New England Hockey Conference

The New England Hockey Conference (known as ECAC East prior to 2015-16 season) is a league in NCAA Men's Division III and Women's Division III.
The women's conference has been unique in that it has been home to schools at the D-I, D-II, and D-III levels.  However, this changed for the 2017-18 season as the conference made the decision to become an all D-III member conference.  The Holy Cross Crusaders were D-I in all other programs and had already announced that they are elevating the program to D-I as what may be part of a move by the school to be joining Hockey East at either the men's level (which would force the school to make the women's program D-I as per Hockey East by-laws) or the eventual inclusion of both programs in Hockey East.
During the fall of 2016 protest occurred at St. Anselm over the women's program being forced from the conference by the new D-III only policy.  This forced the men's program to move to the Northeast-10 conference which would essentially hurt the program by giving the school only six set opponents for the regular season.  The women's programs at Franklin Pierce and St. Michael's were also forced into the same situation as St. Anselm. The four departed members of the conference became part of a scheduling alliance of independent D-I and D-II teams, the New England Women's Hockey Alliance, for the 2017-18 season. The NEWHA would formally organize as a D-I conference in 2018–19, and received official NCAA recognition in 2019–20.
==Men's Conference==
==Final Membership (2024-25)==
Team 	Location 	Arena
Babson Beavers (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Wellesley, Massachusetts 	Babson Skating Center
Castleton Spartans (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Castleton, Vermont 	Spartan Arena
Elmira Soaring Eagles (leaving for United Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2025-26) 	Elmira, New York 	Murray Athletic Center Arena
Hobart Statesmen (leaving for State University of New York Athletic Conference in 2025-26) 	Geneva, New York 	Hobart Arena
Johnson and Wales Wildcats (leaving for Commonwealth Coast Conference in 2025-26) 	Providence, Rhode Island 	New England Sports Village (Attleboro, Massachusetts)
Mass-Boston Beacons (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Boston, Massachusetts 	Beacons Ice Arena
New England Pilgrims (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Henniker, New Hampshire 	Lee Clement Arena
Norwich Cadets (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Northfield, Vermont 	Kreitzberg Arena
Skidmore Thoroughbreds (leaving for State University of New York Athletic Conference in 2025-26)	Saratoga Springs, New York	Saratoga Springs Ice Rink
Southern Maine Huskies (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Gorham, Maine 	USM Ice Arena
===Former Members===
Team 	Fate
MCLA Trailblazers 	program dropped by school in 2003
Salem State Vikings 	join MASCAC in 2009
St. Anselm Hawks 	dropped by conference when it goes D-III only in 2017, join Northeast-10
St. Michael's Purple Knights 	dropped by conference when it goes D-III only in 2017, join Northeast-10
Suffolk Rams 	Re-join Commonwealth Coast Conference for 2020-21
University of New England Nor'Easters	join Commonwealth Coast Conference in 2016
===Men's Seasons===
See: NEHC Men's Tournament
Conference tournament winners - runners-up in brackets
*1985-86: Bowdoin (Babson)
*1986-87: Merrimack (Babson)
*1987-88: Merrimack (Bowdoin)
*1988-89: Merrimack (Bowdoin)
*1989-90: American International
*1990-91: Middlebury
*1991-92: Babson
*1992-93: Bowdoin (Salem State)
*1993-94: Salem State (Bowdoin)
*1994-95: Salem State (Bowdoin)
*1995-96: Amherst (Hamilton)
*1996-97: Colby (Bowdoin)
*1997-98: Hamilton (Connecticut College)
Season 	Regular Season Champions 	Conference Tournament Champions 	NCAA Tournament (finish) 	
1998-99	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (National Champions) 	
1999-00	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (National Champions) 	
2000-01	Norwich Cadets 	New England College Pilgrims 	New England College Pilgrims (quarterfinals) 	
2001-02	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Runner Up) 	
2002-03	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (National Champions) 	
2003-04	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Semifinals) 	
2004-05	Norwich Cadets 	New England College Pilgrims 	New England College Pilgrims (Semifinals) 	
2005-06	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Quarterfinals) 	
2006-07	Norwich Cadets 	Babson Beavers 	Babson Beavers (Quarterfinals)Norwich Cadets (Quarterfinals) 	
2007-08	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Semifinals) 	
2008-09	Norwich Cadets 	Babson Beavers 	Babson Beavers (First Round) 	
2009-10	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (National Champions) 	
2010-11	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Semifinals) 	
2011-12	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Semifinals) 	
2012-13	Norwich Cadets 	Babson Beavers 	Babson Beavers (Quarterfinals)Norwich Cadets (Semifinals) 	
2013-14	Babson Beavers 	Babson Beavers 	Babson Beavers (Quarterfinals)Norwich Cadets (Quarterfinals) 	
2014-15	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Quarterfinals) 	
2015-16	Mass-Boston Beacons 	Mass-Boston Beacons 	Mass-Boston Beacons (Semifinals) 	
2016-17	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (National Champions) 	
2017-18	Norwich Cadets 	Hobart Statesmen 	Hobart Statesmen (First Round) 	
2018-19	Mass-Boston Beacons 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Finalist)Hobart Statesmen (Semifinals)Mass-Boston Beacons (Quarterfinals)	
2019-20	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets (Tournament cancelled) 	
2020-21	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	Hobart Statesmen 	Babson Beavers 	Babson Beavers 	
2022-23	Hobart Statesmen 	Hobart Statesmen 	Hobart Statesmen (Champions)Norwich Cadets (Quarterfinals) 	
2023-24	Hobart Statesmen 	Hobart Statesmen 	Hobart Statesmen (champions)Elmira Soaring Eagles (Quarterfinals) 	
==Women's Conference==
===Final Membership (2024-25)===
Team 	Location 	Arena
Castleton Spartans (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Castleton, Vermont 	Spartan Arena
Elmira Soaring Eagles (leaving for United Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2025-26 	Elmira, New York 	Murray Athletic Center Arena
Johnson and Wales Wildcats (leaving for Commonwealth Coast Conference in either 2024-25 or 2025-26)	Providence, Rhode Island	Dennis M. Lynch Arena
Mass-Boston Beacons (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Boston, Massachusetts 	Beacons Ice Arena
New England College Pilgrims (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Henniker, New Hampshire 	Lee Clement Arena
Norwich Cadets (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Northfield, Vermont 	Kreitzberg Arena
Plymouth State Panthers (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Plymouth, New Hampshire 	Hanaway Rink
Salem State Vikings (leaving for Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference in 2024-25 	Salem, Massachusetts 	Rockett Arena
Southern Maine Huskies (leaving for Little East Conference in 2025-26) 	Gorham, Maine 	USM Ice Arena
William Smith Herons (leaving for State University of New York Athletic Conference in 2025-26) 	Geneva, New York 	Geneva Recreation Complex Skating Rink
===Former Members===
Team 	Fate
Manhattanville Valiants 	join United Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2017-18
Nichols Bison 	join Colonial Hockey Conference in 2017-18
Salve Regina Seahawks 	join Commonwealth Coast Conference when formed for 2020-21 season
Suffolk Rams 	join Commonwealth Coast Conference when formed for 2020-21 season
University of New England Nor'Easters 	join Commonwealth Coast Conference when formed for 2020-21 season
Rensselaer Engineers 	joined D-I ECAC Hockey in 2005
Rochester Institute of Technology Tigers	joined ECAC West in 2007
MIT Engineers 	program dropped by school in 2009
Holy Cross Crusaders 	program elevated to D-I for 2017-18 season; joined NEWHA in 2017 and moved to Hockey East in 2018
Franklin Pierce Ravens 	dropped by league when conference went D-III only for 2017-18; joined NEWHA in 2017
St. Anselm Hawks 	dropped by league when conference went D-III only for 2017-18; joined NEWHA in 2017
St. Michael's Purple Knights 	dropped by league when conference went D-III only for 2017-18; joined NEWHA in 2017
==Women's Conference Seasons==
Season 	Regular Season Champions 	Conference Tournament Champions 	ECAC/NEHC Open Tournament Champions 	AWCHA/NCAA Tournament
1991-92	St. Lawrence Saints 	? 	No Tournament 	No Tournament
1995-96	Bowdoin Polar Bears (East)Middlebury Panthers (West) 	Middlebury Panthers 	No Tournament 	No Tournament
1996-97	Bowdoin Polar Bears (East)Middlebury Panthers (West) 	Middlebury Panthers 	No Tournament 	No Tournament
1997-98	Wesleyan Cardinals (East)Middlebury Panthers (West) 	Middlebury Panthers 	No Tournament 	No Tournament
1998-99	Wesleyan Cardinals (North)Bowdoin Polar Bears (East)Middlebury Panthers (South)RIT Tigers (West)	Middlebury Panthers 	No Tournament 	No Tournament
1999-00	Middlebury Panthers 	Middlebury Panthers 	No Tournament 	Middlebury Panthers (National Champs)
2000-01	Middlebury Panthers 	Middlebury Panthers 	No Tournament 	Middlebury Panthers (National ChampsWilliams Ephs (Third place)
2001-02	Manhattanville Valiants 	Manhattanville Valiants 	Sacred Heart Pioneers 	Manhattanville Valiants (Runner-up)
2002-03	Manhattanville Valiants 	Manhattanville Valiants 	Holy Cross Crusaders 	Manhattanville Valiants (Runner-up)
2003-04	Manhattanville Valiants 	Manhattanville Valiants 	Event Not Held 	Manhattanville Valiants (4th Place)
2004-05	Manhattanville Valiants 	Manhattanville Valiants 	St. Anselm Hawks 	Manhattanville Valiants (Lost in Quarterfinals)
2005-06	Manhattanville Valiants 	Manhattanville Valiants 	Sacred Heart Pioneers 	Manhattanville Valiants (Lost in Quarterfinals)
2006-07	St. Anselm Hawks 	Manhattanville Valiants 	St. Anselm Hawks 	Manhattanville Valiants (lost in quarterfinalsRIT Tigers (lost in quarterfinals)
2007-08	St. Anselm Hawks 	Manhattanville Valiants 	St. Anselm Hawks 	Manhattanville Valiants (Runner-up)
2008-09	Holy Cross Crusaders 	Norwich Cadets 	Holy Cross Crusaders 	Norwich Cadets (lost in quarterfinals)
2009-10	Manhattanville Valiants 	Norwich Cadets 	Holy Cross Crusaders 	Norwich Cadets (National Champs)
2010-11	Norwich Cadets 	Manhattanville Valiants 	Holy Cross Crusaders 	Manhattanville Valiants (lost in quarterfinals)Norwich Cadets (Nationals Champs)
2011-12	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	St. Anselm Hawks 	Norwich Cadets (Runner-up)
2012-13	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	St. Anselm Hawks 	Norwich Cadets (lost in quarterfinals)
2013-14	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	St. Anselm Hawks 	Norwich Cadets (runner-up)
2014-15	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Holy Cross Crusaders 	Norwich Cadets (Fourth Place)
2015-16	Norwich Cadets 	Mass-Boston Beacons 	Holy Cross Crusaders 	Mass-Boston Beacons (Lost in quarterfinals)
2016-17	St. Anselm Hawks 	Norwich Cadets 	St. Anselm Hawks 	Norwich Cadets (Fourth Place)
2017-18	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Discontinued 	Norwich Cadets (National Champions)
2018-19	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Discontinued 	Norwich Cadets
2019-20	Norwich Cadets 	Norwich Cadets 	Discontinued 	Norwich Cadets
2020-21	Season Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	Discontinued 	Elmira Soaring Eagles
2022-23	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	Norwich Cadets 	Discontinued 	Norwich Cadets
2023-24	Norwich Cadets 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	Discontinued 	Elmira Soaring Eagles
===Women's Conference Timeline===
*1995-96 The ECAC starts a Division III Women's Conference, all teams play in one league
*1998-99 The conference begins informal play as four divisions in the same conference with interlocking play
*1999-00 MIT Engineers join the conference and formal conference scheduling begins as ECAC East
*2000-01 The Holy Cross Crusaders and Manhattanville Valiants join the conference after playing as Division III Independents for their inaugural 1999-00 seasons
*2001-02 Salve Regina Seahawks join the conference from being a D-III Independent; St. Michael's Purple Knights join the conference as a new program; Colgate Raiders and Vermont Catamounts leave the conference for ECAC Divison I Women's , and nine schools leave the conference to form the New England Small College Athletic Conference. They include the Amherst Lord Jeffs, Bowdoin Polar Bears, Colby Mules, Connecticut College Camels, Hamilton Continentals, Middlebury Panthers, Southern Maine Huskies, Trinity Bantams, Wesleyan Cardinals, and Williams Ephs
*2002-03 New England Pilgrims join the conference after playing as a Division III Independent
*2003-04 Union Dutchwomen leave the conference for ECAC Divison I Women's; Sacred Heart Pioneers leave the conference to become a Division I Independent, and Mass-Boston Beacons join the conference as a new program.
*2004-05 Castleton Spartans join the conference when the women's hockey program is elevated to varsity status and the St. Anselm Hawks join the conference as a new program.
*2005-06 Rensselaer Engineers leave the conference to become a Division I Independent.
*2007-08 Plymouth State Panthers join the conference from being a D-III Independent, the Norwich Cadets join the conference as a new program, and RIT Tigers leave the conference to join ECAC West
*2008-09 Nichols Bison join the conference as a new program.
*2009-10 MIT Engineers leave the conference when the school discontinues women's ice hockey at the school.
*2014-15 The University of New England Nor'Easters join the conference from being a D-III Independent and the Franklin Pierce Ravens join the conference from being a D-II Independent.
*2015-16 The conference is renamed the New England Hockey Conference when the affiliation with the ECAC is ended.
*2017-18 The four non-D-III schools are removed from the league (Holy Cross Crusaders will become a D-I team, Franklin Pierce Ravens, St. Anselm Hawks, and St. Michael's Purple Knights will become D-II teams). The Manhattanville Valiants join the United Collegiate Hockey Conference and Middle Atlantic Conferences. This also means an end to the conference's post season Open Tournament
==Single Gender Teams (other gender team's league)==
Its men's member teams are:
* Babson Beavers (no women's program)
* Skidmore Thoroughbreds (no women's program)
Its women's member teams are:
* Holy Cross Crusaders (men play in D-I Atlantic Hockey)
* Manhattanville Valiants (men play in ECAC West)
* Nichols Bison (men play in Commonwealth Coast Conference)
* Plymouth State Panthers (men play in MASCAC)
* Salve Regina Seahawks (men play in Commonwealth Coast Conference)
== Membership Changes==
In 1998, the Skidmore Thoroughbreds join the conference.
In 1999, the men's conference loses the Amherst Lord Jeffs, Bowdoin Polar Bears, Colby Mules, Connecticut College Camels, Hamilton Continentals, Middlebury Panthers, Trinity Bantams, Wesleyan Cardinals, and Williams Ephs when they form the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
In 2001, 10 members of the women's conference broke off to form the New England Small College Athletic Conference's women's conference and the Salve Regina Seahawks joined the conference from being a Division III Independent and St. Michael's Purple Knights join the conference as a new program. St. Michael's also joined the men's conference.
In 2002 New England College Pilgrims joined the conference after being a Division III Independent for their first season
In 2005, the Rensselaer Engineers (women) left ECAC East and became a Women's Division I team.
The Plymouth State Panthers women's program began in 2006 and joined the conference in 2007.
In 2007, the RIT Tigers (women) left ECAC East for the ECAC West  and the Norwich Cadets women's ice hockey team joined the conference
The Nichols Bison women's program began play in 2008.
The Salem State Vikings (men) left ECAC East when the MASCAC re-formed in 2009.
In 2009, the MIT Engineers women's team has been discontinued by the university.  The team had played a reduced schedule for most of its existence.  There was no men's team.
The Franklin Pierce Ravens (D-II) and University of New England Nor'Easters (D-III) women's teams joined the conference in 2014 from being an Independent.
After the 2016-17 season, the non-Division III members (Holy Cross Crusaders, Franklin Pierce Ravens, St. Anselm Hawks, and St. Michael's Purple Knights will be out of the conference.  Holy Cross is rumored to be destined for Hockey East as part of the fallout from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish leaving that conference to join the Big Ten Conference as an associate member in men's ice hockey.  The men's program is the leading candidate to replace Notre Dame in the men's conference and that would force Holy Cross to elevate the women's program to Division I status, but even if the men's team doesn't join Hockey East the steps are being taken to elevate the women's program to Division I.
The Manhattanville Valiants are also leaving the conference after the 2016-17 season to join the newly formed United Collegiate Hockey Conference and also be a member of the Middle Atlantic Conferences newly formed hockey conference.
On January 24, 2017 the Hobart Statesmen announced they were withdrawing from the newly formed United Collegiate Hockey Conference which is slated to start for the 2017-18 season and will instead join the New England Hockey Conference. The team was a member of the ECAC West for the 2016-17 season.
On January 26, 2017 The conference announced that the Johnson and Wales Wildcats (men's and women's teams), Suffolk Rams (men's and women's) and Salem State Vikings (women's only) would be joining the conference for the 2018-19 season. Both men's teams are joining from the Commonwealth Coast Conference with the two existing women's teams joining from the Colonial Hockey Conference and the Suffolk Rams women's team being a new program for the 2018-19 season.
==Teams ineligible for Conference Tournament or NCAA Tournament==
The Holy Cross Crusaders (women) are a Division I team playing a Division III schedule. The Franklin Pierce, St. Anselm Hawks, and St. Michael's Purple Knights (men and women) are Division II teams playing Division III schedules. None of those three teams were eligible for the ECAC East playoffs or the Division III tournament.  This is true in the new conference as well.  St. Anselm and St. Michael's  have participated in a Northeast-10 conference playoff tournament.
According to an article in the Manchester Union Leader newspaper in mid-October 2016, the conference is apparently planning on becoming stictly a NCAA Division III conference for the 2017-18 season.  St. Anselm Hawks are reportedly not being offered a renewal on their contract to play in the conference for the 2017-18 season.  St. Anselm had previously stated earlier in 2016 that they were considering moving to Division III for all sports but reversed that decision and stated they would stay in Division II in May 2016.  This move by the conference may force St. Michael's (D-II), Franklin Pierce (D-II) and Holy Cross (D-I) out of the league as well.  Protests have occurred on the campus on St. Anselm protesting the school's decision as some students are upset that the men's and women's teams both will not have a conference to play in for 2017-18 or be forced in to a weaker conference (Northeast-10); essentially restricting the teams to have only six opponents for the season.
Holy Cross officially announced in late October 2016 that it would elevate its women's program to full Division I status for the 2017-18 season.  The school has been rumored to be moving its men's program to Hockey East as a replacement for the departing Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's ice hockey program  which left the conference for the Big Ten Conference for the 2017-18 season.  The move of the men's program would force the school to elevate the women's program to Division I, the men's program would also be forced into a larger arena as Hockey East requires a minimum capacity of 4,000 and the women's program to be at the D-I level as well.  The only facility that big in the area would be the DCU Center.  The school stated that is was hoping to announce a conference affiliation for its women's program in December or January.  The three conference options for affiliation are College Hockey America, ECAC and Hockey East.  An independent schedule for 2017-18 were also mentioned as a possibility. The four departing teams became part of a scheduling alliance for the 2017-18 season involving the other two independents in D-I and D-II.  
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Category:NCAA Division III Conferences
Category:Established in 2015
Category:NCAA Women's Division III Conferences
Category:NCAA Men's Division III Conferences
Category:Established in 1965