LIU Sharks

The LIU Sharks are a women's NCAA Division I  women's ice hockey team that began play with the 2019-20 playing season.  The team plays in the New England Women's Hockey Alliance. The team is based out of the Iceworks in Syosset, New York and the Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, New York for at least the first season.https://liuathletics.com/news/2019/6/13/womens-ice-hockey-liu-announces-inagural-womens-hockey-slate-for-2019-20.aspx?path=whockey  The Sharks were created when Long Island University decided to combine the athletic programs of the  LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and LIU Post Pioneers.  The program will officially be based out of the Brooklyn campus.http://athletics.liu.edu/faqs/
==Start of the men's program==
On April 30,2020 the university announced the start of a men's Men's Division I program to begin with the 2020-21 season. It is unknown as of the time of the announcement if the team will play as an independent for the 2020-21 season or if they are attempting to join a conference. No head coach was announced and that a national search would begin for a head coach.https://www.uscho.com/2020/04/30/long-island-university-adding-d-i-mens-hockey-for-upcoming-2020-21-season/
For more detail please see LIU Sharks men's ice hockey.
==Start of the women's program==
Originally, LIU Post had announced in late 2017 a posting for a NCAA Division II Women's head hockey coach However, no start date was announced.https://www.theicegarden.com/2017/12/3/16699430/long-island-university-liu-post-pioneers-new-ncaa-d2-womens-ice-hockey-program-expansion
Then LIU Brooklyn announced in June of 2018 that they would be starting an NCAA Division I women's hockey program effective the 2019-20 season.https://www.theicegarden.com/2018/6/5/17428062/liu-brooklyn-add-ncaa-division-i-womens-hockey-program-in-2019-2020
And then in October of 2018 LIU announced that the athletic programs for the two campuses would be combined starting July 1, 2019.
When the LIU Brooklyn program was announced no conference affiliation was included in the announcement. The school would be announced as being a member of the Northeast Women's Hockey League when it begins play.https://www.uscho.com/2018/09/11/liu-brooklyn-adds-womens-hockey-will-start-play-in-2019-20-as-newha-member/ It was later announced that the school would join the New England Women's Hockey Alliance when it begins play with the 2019-20 season.https://www.uscho.com/2018/09/26/newha-announces-intent-to-be-recognized-as-ncaa-national-collegiate-womens-hockey-conference/
For more detail please see LIU Sharks women's ice hockey.
==References==
Category:Established in 2019
Category:NCAA Division I teams
Category:New England Women's Hockey Alliance teams