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Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association
ConferenceACHA
Founded1991
CommissionerGregg Marinari
Sports fielded
DivisionDivision I
No. of teams8
HeadquartersParkton, Maryland, U.S.
RegionMid Atlantic/East Coast
Official websiteECHA.com

Established in 1991, the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association is a hockey-only college athletic conference whose members are East Coast schools. The ECHA is part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 1.

League Format

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ECHA members play each conference opponent twice, once at home and once away. In addition teams play non-league games against other ACHA member schools. At the conclusion of the regular season in February the league holds a championship tournament. At the conclusion of the ECHA championship tournament, the ECHA regular season champions receive an automatic bid to the ACHA Men's Division I National Tournament.

League History

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The ECHA is currently composed of eight member institutions: George Mason, Villanova, Temple, William Paterson, The United States Naval Academy, Towson, Lehigh, and West Chester. The 2012/2013, 2013/2014, and 2015/2016 regular season titles were won by Navy; they also won the postseason tournament in 2013.

Previous members include Lebanon Valley College who ended ECHA competition with the 2012 season. In the 2014/2015 season the University of Scranton folded their hockey program bringing the current number of members to 6. Also in 2014/2015 Drexel won its fifth ECHA tournament championship 10–3 against Towson, while Villanova won the regular season title. Drexel goalie Zach Kanter was named ECHA tournament MVP in 2015. In effort to maintain the conferences automatic bid to the National Championship Tournament, the ECHA welcomed Temple University beginning in 2015/2016. That same year the Naval Academy took home the regular season championship.

The ECHA tournament champion is awarded the A.J. Ruth Memorial Cup. .

ECHA Championship History

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Year Regular Season Champion Tournament Champion
1994-1995 Delaware Towson (State)
1995-1996 Towson (State)
1999-2000 Towson
2000-2001 Drexel
2001-2002 Rhode Island
2002-2003 Towson
2004-2005 Drexel
2011-12 Drexel Drexel
2012-13 Navy Towson
2013-14 Navy Navy
2014-15 Villanova Drexel
2015-16 Navy Navy
2016-17 Drexel Drexel
2017-18 Drexel Drexel
2018-19 Drexel West Chester
2019-20 Drexel Drexel
2020-21 DID NOT PLAY DID NOT PLAY
2021-22 Navy Navy
2022-23 Navy West Chester
2023-24 West Chester Lehigh

Member Institutions

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School Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Primary conference
Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA 1865 Private/Non-sectarian 6,956 Mountain Hawks Patriot League (D-I)
George Mason University Fairfax, VA 1949 Public 26,515 Patriots Atlantic Ten Conference (D-I)
Towson University Towson, MD 1866 Public 19,758 Tigers Coastal Athletic Association (D-I)
Villanova University Villanova, PA 1842 Private/Catholic 9,535 Wildcats Big East Conference (D-I)
United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD 1845 Public/Federal 4,000 Midshipmen Patriot League (D-I)
Temple University Philadelphia, PA 1884 Public 37,788 Owls American Athletic Conference (D-I)
William Paterson University Wayne, NJ 1855 Public 5,298 Pioneers New Jersey Athletic Conference (D-III)
West Chester University West Chester, PA 1871 Public 14,712 Golden Rams Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (D-II)

Conference arenas

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School Hockey Arena Location Capacity
Lehigh Steel Ice Center Bethlehem, PA 1,000
Navy McMullen Hockey Arena Annapolis, MD 1,000 (expandable to 3,000)
William Paterson Ice Vault Arena Wayne, NJ 600
Towson Ice World Abingdon, MD 1,000
Villanova Hatfield Ice World Hatfield, PA N/A
Temple Igloo Ice Rink Mount Laurel, NJ N/A
George Mason Prince William Ice Center Dale City, VA N/A
West Chester Ice Line West Chester, PA 500

Former members

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School Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Last year competed in ECHA Current Conference
Penn State Berks Spring Township, PA 1958 Public 2,800 Nittany Lions 2020 CSCHC (ACHA D2)
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 1891 Private/Non-sectarian 17,000 Dragons 2020 ESCHL
University of Scranton Scranton, PA 1888 Private 6,034 Royals 2013 CSCHC (ACHA D2)
Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA 1866 Private 1,600 Flying Dutchmen 2012 ESCHL
University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 1892 Public 15,800 Rams 2007 ESCHL
Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 1766 Public 65,000 Scarlet Knights 2007 NECHL
West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 1867 Public 29,466 Mountaineers 2006 CHMA
Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA 1878 Public 10,364 Dukes 2006 CHMA
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See also

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