Wikipedia

United Collegiate Hockey Conference

The United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) is a college athletic conference which operates in Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania in the eastern United States. It participates in NCAA Division III as a hockey-only conference.

United Collegiate Hockey Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded2016
CommissionerChuck Mitrano (since 2016)
Sports fielded
DivisionDivision III
HeadquartersRochester, New York
RegionEastern United States
Official websitetheuchc.com
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

History

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The conference was announced in 2016 as an association of 10 schools and league play began for the 2017–18 academic year, with nine each playing in the men's and women's divisions. The majority of the member schools were previously members of the now-defunct ECAC West hockey conference. Wilkes University was also announced as a future member for both the men's and women's divisions for the start of the 2018–19 academic year,[1] the same time when charter men's member Nazareth College began varsity women's play in the UCHC.[2] The following season, Alvernia University joined for its first season of varsity women's play.[3] In July 2021, Arcadia University new men's and women's programs were accepted into the league.[4] A year later, Alvernia added its men's team to the conference lineup.[5]

In 2023, the conference was split in two when the Middle Atlantic Conferences agreed to add Neumann and Wilkes as affiliate members in ice hockey.[6] This bought the number of members programs above the NCAA-minimum of six for an at-large bid. As a result, the MAC announced it would begin officially sponsoring ice hockey and left the UCHC with just four team for the upcoming season.[7] In short order, Brockport State and Geneseo State announced that their men's teams would be joining the UCHC for the 2024–25, allowing the conference to retain its own automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.[8] A few months later, the conference added four more schools beginning in 2025 with Albertus Magnus, Elmira and St. John's Fischer each adding men's and women's hockey while Hilbert's women's team would join.[9]

The league did not have an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship or the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship for the 2017–18 season but the Men's league gained the bid for the 2018–19 season and the Women's league did for the 2019-20 season.[10]

Members schools

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Current members

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100km
62miles
 
Brockport
 
Utica
 
Nazareth
 
Manhattanville
 
Chatham
 
Geneseo
Locations of United Collegiate Hockey Conference members
(  men's only)
School Location Nickname Founded Affiliation Enrollment Year Joined Primary Conference Colors (M) (W)
Chatham University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Cougars 1869 Private 2,300 2017-18 PAC      Y  Y
Manhattanville University Purchase, New York Valiants 1841 Private 2,700 2017-18 Skyline      Y  Y
Nazareth University Pittsford, New York Golden Flyers 1924 Private 2,800 2017-18 (men)
2018-19 (women) 		Empire 8      Y  Y
State University of New York at Brockport Brockport, New York Golden Eagles 1867 Public 7,924 2024-25 Empire 8      Y  N
State University of New York at Geneseo Geneseo, New York Knights 1871 Public 4,910 2024-25 Empire 8      Y  N
Utica University Utica, New York Pioneers 1946 Private 4,400 2017-18 Empire 8      Y  Y

Future Members

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School Location Nickname Founded Affiliation Enrollment Year Joining Primary Conference Colors (M) (W)
Albertus Magnus College New Haven, Connecticut Falcons 1925 Private 1,200 2025-26 GNAC      Y  Y
Elmira College Elmira, New York Soaring Eagles 1855 Private 1,170 2025-26* Empire 8      Y  Y
Hilbert College Hamburg, New York Hawks 1957 Private 800 2025-26 AMCC      N  Y
St. John Fisher University Pittsford, New York Cardinals 1948 Private 2,700 2025-26 Empire 8      Y  Y

* Elmira was previously a member of the UCHC.

Membership timeline

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St. John Fisher CardinalsHilbert HawksAlbertus Magnus FalconsGeneseo State Ice KnightsBrockport State Golden EaglesArcadia KnightsAlvernia Golden WolvesWilkes ColonelsUtica PioneersNazareth Golden FlyersChatham CougarsManhattanville ValiantsStevenson MustangsNeumann KnightsLebanon Valley Flying DutchmenKing's MonarchsElmira Soaring EaglesWilliam Smith Herons

  Men     Women     Both  

Former members

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School Location Nickname Founded Affiliation Enrollment Year Joined Year Left Current Conference Colors
Alvernia University Reading, Pennsylvania Golden Wolves 1958 Private 2,872 2019-20 (women)
2022-23 (men) 		2023-24 MAC    
Arcadia University Glenside, Pennsylvania Knights 1853 Private 2,473 2021-22 2023-24 MAC    
King's College Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Monarchs 1946 Private/Catholic 2,300 2017-18 2023-24 MAC    
Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania Flying Dutchmen 1866 Private/Methodist 1,750 2017-18 2023-24 MAC    
Neumann University Aston, Pennsylvania Knights 1965 Private/Catholic 3,000 2017-18 2023-24 MAC      
Stevenson University Baltimore County, Maryland Mustangs 1947 Private 3,700 2017-18 2023-24 MAC    
Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Colonels 1933 Private 5,000 2018-19 2023-24 MAC    
William Smith College Geneva, New York Herons 1908 Private 2,229 2017-18 2021-22 NEHC    

Champions

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Main article: UCHC Men's Tournament

Arenas

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School Arena Capacity
Chatham Hunt Armory Ice Arena n/a
Manhattanville Playland Ice Casino n/a
Nazareth Tim Horton's Iceplex 2,000
SUNY Brockport Wegmans Ice Arena 2,000
SUNY Geneseo Wilson Ice Arena 2,100
Utica Adirondack Bank Center 3,860

References

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  1. ^ "United Collegiate Hockey Conference to debut next season". D3Hockey.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. ^ "Nazareth to add women's ice hockey". nazathletics.com. Nazareth College. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  3. ^ "Alvernia Will Add Women's Ice Hockey as 27th Varsity Sport" (Press release). Alvernia Golden Wolves. March 2, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "Arcadia University to Add Men's and Women's Ice Hockey for 2021-22" (Press release). Arcadia Knights. June 26, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  5. ^ "Alvernia Announces the Addition of Men's Ice Hockey in 2022-23" (Press release). Middle Atlantic Conference. August 3, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  6. ^ "Wilkes and Neumann join the MAC as Associate Members in Ice Hockey". Wilkes Colonels. October 12, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  7. ^ "MAC Ice Hockey to Become an Automatic Qualifier Sport in 24-25". Lebanon Valley Flying Dutchmen. September 1, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  8. ^ "Brockport & Geneseo Ice Hockey Set to Join UCHC in 2024-25". Brockport Golden Eagles. September 6, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  9. ^ "Albertus Magnus, Elmira, Hilbert, St. John Fisher to join UCHC men's, women's hockey conferences for 2025-26 season". USCHO. May 15, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "UCHC Men get Automatic Bid". D3Hockey.com.
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