Pacific Collegiate Hockey Conference The Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association is a collegiate hockey conference within Division III of the American Collegiate Hockey Association . The PCHA has been in operation for more than thirty years and administers the PCHA Playoffs at the conclusion of each regular season . The winner of the PCHA Playoffs receives the coveted Adams Cup , named after Cary Adams who started the conference . The conference will field 10 teams for the 2010 - 2011 season . History . The Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association , originally dubbed the Southern California Collegiate Hockey Association , began in 1972 . The three original charter schools were California State University , Northridge , the University of California , Los Angeles and the California Institute of Technology . As of 2010 , 27 schools have competed in the PCHA . Northern Arizona University is the only school from outside California to compete in the league . Five years after the conference ' s inception , the PCHA began instituting a post - season tournament entitled the PCHA Playoffs . There have been fifteen schools that have since won the PCHA Playoffs and captured the Adams Cup . Members . Former Members Adams Cup Champions . Totals ACHA Division III Nationals Teams . Since 2002 , the PCHA has sent 14 teams to the ACHA Division III National Championships . The teams have had mixed success at Nationals , with the most notable success being San Diego State University who was National Runner - Up in 2008 . 2010 Host City : Estero , FL 2009 Host City : Rochester , NY 2008 Host City : Rochester , MN 2007 Host City : Fort Wayne , IN 2006 Host City : Ft . Meyers , FL 2005 Host School : California University of PA 2004 Host School : Arizona State University 2003 Host School : Muskegon CC 2002 Host School : Georgia Tech PCHA Rivalries . One of the more notable attributes of the PCHA are the intense rivalries that have formed over the previous years . Geographic proximity coupled with limited competition have been main contributors to these fierce matches . This may be the best standing rivalry left in the PCHA . This rivalry is noteworthy because some College of the Canyons players transfer to Cal State Northridge to finish out their collegiate careers . Therefore , these two teams are quite familiar with one another . Both of these teams have been perennially successful , which has led to very intense matches . In the last five seasons , College of the Canyons has had the upper hand in this particular rivalry with an 8 - 4 record . In 2005 - 06 CSUN won the first regular season game 9 - 3 . Later on COC ruined CSUN ' s perfect season coming from behind in the third period at Northridge to win 5 - 3 . In 2006 - 07 these two teams opened the season against one another at COC with the Cougars winning 4 - 2 . Back in Northridge , COC once again came from behind in the third period to win in overtime 5 - 4 . At the PCHA playoffs CSUN beat COC in the consolation game . In 2007 - 08 COC fielded a poor team and subsequently lost 15 - 4 and forfeited the last game between the two teams . The 2008 - 09 season saw a resurgence in COC . In the first regular season game COC won 4 - 1 . At Northridge , for the third straight time , COC overcame a third period deficit to win the game 6 - 5 in overtime . These two teams began the 2009 - 10 season against one another at COC with the Cougars winning 7 - 3 . They also ended the regular season against one another with COC winning once again 7 - 3 . In the 2010 Adam ' s Cup championship game COC started the game strong with a 3 - 0 lead . Northridge fought back to tie the score in the second but COC scored late to retake the lead . In the third period COC extended their lead to 5 - 3 but a late Northridge goal cut the lead once again to 5 - 4 . The Matadors pulled their goaltender but COC scored on the empty net sealing the game for the Cougars . Dubbed the " Causeway Classic " because of the rivalry between each universities ' football programs , this rivalry is also due in part to the location of both schools , being the only two collegiate hockey programs in the Sacramento Valley . Since the 2006 - 07 season , Sacramento State ' s first back in the PCHA after being reinstated , this rivalry has been closely contested . UCD holds a slight advantage with a 5 - 4 record .