The American Women's College Hockey Alliance (AWCHA) debuted in 1997–98. It was a program funded through the United States Olympic Committee/NCAA Conference Grant Program. The AWCHA organized and developed activities with collegiate women's varsity ice hockey teams, and helped to promote women's ice hockey at all NCAA levels. The first AWCHA Division I national ice hockey championship was held in March 1998. The New Hampshire Wildcats defeated the Brown Bears by a 4–1 score, to become the first recognized national champion in women's college ice hockey.[1] There were two more AWCHA National Championships and then the NCAA became involved. In August 2000, the NCAA announced it would hold its first Division I women's ice hockey national championship. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs captured the first NCAA national championship, defeating the St. Lawrence Saints by a 4–2 tally on March 25, 2001.
American Women's College Hockey Alliance champions
editPrior to the NCAA establishing a women's ice hockey championship, the AWCHA held a championship from 1997–98 season to 1999–2000 season. Below are those champions.
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-up | Coach | City | Arena | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | New Hampshire | Karen Kay | 4–1 | Brown | Digit Murphy | Boston, MA | FleetCenter | [2] |
| 1999 | Harvard | Katey Stone | 6–5 | Brown | Digit Murphy | Minneapolis, MN | Mariucci Arena | [3] |
| 2000 | Minnesota | Laura Halldorson | 4–2 | Brown | Digit Murphy | Boston, MA | Matthews Arena | [4] |
References
edit- ^ Jay, Michelle (September 12, 2017). "Women's NCAA College Hockey 101". TheIceGarden.com. The Ice Garden. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "2016 Hall of Fame Class is Announced". UNHWildcats.com. University of New Hampshire Athletics. February 2, 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
Six Inductees to be Honored June 11
- ^ "1998–99 Women's Ice Hockey". GoCrimson.com. Harvard University Athletics. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "1999–2000 Women's Hockey Schedule". GopherSports.com. University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved November 20, 2024.