coast Conference as a full-member starting in 2024-25 and sponsor both men's ice hockey and women's ice hockey.[2] In the summer of 2023, Keene State announced that they would begin sponsoring men's and women's ice hockey starting with the 2024–25 season.[3] This gave the Little East Conference six member schools that supported men's ice hockey, the minimum number required for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Shortly afterwards, the Little East announced that they would begin sponsoring men's ice hockey as a sport and begin play in the 2025-26 season.[4] In early 2024, New England College was accepted by the Little East as an affiliate ice hockey member, enabling the conference to also support women's hockey.[5] Less than a month later, two more NEHC teams announced that they would be joining the Little East as affiliate members and both Babson and Norwich would be leaving in 2025.[6] The bleeding continued when, in April and May, Hobart, Skidmore and William Smith announced their move to the SUNYAC,[7] while Albertus Magus (who had yet to play a game in the NEHC) and Elmira both announced that they would be leaving to join the UCHC, all in 2025.[8] Salem State also announced that they will leave in 2025 to join their primary conference (MASCAC) and will also start to sponsor women's ice hockey the same year.[9] With just one school remaining for the start of the 2025–26 season, the future of the NEHC is in doubt.

Standings

From the time it formally split from ECAC 2 until 1992 all games played between members of ECAC East and ECAC West counted for conference standings. In 1992, after the ECAC West split into two conferences, ECAC East only counted games within their conference for the standings, but because a formal schedule was not yet in place all games between members were still counted. For the 1993–94 season ECAC East had its first official conference schedule with all 18 teams playing each other once. Teams could schedule additional inter-conference games but only one would count in the standings. In 1999, when 9 teams left to form the ice hockey division of the NESCAC, the two conferences continued to count games between one another in their respective standings. This arrangement continued even after the addition of more programs.

NEHC Tournaments

Main article: NEHC Men's Tournament

Current members

There are 14 member schools; the men's and women's divisions each have eleven members. (as of March 2025)

New England Hockey Conference
110km
68miles
Hobart / William Smith
Elmira
Babson
NEC
VTSU Castleton
UMass Boston
Southern Maine
Norwich
JWU
Skidmore
Salem State
Plymouth State
Locations of NEHC members, 2021–2022 men's only member, women's only member men's and women's member
Institution Location Founded Joined Enrollment Nickname Primary Conference Colors (M) (W)
Albertus Magnus College New Haven, Connecticut 1925 2024 [10] 1,961 Falcons Great Northeast Athletic Conference     Y Y
Babson College Wellesley, Massachusetts 1919 1984 3,340 Beavers NEWMAC     Y
Elmira College Elmira, New York 1855 2021 768 Soaring Eagles Empire 8     Y Y
Hobart College Geneva, New York 1822 2017 2,337 Statesmen Liberty League     Y [n 1]
University of Massachusetts Boston Dorchester, Massachusetts 1964 1984 16,259 Beacons Little East Conference     Y Y
New England College Henniker, New Hampshire 1946 1984 4,327 Pilgrims Great Northeast Athletic Conference         Y Y
Norwich University Northfield, Vermont 1819 1984 2,000 Cadets Great Northeast Athletic Conference     Y Y
Plymouth State University Plymouth, New Hampshire 1871 2015 4,491 Panthers Little East Conference     Y
Salem State University Salem, Massachusetts 1854 2018 7,242 Vikings Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference       Y
Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island 1934 2024[11] 2,600 Seahawks New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference     Y Y
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York 1903 1998 2,500 Thoroughbreds Liberty League       Y
University of Southern Maine Gorham, Maine 1878 1995 8,022 Huskies Little East Conference       Y Y
Vermont State University Castleton Castleton, Vermont 1787 2004 2,399 Spartans Little East Conference     Y Y
William Smith College Geneva, New York 1908 2021 2,229 Herons Liberty League     [n 1] Y
  1. ^ a b Joint universities

Note: schools in red are planning to leave after the 2024-25 season

Former members

Location Athletic nickname Colors Founded Joined (M) Left (M) Joined (W) Left (W) Current Conference† (M) (W)
American International College Springfield, Massachusetts Yellow Jackets       1885 1984 1998 – – AHA (NCAA D-I) Y
Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts Mammoths     1821 1992 1999 1995 2001 NESCAC Y Y
Bowdoin College Brunswick, Maine Polar Bears     1794 1984 1999 1984 2001 NESCAC Y Y
Colby College Waterville, Maine Mules     1813 1984 1999 – – NESCAC Y
University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut Huskies     1881 1984 1998 – – Hockey East (NCAA D-I) Y
Connecticut College New London, Connecticut Camels     1794 1991 1999 1997 2001 NESCAC Y Y
Franklin Pierce University Rindge, New Hampshire Ravens     1962 – – 2014 2017 NEWHA (NCAA D-I) Y
Hamilton College Clinton, New York Continentals     1793 1992 1999 1996 2001 NESCAC Y Y
College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts Crusaders   1843 1984 1998 1999 2017 AHA (NCAA D-I) Y Y
Johnson & Wales University Providence, Rhode Island Wildcats     1914 2018 2024 2018 2024 CNE Y Y
Manhattanville College Purchase, New York Valiants     1815 – – 1999 2017 UCHC Y
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, Massachusetts Trailblazers     1894 1984 2003 – – MASCAC Y
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts Engineers     1861 – – 1984 2009 Dropped Program Y
Merrimack College North Andover, Massachusetts Warriors     1947 1984 1989 – – Hockey East (NCAA D-I) Y
Middlebury College Middlebury, Vermont Panthers     1800 1984 1999 1984 2001 NESCAC Y Y
University of New England Biddeford, Maine Nor'easters     1831 2009 2016 2009 2018 CNE Y Y
Nichols College Dudley, Massachusetts Bison     1815 – – 2008 2017 CNE Y
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York Engineers     1824 – – 1995 2005 ECAC Hockey (NCAA D-I) Y
Rochester Institute of Technology Henrietta, New York Tigers       1829 – – 1984 2007 CHA (NCAA D-I) Y
Saint Anselm College Goffstown, New Hampshire Hawks     1889 1984 2017 2004 2017 Northeast–10 (men) (NCAA D-II)
NEWHA (women) (NCAA D-I) 		Y Y
Saint Michael's College Colchester, Vermont Purple Knights     1904 2001 2017 2001 2017 Northeast–10 (men) (NCAA D-II)
NEWHA (women) (NCAA D-I) 		Y Y
Salem State University Salem, Massachusetts Vikings       1854 1984 2009 – – MASCAC Y
Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Rams     1906 2018 2021 2018 2021 CNE Y Y
Trinity College Hartford, Connecticut Bantams     1823 1991 1999 1998 2001 NESCAC Y Y
Union College Schenectady, New York Dutchwomen     1795 – – 1999 2003 ECAC Hockey (NCAA D-I) Y
Wesleyan University Middletown, Connecticut Cardinals     1831 1995 1999 1996 2001 NESCAC Y Y
Westfield State University Westfield, Massachusetts Owls       1874 1984 1989 – – MASCAC Y
Williams College Williamstown, Massachusetts Ephs     1793 1984 1999 1994 2001 NESCAC Y Y

† (as of March 2025)

Membership timeline

  Men     Women     Both  

See also

References

  1. ^ "Men's and women's ECAC East leagues now the New England Hockey Conference". U.S. College Hockey Online. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  2. ^ "CCC Accepts Johnson & Wales University as Newest Conference Member". Johnson & Wales Wildcats. December 8, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  3. ^ "Keene State Adding Men's, Women's Ice Hockey and eSports as Varsity Programs Beginning in 2024-25". Keene State Owls. July 24, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "LEC Announces Men's Ice Hockey as Conference's 22nd Championship Sport". Little East Conference. July 24, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "LEC Announces New England College as Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Affiliate, Women's Ice Hockey as Conference's 23rd Championship Sport". Little East Conference. February 13, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "LEC Announces Addition of Babson and Norwich as Men's Ice Hockey Affiliates for 2025-26". Little East Conference. March 6, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "SUNYAC adds Hobart, Skidmore to men's hockey conference, William Smith to women's hockey conference". USCHO. April 10, 2024. Retrieved June 9, 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. ^ "MASCAC Women's Ice Hockey to Become 19th Sponsored Sport". MASCAC. December 20, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  10. ^ "Albertus Magnus to Join NEHC for 2024-25 Season". 2022-12-08.
  11. ^ "Salve Regina to Join NEHC in 2024-25". 2023-03-30.
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