Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association was a college athletic conference which operated in the midwestern United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference. The conference included only men's teams.
 | |
| Conference | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Ceased | 2013 |
| Commissioner | G. Steven Larson (since 2010) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Headquarters | Waukesha, Wisconsin |
| Region | Midwestern United States |
| Official website | www |
History
editThe league was founded in 1998 with six teams: Benedictine University, the University of Findlay, Lawrence University, Marian University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and Northland College. After one year in the conference, Benedictine dropped hockey, and Findlay moved to the Division I College Hockey America conference. The University of Minnesota Crookston joined in 1999. As a Division II school, Minnesota Crookston operated the hockey team with no scholarships like the other Division III members of the league. While they competed in the conference championship, they were ineligible for the NCAA Division III Tournament, but they were eligible for the Harris Cup.
In 2007, in order to meet NCAA guidelines and receive an automatic bid for the Division III tournament, the NCHA mandated that all member programs be Division III by the end of the 2008–09 season.[1] Minnesota–Crookston continued to play in the conference for the next two years but after the '09 season the university dropped varsity hockey and were replaced by Lake Forest.
Finlandia University joined the conference for the 2004–05 season. Before the 2007–08 season, the MCHA added Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin, and Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan.
In the summer of 2012, the five hockey-playing schools in the University of Wisconsin System announced that they would leave the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) to begin playing hockey in their all-sports conference, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.[2][3] The move would have left only two men's teams in the NCHA, leading St. Norbert College and the College of St. Scholastica to join the MCHA.[4] In April 2013, the NCHA and MCHA announced a merger, where the NCHA would absorb the MCHA's teams (of the MCHA's 10 schools, all seven who also sponsored women's hockey played in the NCHA).[5] The men's and women's sides will retain separate administrative structures, as well as their automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament.[6]
Members
edit| School | Location | Nickname | Founded | Affiliation | Colors | Joined | Left | Subsequent conference |
Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian College | Adrian, Michigan | Bulldogs | 1859 | Private/Methodist | 2007 | 2013 | NCHA | ||
| Benedictine University | Lisle, Illinois | Eagles | 1887 | Private/Catholic | 1998 | 1999 | Dropped program | ||
| Concordia University Wisconsin | Mequon, Wisconsin | Falcons | 1880 | Private/Lutheran (LCMS) | 2007 | 2013 | NCHA | ||
| University of Findlay | Findlay, Ohio | Oilers | 1882 | Private | 1998 | 1999 | CHA (D-I) | Dropped program (2004) | |
| Finlandia University | Hancock, Michigan | Lions | 1896 | Private/Lutheran (ELCA) | 2004 | 2013 | NCHA | N/A (Closed in 2023) | |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, Illinois | Foresters | 1857 | Private | 2009 | 2013 | NCHA | ||
| Lawrence University | Appleton, Wisconsin | Vikings | 1847 | Private | 1999 | 2013 | NCHA | ||
| Marian University | Fond du Lac, Wisconsin | Sabres | 1936 | Private/Catholic | 1998 | 2013 | NCHA | ||
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Raiders | 1903 | Private | 1998 | 2013 | NCHA | ||
| University of Minnesota Crookston | Crookston, Minnesota | Golden Eagles | 1905 | Public | 1999 | 2009 | Dropped program | ||
| Northland College | Ashland, Wisconsin | Lumberjacks | 1906 | Private/United Church of Christ | 1998 | 2013 | NCHA | ||
Champions
edit- MCHA regular season champions
- 1998–99: Findlay
- 1999–2000: UM–Crookston
- 2000–01: UM–Crookston
- 2002–03: UM–Crookston
- 2001–02: Marian
- 2003–04: Marian
- 2004–05: MSOE
- 2005–06: MSOE
- 2006–07: MSOE
- 2007–08: Adrian
- 2008–09: Adrian
- 2009–10: Adrian
- 2010–11: Adrian
- 2011–12: Adrian
- 2012–13: Adrian
- Harris Cup Champions (playoffs)
- 2002: Marian
- 2003: UM–Crookston
- 2004: UM–Crookston
- 2005: MSOE
- 2006: MSOE
- 2007: Finlandia
- 2008: Adrian
- 2009: Adrian
- 2010: Adrian
- 2011: Adrian
- 2012: MSOE
- 2013: Adrian
- NCAA Tournament Results
- 2010 Adrian
- First Round vs. St. Norbert College L 3–4
- 2011 Adrian
- Quarterfinals vs. Elmira College W 5–3
- Semifinals vs. Oswego State University W 5–3
- Championship vs. St. Norbert College L 3–4
- 2012 MSOE
- First Round vs. Gustavus Adolphus College L 1–3
- 2013 Adrian
- Quarterfinals vs. Oswego State University L 2-3 (OT)
References
edit- ^ "University of Minnesota Crookston to Discontinue Hockey Program". USCHO.com. March 23, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
- ^ Hodkiewicz, Weston (February 15, 2012). "Wisconsin state schools' move away from NCHA 'a shock to the system,' St. Norbert coach says". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- ^ Staff (April 24, 2012). "WIAC schools to leave NCHA after 2012-13 season". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- ^ Staff (June 20, 2012). "St. Norbert, St. Scholastica moving to MCHA for 2013-14 season". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- ^ Carito, Katie (April 24, 2013). "NCHA is reborn". USCHO.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- ^ "MCHA Renamed NCHA | New Structure Approved". Press release. Northern Collegiate Hockey Association. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.