NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament

Women's collegiate ice hockey started to set it roots in the late 1990's. Prior to this point the only varsity league was the Division I ECAC women's conference, which had 12 teams as of the 1997-98 season. For the 1997-98 season there were 41 schools offering ice hockey at the varsity level (Division I & III combined). By the 2000-01 hockey season that number was up to 59. That number has grown to over 100 teams planned to play for the 2017-18 season.
The first national championship was held in 2000. The "tournament" was simply a best-of-three series between the playoff champions of the two Division III women's conferences (the ECAC and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).
The NCAA did not begin to sanction a tournament until the 2001-02 season.
==Formats==
*2000 to 2000 - 2 teams qualify for best-of three series
*2001 to 2001 - 4 teams qualify
*2002 to 2002 - 6 teams qualify
*2003 to 2011 - 7 teams qualify
*2012 to 2017 - 8 teams qualify
*2018 to 2018 - 9 teams qualify
*2019 to 2022 - 10 teams qualify
*2023 to present - 11 teams qualify
==Tournaments==
Season 	Champion 	Finalist 	Score 	Championship Venue 	Championship City
2000 (AWCHA)	Middlebury Panthers 	Augsburg Auggies 	5-1, 8-1 	Matthews Arena 	Boston, Massachusetts
2001 (AWCHA)	Middlebury Panthers 	Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties 	6-0 	ESL Center 	Rochester, New York
2002 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	Manhattanville Valiants 	2-1 	Murray Athletic Center Arena 	Elmira, New York
2003 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	Manhattanville Valiants 	5-1 	Murray Athletic Center Arena 	Elmira, New York
2004 	Middlebury Panthers 	Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers 	2-1 	Chip Kenyon '85 Arena 	Middlebury, Vermont
2005 	Middlebury Panthers 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	4-3 	Murray Athletic Center Arena 	Elmira, New York
2006 	Middlebury Panthers 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	3-1 	Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena 	Plattsburgh, New York
2007 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	Middlebury Panthers 	2-1 	Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena 	Plattsburgh, New York
2008 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	Manhattanville Valiants 	3-2 	Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena 	Plattsburgh, New York
2009 	Amherst Lady Jeffs 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	4-3 (OT) 	Chip Kenyon '85 Arena 	Middlebury, Vermont
2010 	Amherst Lady Jeffs 	Norwich Cadets 	7-2 	Don Roberts Arena 	St. Peter, Minnesota
2011 	Norwich Cadets 	RIT Tigers 	5-2 	Frank Ritter Memorial Ice Arena 	Henrietta, New York
2012 	RIT Tigers 	Norwich Cadets 	4-1 	Frank Ritter Memorial Ice Arena 	Henrietta, New York
2013 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	Middlebury Panthers 	1-0 	Wessman Arena 	Superior, Wisconsin
2014 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	Norwich Cadets 	9-2 	Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena 	Plattsburgh, New York
2015 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	3-2 	Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena 	Plattsburgh, New York
2016 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons 	5-1 	Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena 	Plattsburgh, New York
2017 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	Adrian Bulldogs 	4-3 (OT) 	Arrington Ice Arena 	Adrian, Michigan
2018 	Norwich Cadets 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	2-1 	Kreitzberg Arena 	Northfield, Vermont
2019 	Plattsburgh Cardinals 	Hamline Pipers 	4-0 	St. Thomas Ice Arena 	Mendota Heights, Minnesota
2020 	Tournament cancelled after first round by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic	Tournament cancelled after first round by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic	Tournament cancelled after first round by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic	Tournament cancelled after first round by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic	Tournament cancelled after first round by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 	Tournament cancelled February 3rd by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Tournament cancelled February 3rd by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Tournament cancelled February 3rd by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Tournament cancelled February 3rd by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Tournament cancelled February 3rd by NCAA due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022 	Middlebury Panthers 	Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties 	3-2 (OT) 	Chip Kenyon '85 Arena 	Middlebury, Vermont
2023 	Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties 	Amherst Mammoths 	2-1 (3OT) 	Orr Rink 	Amherst, Massachusetts
2024 	Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons 	Elmira Soaring Eagles 	4-1 	Hunt Arena 	River Falls, Wisconsin
== Championships by Team ==
School 	Championships	Last Title
Plattsburgh 	7 	2019
Middlebury* 	4 	2022
Elmira 	3 	2013
Norwich 	2 	2018
Amherst 	2 	2010
UW-River Falls 	1 	2024
Gustavus Adolphus	1 	2023
RIT 	1 	2012
*not including Middlebury's 2 ACHA championships
== Tournament Appearances ==
School 	Appearances 	Last Appearance
Middlebury 	19 (plus 2 ACHA app.)	2024
Plattsburgh 	19 	2024
Elmira 	18 	2024
Gustavus Adolphus 	17 (plus 1 ACHA app.)	2024
UW-River Falls 	15 	2024
Norwich 	12 	2023
Amherst 	9 	2024
Adrian 	8 	2024
Manhattanville 	8 	2011
St. Thomas* 	6 	2019
UW-Stevens Point 	5 	2014
Bowdoin 	5 	2013
UW-Eau Claire 	4 	2022
Nazareth 	3 	2024
Williams 	3 (plus 1 ACHA app.) 	2019
Endicott 	3 	2022
RIT** 	3 	2012
Hamilton 	2 	2024
Colby 	2 	2023
Hamline 	2 	2019
Lake Forest 	2 	2015
Trinity 	2 	2015
UW-Superior 	2 	2008
Saint Mary's 	1 (plus 1 ACHA app.) 	2002
Cortland 	1 	2024
Western New England	1 	2024
Suffolk 	1 	2023
Aurora 	1 	2022
Morrisville 	1 	2018
UMass Boston 	1 	2016
St. Norbert 	1 	2013
Concordia (MN) 	1 	2012
Augsburg 	0 (1 ACHA app.) 	2000
*St. Thomas moved to Division I starting with 2021-22 season **RIT moved to Division I starting with 2012-13 season
== Championship Host Schools ==
Institution 	Times Hosted	Arena 	Last Time Hosted
Plattsburgh 	6 	Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena 	2016
Middlebury 	3 	Chip Kenyon '85 Arena 	2022
Elmira 	3 	Murray Athletic Center Arena 	2005
RIT 	2 	Frank Ritter Memorial Ice Arena	2012
UW-River Falls	1 	W.H. Hunt Arena 	2024
Amherst 	1 	Orr Rink 	2023
St. Thomas 	1 	St. Thomas Ice Arena 	2019
Norwich 	1 	Kreitzberg Arena 	2018
Adrian 	1 	Arrington Ice Arena 	2017
UW-Superior* 	1 	Wessman Arena 	2013
Gustavus 	1 	Don Roberts Ice Rink 	2010
* = was named a predetermined site prior to the 2012-13 season
==See Also==
*NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament Appearances by team
Category:NCAA Tournaments
Category:Established in 2002
Category:NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship
Category:NCAA Division III Tournaments