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Atlantic Hockey

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Atlantic Hockey Association
FormerlyMAAC (1997–2003)
AssociationNCAA
Founded1997 (as MAAC Hockey)
2003 (as Atlantic Hockey)
CommissionerMichelle Morgan (since 2023)
Sports fielded
DivisionDivision I
No. of teams11
HeadquartersBoston, Massachusetts
RegionNortheastern United States and Colorado
Most recent
champion(s)		RIT (4th title)
Most titlesAir Force (7)
Official websitehttp://www.atlantichockeyonline.com/
Locations
Location of teams in

The Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) was an NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey had no women's division, though it shared some organizational and administrative roles (and three universities) with the women's-only College Hockey America (CHA).

It was formed in 1997 and began play in the 1998–1999 season as the hockey division of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Within three years, it was granted an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. However, in 2003, Iona and Fairfield dropped hockey, leaving Canisius as the only full MAAC member that sponsored hockey. This proved somewhat problematic for MAAC Hockey, since conference bylaws only allowed full members to vote. On June 30, 2003, MAAC Hockey broke off from the MAAC and reorganized as Atlantic Hockey.[1]

On June 6, 2023, it was announced that Atlantic Hockey would be merging all operations with CHA, effective in 2024. Details regarding this merger, including whether the new league would carry the Atlantic or College Hockey name, were to be announced at a later date.[2] Shortly after the 2024 season, the new conference was announced as Atlantic Hockey America.[3]

Membership

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Final

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Institution Location Nickname Founded Affiliation Undergraduate Enrollment Joined Women's Conference Primary Conference Colors
United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, Colorado[a] Falcons 1954 Public/Federal 4,400 2006 N/A Mountain West    
American International College Springfield, Massachusetts Yellow Jackets 1885 Private/Non-sectarian 1,700 1998 N/A Northeast-10 (D-II)      
United States Military Academy West Point, New York Black Knights 1802 Public/Federal 4,400 2000 N/A Patriot League      
Bentley University Waltham, Massachusetts Falcons 1917 Private/Non-sectarian 3,958 1999 N/A Northeast-10 (D-II)    
Canisius University Buffalo, New York Golden Griffins 1870 Private/Catholic 3,490 1998 N/A MAAC    
College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts Crusaders 1843 Private/Catholic 2,897 1998 HEA Patriot League  
Mercyhurst University Erie, Pennsylvania Lakers 1926 Private/Catholic 4,055 1999 CHA PSAC (D-II)    
Niagara University[4] Lewiston, New York[b] Purple Eagles 1856 Private/Catholic 3,853 2010 N/A [c] MAAC    
Robert Morris University Moon Township, Pennsylvania Colonials 1921 Private/Non-sectarian 4,005 2010
2023[d]		 CHA[e] Horizon      
Rochester Institute of Technology Henrietta, New York[f] Tigers 1829 Private/Non-sectarian 16,842 2006 CHA Liberty League (D-III)      
Sacred Heart University Fairfield, Connecticut Pioneers 1963 Private/Catholic 5,428 1998 NEWHA[g] NEC    
Locations of Atlantic Hockey Conference current member locations.
  1. ^ The Academy grounds lie almost entirely outside the Colorado Springs city limits. The U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Postal Service respectively call the grounds "Air Force Academy" and "USAF Academy".
  2. ^ The campus mailing address is "Niagara University".
  3. ^ Niagara's women's team was in College Hockey America before the university dropped the program in 2012.
  4. ^ Robert Morris was a member of Atlantic Hockey from 2010 to 2021 until the program was cut. Subsequent fundraising efforts allowed the program to be reinstated for the 2023–24 season with Robert Morris rejoining Atlantic Hockey.
  5. ^ RMU also rejoined its former women's hockey home of College Hockey America in 2023–24.
  6. ^ The campus mailing address is Rochester.
  7. ^ The NEWHA was founded in 2017 as a scheduling alliance between Division I and Division II women's ice hockey independents, with Sacred Heart as a founding member. It formally organized as a conference in 2018 and received NCAA recognition in 2019.

Previous

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Timeline

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Atlantic Hockey champions

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Main article: Riley Trophy

[5]

Season Tournament Regular Season Champion Tournament Champion Notes
2003–04 2004 Holy Cross (1) Holy Cross (1) Atlantic Hockey Association founded by American International, Army, Bentley, Canisius, Connecticut, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart
2004–05 2005 Quinnipiac (1) Mercyhurst (1) Final AHA season for Quinnipiac, (leaving for the ECAC)
2005–06 2006 Holy Cross (2) Holy Cross (2)
2006–07 2007 RIT (1) Air Force (1) Air Force and RIT join the AHA
2007–08 2008 Army (1) Air Force (2)
2008–09 2009 RIT(2) / Air Force (1) Air Force (3)
2009–10 2010 RIT (3) RIT (1)
2010–11 2011 RIT (4) Air Force (4) Niagara and Robert Morris join the AHA
2011–12 2012 Air Force (2) Air Force (5)
2012–13 2013 Niagara (1) Canisius (1)
2013–14 2014 Mercyhurst (1) Robert Morris (1) Final AHA season for Connecticut, (leaving for Hockey East)
2014–15 2015 Robert Morris (1) RIT (2)
2015–16 2016 Robert Morris (2) RIT (3)
2016–17 2017 Canisius (1) Air Force (6)
2017–18 2018 Mercyhurst (2) Air Force (7)
2018–19 2019 American International (1) American International (1)
2019–20 2020 American International (2) Cancelled Tournament cancelled after quarterfinals due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 2021 American International (3) American International (2)
2021–22 2022 American International (4) American International (3) Robert Morris suspended its program prior to the start of the season
2022–23 2023 RIT (5) Canisius (2)
2023–24 2024 RIT (6) RIT (4) Robert Morris reinstated to Atlantic Hockey for this season after restarting its hockey programs

Atlantic Hockey tournament champions by school

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School Championship Years
Air Force 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011,

2012, 2017, 2018

RIT 2010, 2015, 2016, 2024
American International 2019, 2021, 2022
Canisius 2013, 2023
Holy Cross 2004, 2006
Mercyhurst 2005
Robert Morris 2014

No tournament was held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

National tournament history

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NCAA tournament
Year AHA Rep. Opponent Result
2004 Holy Cross North Dakota L 0–3
2005 Mercyhurst Boston College L 4–5
2006 Holy Cross Minnesota W 4–3 (OT)
North Dakota L 2–5
2007 Air Force Minnesota L 3–4
2008 Air Force Miami (OH) L 2–3 (OT)
2009 Air Force Michigan W 2–0
Vermont L 2–3 (2OT)
2010 RIT Denver W 2–1
New Hampshire W 6–2
Wisconsin L 1–8
2011 Air Force Yale L 1–2 (OT)
2012 Air Force Boston College L 0–2
2013 Niagara * North Dakota L 1–2
Canisius Quinnipiac L 3–4
2014 Robert Morris Minnesota L 3–7
2015 RIT Minnesota State W 2–1
Omaha L 0–4
2016 RIT Quinnipiac L 0–4
2017 Air Force Western Michigan W 5–4
Harvard L 2–3
2018 Air Force St. Cloud State W 4–1
Minnesota-Duluth L 1–2
2019 AIC St. Cloud State W 2–1
Denver L 0–3
2020 None† N/A N/A
2021 AIC North Dakota L 1–5
2022 AIC Michigan L 3–5
2023 Canisius Minnesota L 2–9
2024 RIT Boston University L 3–6

* – at-large selection.

† – Tournament canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Conference arenas

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School Hockey Arena Location Capacity
Air Force Cadet Ice Arena Colorado Springs, CO 2,502
American International MassMutual Center Springfield, MA 6,866
Army Tate Rink West Point, NY 2,648
Bentley Bentley Arena Waltham, MA 1,917
Canisius LECOM Harborcenter Buffalo, NY 1,800
Holy Cross Hart Center Worcester, MA 1,600
Mercyhurst Mercyhurst Ice Center
Erie Insurance Arena (alternate) 		Erie, PA 1,500
6,833
Niagara Dwyer Arena Lewiston, NY 1,400
RIT Gene Polisseni Center
Blue Cross Arena (alternate) 		Henrietta, NY
Rochester, NY 		4,300
10,556
Robert Morris Clearview Arena Neville Township, PA 1,200
Sacred Heart Martire Family Arena Fairfield, CT 3,600

Awards

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At the conclusion of each regular season schedule the coaches of each Atlantic Hockey team vote which players they choose to be on the three or four All-Conference teams:[6] first team, second team and rookie team (third team beginning in 2007). Additionally they vote to award 7 of the 10 individual trophies to an eligible player (or coach) and 1 team award at the same time. Atlantic Hockey also awards a regular season goaltending award and regular season scoring title that are not voted on, as well as a Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player, which is voted on at the conclusion of the conference tournament. All individual and team awards except Goaltender of the Year have been awarded since Atlantic Hockey's inaugural season in 2003–04.[7]

Atlantic Hockey Hall of Honor

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In 2023, in honor of its 20th anniversary, the conference selected the top 20 players from its history:

  1. Eric Ehn, F, Air Force
  2. Jacques Lamoureaux, F, Air Force
  3. Brett Gensler, F, Bentley
  4. Cory Conacher, F, Canisius
  5. Brady Ferguson, F, Robert Morris
  6. Dan Ringwald, D, RIT
  7. Andrew Volkening, F, Air Force
  8. Colin Bilek, F, Army
  9. Shane Madolora, G, RIT
  10. Cody Wydo, F, Robert Morris
  11. Zac Lynch, F, Robert Morris
  12. Matt Garbowsky, F, RIT
  13. Pierre-Luc O'Brien, F, Sacred Heart
  14. Brennan Kapcheck, D, American International
  15. Joseph Duszak, D, Mercyhurst
  16. James Sixsmith, F, Holy Cross
  17. Jared DeMichiel, G, RIT
  18. Zach McKelvie, D, Army
  19. Jamie Hunt, D, Mercyhurst
  20. Justin Danforth, F, Sacred Heart

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "History of the MAAC". augenblick.org.
  2. ^ "Atlantic Hockey Association and College Hockey America to Merge Operations in 2024" (Press release). Atlantic Hockey Association. June 6, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  3. ^ "Atlantic Hockey, CHA women will combine as Atlantic Hockey America for 2024-25 season". USCHO. April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2009-01-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Niagara Men's Hockey To Join Atlantic Hockey
  5. ^ "Atlantic Hockey Champions". 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-13.
  6. ^ "2003–04 Atlantic Hockey All-Star Teams and Regular Season Awards Announced". Atlantic Hockey. 2004-03-12. Archived from the original on 2014-03-08. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
  7. ^ "2003–04 Regular Season Award Winners". Atlantic Hockey. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
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