MCLA Trailblazers men's ice hockey

The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Trailblazers or MCLA Trailblazers were a men's hockey team representing the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Massachusetts. The team was based out of what is now known as the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink in North Adams.

Name History
The team was known as the MCLA Mohawks from 1996 to 2002 and the North Adams State Mohawks from its' founding in 1972 until 1996 when the school was renamed. The team changed its nickname from Mohawks in 2002 (which it had used since 1963) when the NCAA started to pressure schools to change nicknames that could be potentially offensive to Native Americans. The new nickname was intended as a tribute to several trails located in the area and their historical significance to local and American history, as the Mohawk Trail was a trading and travel route that has been used for centuries for migration and trade between coastal New England and upstate New York and the town was a stop on the Underground Railroad (African-American Heritage Trail), which had many locals participate in the relocation of escaped slaves to New England ports and to Canada. The area also is part of the Appalachian, Long, Molly Stark,, Taconic, and Mount Greylock Trails

Team History
The team played in the ECAC Division II from 1975 to 1985. For the balance of the team's existence it was a member of ECAC Division III and the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference which was its' all sports home. The MASCAC would be a league that played a limited schedule that allowed its' members play in other leagues.