Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League

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==
Institution 	Location 	Nickname 	Founded	Type 	Enrollment	Colors 	Primary Facility
University of Massachusetts 	Amherst, Massachusetts 	Minutemen 	1863 	Public 	30,593 	Maroon and White 	William D. Mullins Memorial Center
Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	Nittany Lions	1855 	Public/State-Related	46,723 	Blue and White 	Pegula Ice Arena
University of Rhode Island 	Kingston, Rhode Island 	Rams 	1892 	Public 	17,064 	Keaney 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===
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Period = from:01/01/2003 till:07/01/2020
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 bar:2 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2008 text:[[University at Buffalo|Buffalo]] (2003–2008, 2009–2014)
 barset:2 color:barcolor from:01/01/2009 till:01/01/2014
 bar:3 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:end text:[[UMass Minutemen women's ice hockey|Massachusetts]] (2003–present)
 bar:4 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2012 text:[[Penn State Women's Ice Hockey Club|Penn State]] (2003–2012, 2014–present)
 barset:4 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:end
 bar:5 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:end text:[[Rhode Island Rams women's ice hockey|Rhode Island]] (2003–present)
 bar:6 color:barcolor from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2007 text:[[Bates College|Bates]] (2004–2007)
 bar:7 color:barcolor from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2007 text:[[Norwich University|Norwich]] (2005–2007)
 bar:8 color:barcolor from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2007 text:[[North Country Community College|North Country CC]] (2005–2007)
 bar:9 color:barcolor from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2009 text:[[University of Connecticut|Connecticut]] (2006–2009)
 bar:10 color:barcolor from:01/01/2010 till:01/01/2017 text:[[Northeastern University|Northeastern]] (2010–2017)
 bar:11 color:barcolor from:01/01/2011 till:01/01/2017 text:[[University of Vermont|Vermont]] (2011–2017)
 bar:12 color:barcolor from:01/01/2012 till:01/01/2013 text:[[State University of New York at Canton|Canton]] (2012–2013)
 bar:13 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:01/01/2015 text:[[United States Naval Academy|Navy]] (2014–2015)
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== 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 †	Playoff not held †	Playoff not held †	Playoff not held †
2019	Playoff not held †	Playoff not held †	Playoff not held †	Playoff not held †
2020	Playoff not held †	Playoff not held †	Playoff not held †	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
2011http://www.achahockey.org/files/roster_2011_us_women.pdf	Erzurum, Turkey 	Mo Stroemel (head coach)	Penn State 	Fourth Place
2011http://www.achahockey.org/files/roster_2011_us_women.pdf	Erzurum, Turkey 	Justine Ducie 	Rhode Island 	Fourth Place
2011http://www.achahockey.org/files/roster_2011_us_women.pdf	Erzurum, Turkey 	Lindsay Reihl 	Penn State 	Fourth Place
2011http://www.achahockey.org/files/roster_2011_us_women.pdf	Erzurum, Turkey 	Denise Rohlik 	Penn State 	Fourth Place
2011http://www.achahockey.org/files/roster_2011_us_women.pdf	Erzurum, Turkey 	Heather Rossi 	Penn State 	Fourth Place
2011http://www.achahockey.org/files/roster_2011_us_women.pdf	Erzurum, Turkey 	Katie Vaughan 	Penn State 	Fourth Place
2011http://www.achahockey.org/files/roster_2011_us_women.pdf	Erzurum, Turkey 	Megan Winters 	Northeastern 	Fourth Place
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Amanda Abromson 	Massachusetts	Bronze Medal
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Cassie Catlow 	Rhode Island 	Bronze Medal
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Chelsea Corell 	Massachusetts	Bronze Medal
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Alisha DiFilippo 	Rhode Island 	Bronze Medal
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Paige Harrington 	Massachusetts	Bronze Medal
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Lauren Hillberg 	Rhode Island 	Bronze Medal
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Caleigh LaBossiere 	Massachusetts	Bronze Medal
2013 	Trentino, Italy 	Sarah Oteri 	Massachusetts	Bronze Medal
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Amanda Abromson 	Massachusetts	Fifth Place
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Vicki Bortolussi 	Massachusetts	Fifth Place
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Cassie Catlow 	Rhode Island 	Fifth Place
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Emily Ford 	Vermont 	Fifth Place
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Paige Harrington 	Massachusetts	Fifth Place
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Caleigh LaBossiere 	Massachusetts	Fifth Place
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Kristen Levesque 	Rhode Island 	Fifth Place
2015 	Granada, Spain 	Madison Smiddy 	Penn State 	Fifth Place
2017 	Almaty, Kazakhstan	Cassie Dunne 	Penn State 	Bronze Medal
2017 	Almaty, Kazakhstan	Amber Greene 	Massachusetts	Bronze Medal
2017 	Almaty, Kazakhstan	Brittani Lanzilli 	Massachusetts	Bronze Medal
 	 	 	 	Bronze Medal
 	 	 	 	Bronze Medal
 	 	 	 	Bronze Medal
 	 	 	 	Bronze Medal
 	 	 	 	Bronze Medal
==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 	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
==External links==
*UMass Women's Hockey
*Penn State Women's Ice Hockey Club
*URI Women's Ice Hockey
==References==
Category:ACHA Division I League