Curry College's AD announced a couple weeks ago that they were moving rinks from Ulin Rink to Curry Ice House. His remarks included saying “This will also give the college an opportunity to explore the possibility of adding an NCAA Division III women’s ice hockey program in the future."
Article: https://www.uscho.com/2019/08/21/cu...ouse-paving-way-for-womens-program-in-future/
Curry currently has a women's club team. If Curry starts an NCAA program and they and WNEU join the CHC, that would preserve that conference's in autobid. The CHC currently has a two season grace period to get back to 7 teams after losing SUNY Morrisville and SUNY Canton to the NEWHL.
There's also Suffolk, which is moving their main conference back to the CCC. The CCC offers men's hockey and all of the CHC members are CCC members either fully or associates for football and/or men's hockey. Suffolk could leave the NEHC, which in the scenario where Curry is in on NCAA women's hockey you would have:
An 8 team CHC that is:
Becker
Curry
Endicott
Nichlols
Suffolk
Salve Regina
UNE
WNEU
An 8 team NEHC that is:
Castleton
JWU
NEC
Norwich
Plymouth State
Salem State
UNE
USM
This could also give them the opportunity to allow Anna Maria to join the NEHC in Suffolk's place. AM would be a third GNAC school in the NEHC.
Outside of those two conferences, Arcadia which is starting men's and women's teams have announced they have been accepted in the UCHC for when they begin play. The UCHC, which has passed the NCHA as the largest DIII ice hockey conference, will be at 13 members when Arcadia begins play.
Article: https://www.uscho.com/2019/08/21/cu...ouse-paving-way-for-womens-program-in-future/
Curry currently has a women's club team. If Curry starts an NCAA program and they and WNEU join the CHC, that would preserve that conference's in autobid. The CHC currently has a two season grace period to get back to 7 teams after losing SUNY Morrisville and SUNY Canton to the NEWHL.
There's also Suffolk, which is moving their main conference back to the CCC. The CCC offers men's hockey and all of the CHC members are CCC members either fully or associates for football and/or men's hockey. Suffolk could leave the NEHC, which in the scenario where Curry is in on NCAA women's hockey you would have:
An 8 team CHC that is:
Becker
Curry
Endicott
Nichlols
Suffolk
Salve Regina
UNE
WNEU
An 8 team NEHC that is:
Castleton
JWU
NEC
Norwich
Plymouth State
Salem State
UNE
USM
This could also give them the opportunity to allow Anna Maria to join the NEHC in Suffolk's place. AM would be a third GNAC school in the NEHC.
Outside of those two conferences, Arcadia which is starting men's and women's teams have announced they have been accepted in the UCHC for when they begin play. The UCHC, which has passed the NCHA as the largest DIII ice hockey conference, will be at 13 members when Arcadia begins play.