Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League


The Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League 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

InstitutionLocationNicknameFoundedTypeEnrollmentColorsPrimary Facility
University of MassachusettsAmherst, MassachusettsMinutemen1863Public30,593Maroon and White
William D. Mullins Memorial Center
Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PennsylvaniaNittany Lions1855Public/State-Related46,723Blue and White
Pegula Ice Arena
University of Rhode IslandKingston, Rhode IslandRams1892Public17,064Keaney Blue, Dark Blue and White
Bradford R. Boss Arena

Former members

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:1 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2005 text:Boston University
bar:2 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2008 text:Buffalo
barset:2 color:barcolor from:01/01/2009 till:01/01/2014
bar:3 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:end text:Massachusetts
bar:4 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2012 text:Penn State
barset:4 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:end
bar:5 color:barcolor from:01/01/2003 till:end text:Rhode Island
bar:6 color:barcolor from:01/01/2004 till:01/01/2007 text:Bates
bar:7 color:barcolor from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2007 text:Norwich
bar:8 color:barcolor from:01/01/2005 till:01/01/2007 text:North Country CC
bar:9 color:barcolor from:01/01/2006 till:01/01/2009 text:Connecticut
bar:10 color:barcolor from:01/01/2010 till:01/01/2017 text:Northeastern
bar:11 color:barcolor from:01/01/2011 till:01/01/2017 text:Vermont
bar:12 color:barcolor from:01/01/2012 till:01/01/2013 text:Canton
bar:13 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:01/01/2015 text:Navy
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/2003

Playoff championship game results

Beginning with the 2006 playoffs, the previous season's champion serves as the host.
† 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

Appearances made while an ECWHL member. Former conference members are in italics.
SchoolAppearancesYearsChampionships
Massachusetts152005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020-
Rhode Island122004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016-
Penn State42004, 2007, 2010, 2015-
Northeastern32011, 2012, 20132012
Buffalo12005None
Connecticut12007None
Norwich12007None

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.
YearLocationPlayerSchoolResult
2011Erzurum, TurkeyMo Stroemel Penn StateFourth Place
2011Erzurum, TurkeyJustine DucieRhode IslandFourth Place
2011Erzurum, TurkeyLindsay ReihlPenn StateFourth Place
2011Erzurum, TurkeyDenise RohlikPenn StateFourth Place
2011Erzurum, TurkeyHeather RossiPenn StateFourth Place
2011Erzurum, TurkeyKatie VaughanPenn StateFourth Place
2011Erzurum, TurkeyMegan WintersNortheasternFourth Place
2013Trentino, ItalyAmanda AbromsonMassachusettsBronze Medal
2013Trentino, ItalyCassie CatlowRhode IslandBronze Medal
2013Trentino, ItalyChelsea CorellMassachusettsBronze Medal
2013Trentino, ItalyAlisha DiFilippoRhode IslandBronze Medal
2013Trentino, ItalyPaige HarringtonMassachusettsBronze Medal
2013Trentino, ItalyLauren HillbergRhode IslandBronze Medal
2013Trentino, ItalyCaleigh LaBossiereMassachusettsBronze Medal
2013Trentino, ItalySarah OteriMassachusettsBronze Medal
2015Granada, SpainAmanda AbromsonMassachusettsFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainVicki BortolussiMassachusettsFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainCassie CatlowRhode IslandFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainEmily FordVermontFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainPaige HarringtonMassachusettsFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainCaleigh LaBossiereMassachusettsFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainKristen LevesqueRhode IslandFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainMadison SmiddyPenn StateFifth Place
2017Almaty, KazakhstanCassie DunnePenn StateBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanAmber GreeneMassachusettsBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanBrittani LanzilliMassachusettsBronze Medal
----Bronze Medal
----Bronze Medal
----Bronze Medal
----Bronze Medal
----Bronze Medal

Notable ACHA award winners