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 University of Rhode Island has been the ECWHL's most successful program in conference play, winning nine playoff championships and nine regular season championships in 17 years. URI and Massachusetts are the only two founding members that have remained in the ECWHL throughout its entire existence, and both have frequently qualified for the ACHA's National Tournament - 12 and 15 times, respectively, while in the ECWHL. However, former member Northeastern University owns the league's sole ACHA National Championship, as the Huskies defeated the University of Minnesota in the final to win in 2011–12.
Current membership
InstitutionLocationNicknameFoundedTypeEnrollmentColorsPrimary FacilityUniversity of MassachusettsAmherst, MassachusettsMinutemen1863Public30,593Maroon and White William D. Mullins Memorial CenterPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PennsylvaniaNittany Lions1855Public/State-Related46,723Blue and White Pegula Ice ArenaUniversity of Rhode IslandKingston, Rhode IslandRams1892Public17,064Keaney Blue, Dark Blue and White Bradford R. Boss Arena
Former members
Boston University (2003–2005) University at Buffalo (2003–2008, 2009–2014) Bates College (2004–2007) Norwich University (2005–2007) North Country Community College (2005–2007) University of Connecticut (2006–2009) State University of New York at Canton (2012–2013) United States Naval Academy (2014–2015) University of Vermont (2011–2017) Northeastern University (2010–2017)
Notably, four ECWHL members have left the league in order to transition to NCAA varsity status. These alumni programs include Boston University and Penn State in NCAA Division I and Norwich and Canton in NCAA Division III. Penn State re-entered the ECWHL in 2014 with a separate ACHA Division 1 program. Buffalo, Connecticut, Navy, Vermont and Northeastern all departed while dropping to the ACHA's Division 2, where each remains today. Bates presently competes in the non-ACHA division of the Independent Women's Collegiate Hockey League. NCCC left for a non-ACHA conference, the Northeast Women's College Hockey Association, but has since ceased operations.
Membership timeline
Playoff championship game results
Beginning with the 2006 playoffs, the previous season's champion serves as the host.
Year Champion Score Runner-Up Location 2004 Rhode Island 9–2 Massachusetts Kingston, Rhode Island 2005 Rhode Island 5–4 (OT) Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts 2006 Rhode Island 4–2 Massachusetts Kingston, Rhode Island 2007 Rhode Island 4–1 Norwich Kingston, Rhode Island 2008 Rhode Island 5–4 (3OT) Massachusetts Kingston, Rhode Island 2009 Rhode Island 4–1 Massachusetts Kingston, Rhode Island 2010 Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island 2011 Northeastern 6–5 Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island 2012 Rhode Island 4–1 Penn State Boston, Massachusetts 2013 Massachusetts 2–1 Northeastern Kingston, Rhode Island 2014 Rhode Island 2–0 Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts 2015 Massachusetts 7–2 Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island 2016 Massachusetts 4–3 Rhode Island Amherst, Massachusetts 2017 Massachusetts 3–0 Rhode Island Amherst, Massachusetts 2018 Playoff not held † 2019 Playoff not held † 2020 Playoff not held † † Due to the small number of teams in the conference, the ECWHL's regular season winner was named its sole champion, by mutual agreement of the membership and the commissioner
Regular season champions
2003–04 Rhode Island 2004–05 Rhode Island 2005–06 Rhode Island 2006–07 Rhode Island 2007–08 Rhode Island 2008–09 Massachusetts 2009–10 Rhode Island 2010–11 Northeastern 2011–12 Penn State 2012–13 Massachusetts 2013–14 Rhode Island 2014–15 Massachusetts 2015–16 Rhode Island 2016–17 Massachusetts 2017–18 Rhode Island 2018–19 Massachusetts 2019–20 Massachusetts
ACHA National Tournament appearances
Appearances made while an ECWHL member. Former conference members are in italics.
School Appearances Years Championships Massachusetts 15 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 None Rhode Island 12 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 None Penn State 4 2004, 2007, 2010, 2015 None Northeastern 3 2011, 2012, 2013 2012 Buffalo 1 2005 None Connecticut 1 2007 None Norwich 1 2007 None
World University Games selections
Since 2011, the American Collegiate Hockey Association has supplied players for the United States team at the World University Games women's hockey tournament, held biennially and as part of the multi-sport event for college and university student-athletes.
Year Location Player School Result 2011 Erzurum, Turkey Mo Stroemel (head coach) Penn State Fourth Place Justine Ducie Rhode Island Lindsay Reihl Penn State Denise Rohlik Penn State Heather Rossi Penn State Katie Vaughan Penn State Megan Winters Northeastern 2013 Trentino, Italy Amanda Abromson Massachusetts Bronze Medal Cassie Catlow Rhode Island Chelsea Corell Massachusetts Alisha DiFilippo Rhode Island Paige Harrington Massachusetts Lauren Hillberg Rhode Island Caleigh LaBossiere Massachusetts Sarah Oteri Massachusetts 2015 Granada, Spain Amanda Abromson Massachusetts Fifth Place Vicki Bortolussi Massachusetts Cassie Catlow Rhode Island Emily Ford Vermont Paige Harrington Massachusetts Caleigh LaBossiere Massachusetts Kristen Levesque Rhode Island Madison Smiddy Penn State 2017 Almaty, Kazakhstan Cassie Dunne Penn State Bronze Medal Amber Greene Massachusetts Brittani Lanzilli Massachusetts
Notable ACHA award winners
Year Winner School Award 2004–05 Beth McCann Rhode Island Coach of the Year 2007–08 Beth McCann Rhode Island Coach of the Year 2008–09 Maura Grainger Massachusetts Zoë M. Harris Player of the Year 2009–10 Hayley Kuhn Massachusetts Off-Ice Most Valuable Player 2010–11 Nick Carpenito Northeastern Coach of the Year 2010–11 Danika Korpacz Rhode Island Off-Ice Most Valuable Player 2010–11 Sara Chroman Penn State Community Playmaker 2011–12 Chelsea Dietz Northeastern ACHA Tournament MVP 2011–12 Sam Gouin Massachusetts Off-Ice Most Valuable Player 2012–13 Cassie Catlow Rhode Island Zoë M. Harris Player of the Year 2013–14 Stephanie Hyde Canton Community Playmaker 2013–14 Sam Gouin Massachusetts Community Playmaker 2015–16 Brittani Lanzilli Massachusetts Zoë M. Harris Player of the Year 2016–17 Kelly Watson Penn State Community Playmaker 2016–17 Rhode Island Team Community Service Award 2019–20 Bill Wright Massachusetts Coach of the Year
See also American Collegiate Hockey Association Penn State Women's Ice Hockey Club Rhode Island Rams women's ice hockey UMass Minutemen women's ice hockey List of ice hockey leagues
References
External links UMass Women's Hockey Penn State Women's Ice Hockey Club URI Women's Ice Hockey