
The Colonial Hockey Conference was a NCAA Division III women's hockey conference founded for the 2015-16 NCAA season. The conference was originally to be named the ECAC North Atlantic Conference under an affiliation with the ECAC. The conference ended with the end of the 2019-20 season as it morphed into the Commonwealth Coast Conference's women's conference as the CCC will have enough all-sports women's teams to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament, with the addtion of three programs over the next few seasons, which carried over from the CHC.
The conference was based out of Marshfield, Massachusetts.
On July 5, 2016 the conference announced that the Nichols Bison will be joining the league for the 2017-18 season. The team had been part of the New England Hockey Conference.
In September 2016, Daniel Webster College as a whole and not just the athletic program announced it would cease to exist at the end of the school year, as the Nashua, New Hampshire based school was owned and operated by I.T.T. Technical Institute, who filed for bankruptcy protection after the United States government cracked down on the school. The property was purchased by Southern New Hampshire University. The school has begun the process of being combined into the SNHU community through a teach-out agreement and the school will cease to exist over the following year. Due to a lack of players the women's team was unable to complete a roster to be able to play for the season and was forced to cancel what would be its second and final season as the school ceased to exist at the end of the 2016-17 school year.
On January 25, 2017 it was announced that the Johnson and Wales Wildcats and the Salem State Vikings would be leaving the conference for the New England Hockey Conference for the 2018-19 season.
On January 26, 2018 it was announced that the Salve Regina Seahawks and the University of New England Nor'Easters would be joining the conference from the New England Hockey Conference.
The Canton Kangaroos left the conference after the 2017-18 season for the Northeast Women's Hockey League.
The Morrisville Mustangs left the conference for the Northeast Women's Hockey League for the 2019-20 season.
Transformation to Commonwealth Coast Conference[]
On October 4, 2019 the Commonwealth Coast Conference, which is an all-sports NCAA Division III Conference, announced it would be starting to sponsor women's hockey. It will assume operations of the Colonial Hockey Conference. As part of the announcement it was announce that the Suffolk Rams would be joining the conference for 2020-21 and that Western New England Golden Bears would be starting a women's team for 2020-21. This will make six of the seven members of the CHC also being full members of the CCC with the Becker Hawks being an associate member of the conference for both men's and women's hockey. With having seven members the conference will retain its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.[1]
Final League members[]
Team | Location | Arena | Tenure |
Becker Hawks | Worcester, Massachusetts | New England Sports Center | 2015-2020 |
Endicott Gulls | Beverly, Massachusetts | Raymond J Bourque Arena | 2015-2020 |
Nichols Bison | Dudley, Massachusetts | Levy Rink | 2017-2020 |
Salve Regina Seahawks | Newport, Rhode Island | St. George's School Ice Rink | 2018-2020 |
University of New England Nor'Easters | Biddeford, Maine | Harold Alfond Forum | 2018-2020 |
Former Members[]
Team | Location | Arena | Joined | Exited | Subsequent Conference |
Canton Kangaroos | Canton, New York | SUNY Canton Athletic and Recreation Center | 2015 | 2019 | Northeast Women's Hockey League |
Daniel Webster Eagles | Nashua, New Hampshire | Conway Arena | 2015 | 2016 | Program cancelled with school closing after 2016-17 academic year and lack of players for 2016-17 season |
Johnson and Wales Wildcats | Providence, Rhode Island | Dennis M. Lynch Arena | 2015 | 2018 | New England Hockey Conference |
Morrisville Mustangs | Morrisville, New York | Morrisville Iceplex| | 2015 | 2020 | Northeast Women's Hockey League |
Salem State Vikings | Salem, Massachusetts | Rockett Arena | 2015 | 2018 | New England Hockey Conference |
Stevenson Mustangs | Owings Mills, Maryland | Reisterstown Sportsplex | 2015 | 2017 | United Collegiate Hockey Conference & Middle Atlantic Conference |
Conference Seasons[]
Season | Regular Season Champion | Conference Tourmament Champion | NCAA Tournament Teams |
2015-16 | Stevenson Mustangs | Stevenson Mustangs | none (No automatic bid conference's first season) |
2016-17 | Endicott Gulls | Morrisville Mustangs | none (No automatic bid conference's second season) |
2017-18 | Morrisville Mustangs | Morrisville Mustangs | Morrisville Mustangs (L, Quarterfinals) |
2018-19 | Endicott Gulls | Endicott Gulls | Endicott Gulls (L, First Round) |
2019-20 | Endicott Gulls | Endicott Gulls | Endicott Gulls (tournament cancelled before play) |
Links[]
league website: colonialhockey.com