| Mass-Boston Beacons | |
 | |
| Institution: | University of Massachusetts Boston |
|---|---|
| Location: | Boston, Massachusetts |
| School founded: | 1964 (as Boston State College) |
| Enrollment: | 10,600 |
| Colors: | Blue, Black, and White |
| Home Arena: | Edward T. Barry Ice Rink |
| Men's Team | |
| Conference: | New England Hockey Conference |
| Coach: | Peter Belisle |
| Conf. Championships: | 2016 |
| Women's Team | |
| Conference: | New England Hockey Conference |
| Coach: | Dominque Lozzi |
| Conf. Championships: | 2016 |
The UMass-Boston Beacons are a Men's Division III and Women's Division III team in New England Hockey Conference which was known as ECAC East until 2015. Both teams play out of the Edward T. Barry Ice Rink located on campus which is part of the larger Clark Athletic Center. The arena was previously known as the Beacons Ice Arena until being renamed in the fall of 2016.
U-Mass-Boston in its present form was established in 1982. The school was created out of a merger of Boston State College which dated back to 1852 and several previous names. and the then University of Massachusetts-Boston which was established in 1964. Both schools were previously located in the heart of Boston with Boston State College being located where Massachusetts College of Art is located on Huntington Avenue in the Longwood Medical Area near Northeastern University. The school was moved to the present location from a location on Park Street in 1974 at Columbia Point next to the JFK Presidential Library along the shore of Boston Harbor.
As much as the school has moved the school has not had on campus housing for its students. In December of 2016 the school broke ground on a 1,077 bed student residence hall which should be ready for the fall of 2018. The school has grown since it moved to its current location and always been a commuter school as it has a stop (JFK/UMASS) on the MBTA's red line subway service that links to dedicated buses for the school. Much of the student body comes from the city of Boston and the immediate suburbs. This should make the school more attractive to students from outside the area as well as Boston is a major college town and apartment hunting is a major challenge and lack of dorm room discourages people from considering the school.
Men's program[]
Boston State College won the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference championship in outright 1971-72 and 1972-73 and share the 1974-75 championship with Salem State College.
The UMass-Boston men's program appears to date back to 1980-81 when the school was being re-aligned.
The team won the 2016 New England Hockey Conference title advancing to the 2016 NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Tournament where they made it to the semifinals in Lake Placid, New York before losing 8-7 in double overtime to the St. Norbert Green Knights.
In 2009 they made an improbable run at the conference tournament after finishing as the lowest seed (8th) pulling off a 1-0 win in overtime over the Norwich Cadets a 5-4 win over the New England College Pilgrims in the semifinals and losing 4-3 in overtime to the Babson Beavers in the championship game.
For more detail please see Mass-Boston Beacons men's ice hockey.
Women's program[]
The women's program started with the 2003-04 season.
The team won the 2016 New England Hockey Conference Tournament championship qualifying for the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Tournament.
For more detail please see Mass-Boston Beacons women's ice hockey.
2016 NEHC Women's tournament champs UMass-Boston Beacons
2016 NEHC Men's tournament champions UMass Boston Beacons