2020-21 NEWHA Season

This is the 2020-21 New England Women's Hockey Alliance season. This is the Alliance's fourth season.
On September 26, 2018 the New England Women's Hockey Alliance has made a formal application to become an NCAA recognized conference and thus becoming eligible for an automatic bid to the tournament. 
The conference was approved as being a recognized NCAA Division I Conference on August 1, 2019. This allows the conference members a chance to qualify for the NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament. No official word on when the conference will be awarded an automatic bid to the tournament.https://www.uscho.com/2019/09/04/new-england-womens-hockey-alliance-approved-for-ncaa-division-i-status-effective-with-19-20-season/ On January 29, 2020 the conference announced it would be expanding for the 2021-22 season with the addition of the Stonehill Skyhawks who are adding women's ice hockey. Stonehill College is located in Easton, Massachusetts. The team will be based out of the Bridgewater Ice Arena in nearby Bridgewater, Massachusetts.https://newhaonline.com/general/2019-20/releases/20191209do1o9v This would give the conference seven teams and make it eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the 2021-22 season. The NCAA has not officially announced that the conference would be granted the automatic bid but the possibility exists that the tournament field may be expanded to fit the NEWHA automatic bid.
==Delay and eventual cancellation of season==
*On September 11th the league announced it would delay the start of the season along several other Division I conferences.https://saintanselmhawks.com/news/2020/9/11/9_11_2020_637.aspx
*On December 9th the conference announced its intent to return to play in January of 2021.https://saintanselmhawks.com/news/2020/12/9/12_9_2020_639.aspx
*On December 16th the conference announced that they would not have a regular season or conference tournament for the 2020-21 season.https://newha.prestosports.com/general/2020-21/releases/20201216pw1msw
The conference would announce that there would be a special playoff between LIU and Sacred Heart for the Commissioners Cup. The playoff will be a best-of-three series for the unofficial championship of the conference.
==Membership changes==
*None for 2020-21
*On January 29, 2020 the conference announced it would be expanding for the 2021-22 season with the addition of the Stonehill Skyhawks who are adding women's ice hockey. Stonehill College is located in Easton, Massachusetts. The team will be based out of the Bridgewater Ice Arena in nearby Bridgewater, Massachusetts.https://newhaonline.com/general/2019-20/releases/20191209do1o9v
==Teams==
Team 	Location 	Arena
Franklin Pierce Ravens 	Rindge, New Hampshire 	Jason Ritchie Ice Arena
LIU Sharks 	Brooklyn and Brookville, New York	Islanders Iceworks and Northwell Health Ice Center
Post University Eagles 	Waterbury, Connecticut 	Sports Center of Connecticut
Sacred Heart Pioneers 	Fairfield, Connecticut 	Sports Center of Connecticut
Saint Anselm Hawks 	Goffstown, New Hampshire 	Sullivan Arena
St. Michael's Purple Knights	Colchester, Vermont 	C. Douglas Cairns Recreation Arena
==Standings==
== Conference Tournament==
===Original Format===
All six teams qualify for the single elimination tournament.
===Revised Format===
As only two teams actually got playing for the season they met in a best-of-three series for the Commissioner's Cup. The LIU Sharks defeated Sacred Heart two-games-to-none (4-1 and 5-2) to win the championship. The conference is not yet eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament so LIU would have to qualify via an at-large bid, they would not be selected as an at large bid when the tournament field was announced.
==References==
Category:2021 in ice hockey
Category:New England Women's Hockey Alliance seasons