Northern Collegiate Hockey League
 | |
| Association | ACHA |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Dan Breunig |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division II |
| Region | Central |
| Most recent champion(s) | Marian University (3rd title) |
| Official website | Official website |
The Northern Collegiate Hockey League (NCHL) is a college ice hockey league based in the Central region of the United States. The conference is part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 and is made up of nine teams from universities based in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
History
The 2014-2015 season was the inaugural season for the NCHL, formed of ACHA D2 teams from Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan.[1]
Regular Season Format
Each conference member is required to play all the other members, for a 16 game conference season. Teams earn two point for a win (regulation or overtime), one point for a tie or an overtime loss, and zero points for a regulation loss.
At the end of the season the top six teams qualify for the conference tournament, with the top two teams receiving a first round bye.
Member Teams
| Member | Location | Joined League | Nickname | Home Arena | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora University | Aurora, IL | 2017 | Spartans | All Seasons | Ryan Buchanon |
| Concordia University Wisconsin | Mequon, WI | 2018 | Falcons | Ozaukee Ice Center | Brandon Richards |
| DePaul University | Chicago, IL | 2017 | Blue Demons | Johnny's Ice House West | Danny Randall |
| Lewis University | Romeoville, IL | 2015 | Flyers | CanLan Ice Sports | Tim Picco |
| Marian University | Fond du Lac, WI | 2016 | Sabres | Blue Line Family Ice Center | Chris Frederickson |
| Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI | 2017 | Golden Eagles | The Ponds of Brookfield | Will Jurgensen |
| Northern Michigan University | Marquette, MI | 2014 | Wildcats | Berry Events Center / Lakeview Arena | Brennon Wachter |
| Robert Morris University - Maroon | Bensenville, IL | 2014 | Eagles | The Edge Ice Arena | Andy Poetzinger |
| University of Wisconsin Oshkosh | Oshkosh, WI | 2014 | Titans | 20th St. YMCA | Wes Holliday |
Conference Tournament Format
Playoffs 2020
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Championship | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Marian University | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Marquette University | 9 | 4 | Marquette University | 1 | |||||||||
| 5 | Lewis University | 3 | 1 | Marian University | 4 (OT) | |||||||||
| 3 | Concordia University WI | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Aurora University | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Concordia University WI | 4 | 3 | Concordia University WI | 5 (OT) | |||||||||
| 6 | DePaul University | 1 | ||||||||||||
Playoffs 2019
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Championship | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Marian University | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Robert Morris University - Maroon | 6 | 4 | Robert Morris University | 0 | |||||||||
| 5 | DePaul University | 1 | 1 | Marian University | 3 | |||||||||
| 2 | Aurora University | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Aurora University | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Marquette University | 7 | 3 | Marquette University | 2 | |||||||||
| 6 | University of Wisconsin Oshkosh | 4 | ||||||||||||
Conference Champions (Hap Cup)
| Season | Champion | Runner-Up | Championship Location | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | Waldorf University | Robert Morris University - Maroon | Albert Lea, MN | Waldorf University |
| 2015-16 | Robert Morris University - Maroon | University of Wisconsin Oshkosh | Marquette, MI | Northern Michigan University |
| 2016-17 | Marian University | Robert Morris University - Maroon | Albert Lea, MN | Waldorf University |
| 2017-18 | Aurora University | Marian University | Beaver Dam, WI | University of Wisconsin Oshkosh |
| 2018-19 | Marian University | Aurora University | Fond du Lac, WI | Marian University |
| 2019-20 | Marian University | Concordia University | Fond du Lac, WI | Marian University |
Championship Totals
| Team | Titles | Years |
| Marian University | 3 | 2017, 2019, 2020 |
| Aurora University | 1 | 2018 |
| Robert Morris University - Maroon | 1 | 2016 |
| Waldorf University | 1 | 2015 |
Season Awards
| Season | Player of the Year | School | Rookie of the Year | School | Coach of the Year | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | Ronald Paulson | Waldorf University | Ronald Paulson | Waldorf University | Brett Shelanski | Waldorf University |
| 2015-16 | Tony Francois | University of Wisconsin Oshkosh | Jason Johnson | University of Wisconsin Oshkosh | Chris Huebel | University of Wisconsin Oshkosh |
| 2016-17 | Joey Daniels | Robert Morris University - Maroon | Miles Giorgione | Marian University | Billy Karr | Robert Morris University - Maroon |
| 2017-18 | Tommy Feldman | DePaul University | Matt Ernsting | Lewis University | Don Cada | St. Mary's University of MN |
| 2018-19 | Conor Coyne & Justin Davidson | Marquette University & Marian University | Zach Tykocki | Aurora University | Will Jurgensen | Marquette University |
| 2019-20 | Jonathan Grodzki | Concordia University Wisconsin | Mack Willy | Concordia University Wisconsin | Chris Fredrickson | Marian University |
National Championship Qualifiers
- Marian University (2019)
- Aurora University (2018)
Expansion Teams for 2020-21 Season
- St. Norbert College
- Purdue University Northwest
Previous Members
- University of Minnesota Duluth (2014-16)
- Michigan Tech University (2014-16)
- Waldorf University (2014-17)
- St. Mary's University of MN (2014-18)
References
- ^ "NCHL History". Northern Collegiate Hockey League.