New England Hockey Conference

New England Hockey Conference
Association NCAA
Founded 1984
Commissioner Katie Boldvich
Sports fielded
Division Division III
No. of teams 12
Headquarters Marshfield, Massachusetts
Region New York and New England
Official website http://www.nehockeyconference.com/
Locations
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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.

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.

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

Current members

There are 12 member schools; the men's division has ten members, while the women's division has nine members. (as of November 2018)

New England Hockey Conference
[Interactive fullscreen map + nearby articles]
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)
Babson College Wellesley, Massachusetts 1919 1984 3,340 Beavers NEWMAC     Green tick
Castleton University Castleton, Vermont 1787 2004 2,399 Spartans Little East Conference     Green tick Green tick
Elmira College Elmira, New York 1855 2021 768 Soaring Eagles Empire 8     Green tick Green tick
Hobart College Geneva, New York 1822 2017 2,337 Statesmen Liberty League     Green tick
Johnson & Wales University Providence, Rhode Island 1914 2018 5,676 Wildcats Great Northeast Athletic Conference     Green tick Green tick
University of Massachusetts Boston Dorchester, Massachusetts 1964 1984 16,259 Beacons Little East Conference     Green tick Green tick
New England College Henniker, New Hampshire 1946 1984 4,327 Pilgrims New England Collegiate Conference         Green tick Green tick
Norwich University Northfield, Vermont 1819 1984 2,000 Cadets Great Northeast Athletic Conference     Green tick Green tick
Plymouth State University Plymouth, New Hampshire 1871 2015 4,491 Panthers Little East Conference     Green tick
Salem State University Salem, Massachusetts 1854 2018 7,242 Vikings Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference       Green tick
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, New York 1903 1998 2,500 Thoroughbreds Liberty League       Green tick
University of Southern Maine Gorham, Maine 1878 1995 8,022 Huskies Little East Conference       Green tick Green tick

Future members

Institution Location Founded Joining Enrollment Nickname Primary Conference Former Ice Hockey Conference Colors (M) (W)
Albertus Magnus College New Haven, Connecticut 1925 2024-25 1,961 Falcons Great Northeast Athletic Conference Independent     Green tick Green tick
Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island 1934 2024-25 2,600 Seahawks New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Commonwealth Coast Conference     Green tick Green tick

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 Atlantic Hockey (NCAA D-I) Green tick
Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts Mammoths     1821 1992 1999 1995 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick
Bowdoin College Brunswick, Maine Polar Bears     1794 1984 1999 1984 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick
Colby College Waterville, Maine Mules     1813 1984 1999 NESCAC Green tick
University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut Huskies     1881 1984 1998 Hockey East (NCAA D-I) Green tick
Connecticut College New London, Connecticut Camels     1794 1991 1999 1997 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick
Franklin Pierce University Rindge, New Hampshire Ravens     1962 2014 2017 NEWHA Green tick
Hamilton College Clinton, New York Continentals     1793 1992 1999 1996 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick
College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts Crusaders   1843 1984 1998 1999 2017 Atlantic Hockey (NCAA D-I) Green tick Green tick
Manhattanville College Purchase, New York Valiants     1815 1999 2017 UCHC Green tick
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, Massachusetts Trailblazers     1894 1984 2003 Dropped Program Green tick
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts Engineers     1861 1984 2009 Dropped Program Green tick
Merrimack College North Andover, Massachusetts Warriors     1947 1984 1989 Hockey East (NCAA D-I) Green tick
Middlebury College Middlebury, Vermont Panthers     1800 1984 1999 1984 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick
University of New England Biddeford, Maine Nor'easters     1831 2009 2016 2009 2018 CCC Green tick Green tick
Nichols College Dudley, Massachusetts Bison     1815 2008 2017 CHC Green tick
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York Engineers     1824 1995 2005 ECAC Hockey (NCAA D-I) Green tick
Rochester Institute of Technology Henrietta, New York Tigers       1829 1984 2007 CHA Green tick
Saint Anselm College Goffstown, New Hampshire Hawks     1889 1984 2017 2004 2017 Northeast–10 (men) (NCAA D-II)
NEWHA (women)
Green tick Green tick
Saint Michael's College Colchester, Vermont Purple Knights     1904 2001 2017 2001 2017 Northeast–10 (men) (NCAA D-II)
NEWHA (women)
Green tick Green tick
Salem State University Salem, Massachusetts Vikings       1854 1984 2009 MASCAC Green tick
Salve Regina University Newport, Rhode Island Seahawks     1934 2015 2018 CHC Green tick
Suffolk University Boston, Massachusetts Rams     1906 2018 2021 2018 2021 CCC Green tick Green tick
Trinity College Hartford, Connecticut Bantams     1823 1991 1999 1998 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick
Union College Schenectady, New York Dutchwomen     1795 1999 2003 ECAC Hockey (NCAA D-I) Green tick
Wesleyan University Middletown, Connecticut Cardinals     1831 1995 1999 1996 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick
Westfield State University Westfield, Massachusetts Owls       1874 1984 1989 MASCAC Green tick
Williams College Williamstown, Massachusetts Ephs     1793 1984 1999 1994 2001 NESCAC Green tick Green tick

† (as of November 2018)

Membership timeline

Albertus Magnus College Elmira College Suffolk University Johnson %26 Wales University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Plymouth State University Salve Regina University Franklin Pierce University University of New England Nichols College Castleton University Saint Michael's College Manvattanville College Union College Skidmore College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of Southern Maine Wesleyan University Hamilton College Amherst College Trinity College (Connecticut) Connecticut College Norwich University University of Massachusetts Boston New England College Babson College Saint Anselm College Salem State University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Rochester Institute of Technology Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Williams College Middlebury College Bowdoin College Colby College College of the Holy Cross University of Connecticut American International College Westfield State University Merrimack College

  Men     Women     Both  

See also