The Mid-Atlantic Women's Hockey League (MAWHL) is the oldest continuously active women's ice hockey league in North America. The MAWHL is a senior amateur league under the oversight of USA Hockey. It is based in the United States and has three divisions allowing for different levels of play. The league has players with a wide array of experience, ranging from athletes who have competed at the high school level to those who have spent time on the United States women's national ice hockey team.
History
The MAWHL was begun in 1975–76 with only three teams. The Delaware Bobcats, the Boulevard Hookers[1] and the University of Pennsylvania's club team. In the 1976–77 season, the Philadelphia Ice-Centennials joined the MAWHL.
During the summer of 1977, the increased popularity of ice hockey sparked the birth of the Mid-Atlantic Women's Ice Hockey League. It consisted of nine teams at the start of the 1977–78 season. The newcomers included: the Bergen Blades A team and B team, the Ironbound Bandits, the Pittsburgh Pennies, and the Philadelphia Ice-Centennials B team.
At the beginning of the 1978–79 season, the Budweiser Redcoats,[2] and the Green Machine Eagles from Long Island, New York joined our league. Unfortunately the Pittsburgh Pennies, and the Bergen Blades B team dropped out. With these changes MAWHL now had a nine-team league divided into North and South regional divisions. At the start of the 1979–80 season our league started with eight teams: Four in the both divisions.[3] At the start of the 1980–81 season, only six teams remained in the league. Gradually even that number diminished to four with the losses of the Bergen Blades in 1981, and the then Long Island Eagles in 1986[4]
Concord Flames (1999–2000 to 2008–2009) in level Senior C Division
Delaware Bobcats - 3 teams: (1975–1976 to 2000–2001) in level Senior B Division, (1998–1999 to 2006–2007) in level Senior C Division, (2000–2001 to 2006–2007) in level Senior D Division.
Delaware Phoenix (2001–2002 to 2006–2007) in level Senior C division.
^The Boulevard Hookers are now known as the Philadelphia Women's Ice Hockey Club aka Philadelphia Freeze, source MAWHL website.
^the Budweiser Redcoats known as the Washington Redcoats, now Washington Wolves
^The changes were a result of the Jersey City Recreational team joining, with the Philadelphia Ice-Centennials B team and the University of Pennsylvania team dropping out. It seemed that the increasing ice time costs and the decreasing player enrollments were taking its toll on the leagues stability. Source MAWHL Website.
^Besides ice time costs the league had to also endure the competition for new players against the NCAA hockey clubs who have many promising women hockey players in their ranks.
^No other teams to hold Atlantic Districts. Wings by default. source MAWHL website
^With FWHL - Florida Women's Hockey League. Source: MAWHL Website.
^With FWHL - Florida Women's Hockey League. Source: MAWHL Website.
^With FWHL - Florida Women's Hockey League. Source: MAWHL Website.
^With FWHL - Florida Women's Hockey League. Source: MAWHL Website
^No other teams to hold Atlantic Districts. Wings by default. Source: MAWHL Website