Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League
 | |
| Founded | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Mike Walley (since 2012) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division II & III |
| No. of teams | 63 |
| Headquarters | North Carolina |
| Region | Southeast |
| Most recent champion(s) | Rowan (Men's) / High Point (Women's) |
| Most titles | Georgetown (Men's - 6 titles) |
| Official website | Official website |
The Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League (ACCHL) is a non-NCAA collegiate ice hockey league in the mid-atlantic and southeast regions of the United States. The Mission of the ACC Hockey League is to provide student-athletes an option to compete in organized intercollegiate ice hockey without the high expenses of NCAA level hockey.
All teams in Men's Division II compete out of the ACHA Southeast Region in Division II. All teams in the Women's Division also compete out of the ACHA Southeast Region in Division II. The Men's Division III level competes in the AAU as the Premier teams are a part of the Division II level with some being dual within Division III of the ACHA. The Elite teams are a part of the AAU Men's Division III level. Mike "Sheriff" Walley is the current executive director of the league.[1]
Current members[edit]
Men's Division II[edit]
Premier teams play a 10-game league schedule with 2 games against each division opponent and one game against each team from other two divisions. Elite teams play an 11-game league schedule with 2 games against each division opponent, two games against a non-division opponent and three games at the fall tournament. The top 8 teams in the Premier will get post-season bids with the three division winners getting the top three seeds. The top 10 teams in the Elite will get post-season bids with the four division winners getting the top four seeds. Teams seeded 7-10 will participate in a Play-In Game.
Women's Division II[edit]
| Division | Institution | Location | Nickname | Arena | Team Colors | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Division | Georgetown University | Washington, D.C. | Hoyas | The Gardens Ice House | Big East (DI) | |
| George Washington University | Washington, D.C. | Colonials | The St. James | A-10 (DI) | ||
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA | Dukes | Haymarket IcePlex | Sun Belt (DI) | ||
| University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | Cavaliers | LaHaye Ice Center | ACC (DI) | ||
| South Division | High Point University | High Point, NC | Panthers | Greensboro Ice House | Big South (DI) | |
| North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC | Wolfpack | Wake Competition Center | ACC (DI) | ||
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA | Hokies | LancerLot Sports Complex | ACC (DI) |
Men's Division III[edit]
League Expansion[edit]
- 2010: George Washington and Maryland join Men's Division II.
- 2012: Elon joins Men's Division II.
- 2013: Navy and Wake Forest join Men's Division II.
- 2015: James Madison, Saint Joseph's and UNC Charlotte join Men's Division II.
- 2018: West Virginia and UNC Wilmington join Men's Division II.
- 2019: Richmond joins Men's Division II.
- 2022: Penn State and Rowan join Men's Division II Premier; Denison and Princeton join Men's Division II Elite while East Carolina moves up from Men's Division III; Loyola Maryland joins Men's Division III Elite.[2]
- 2023: Delaware, Maryland and Rider join Men's Division II Premier; Stevenson joins Men's Division II Elite and Men's Division III Premier; George Mason & West Chester join Men's Division III Premier while Loyola Maryland moves up from Men's Division III Elite; Johns Hopkins, Longwood, UMBC, Millersville and York College join Men's Division III Elite while Virginia Commonwealth & Northern Virginia CC re-join and High Point adds a second team to the division; James Madison joins the Women's Division and adds a second team into the Men's Division III Elite Division.
- 2024: High Point moves up from Men's Division III Premier to Division II Elite and Men's Division III Elite to Division III Premier. Widener joins Men's Division III Premier.
Tournament Championships[edit]
The 2024 ACCHL playoff tournaments features all nine teams qualifying from the M2 Premier Division as seeds 8 & 9 participate in a Play-In Game; the winner is awarded the Admiral's Cup. The M2 Elite & M3 Premier Divisions have the top ten teams qualify with seeds 7-10 participating in Play-In Games. The M3 Elite Division has the top six teams qualify with the 1 & 2 seeds getting a bye into the Semi-Finals; the winner is awarded the Commissioner's Cup. The Women's Division features the top four teams qualifying as the winner is awarded the Commodore's Cup.
| Year | Admiral's Cup Champion | Runner-Up | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Virginia (1) | North Carolina | Virginia Tech (1) | Fort Bragg, NC |
| 1997 | Liberty (1) | North Carolina | Virginia (1) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 1998 | Duke (1) | Virginia | Virginia (2) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 1999 | Maryland (1) | North Carolina | Virginia (3) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2000 | Virginia (2) | Maryland | Virginia (4) | Ashburn, VA |
| 2001 | Maryland (2) | NC State | NC State (1) | Laurel, MD |
| 2002 | Liberty (2) | Maryland | NC State (2) | Laurel, MD |
| 2003 | Liberty (3) | Maryland | NC State (3) | Raleigh, NC |
| 2004 | Duke (2) | Virginia | Duke (1) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2005 | Georgetown (1) | Virginia | Virginia (5) | Hillsborough, NC |
| 2006 | Duke (3) | Georgetown | Duke (2) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2007 | Georgetown (2) | Duke | Georgetown (1) | Arlington, VA |
| 2008 | Georgetown (3) | Duke | Virginia Tech (2) | Roanoke, VA |
| 2009 | Virginia Tech (1) | Duke | Virginia Tech (3) | Roanoke, VA |
| 2010 | Virginia Tech (2) | Georgetown | Maryland (1) | Arlington, VA |
| 2011 | NC State (1) | Maryland | Maryland (2) | Hillsborough, NC |
| 2012 | Georgetown (4) | Maryland | Georgetown (2) | Hillsborough, NC |
| 2013 | Georgetown (5) | NC State | NC State (4) | Laurel, MD |
| 2014 | Georgetown (6) | NC State | NC State (5) | Annapolis, MD |
| 2015 | North Carolina (1) | Georgetown | NC State (6) | Annapolis, MD |
| 2016 | George Washington (1) | NC State | NC State (7) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2017 | Virginia (3) | NC State | Virginia (6) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2018 | Charlotte (1) | Wake Forest | George Washington (1) | Charlottesville, VA |
| 2019 | NC State (2) | Virginia | NC State (8) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2020 | NC State (3) | Wake Forest | NC State (9) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2021 | *NC State (4) | Virginia Tech | N/A (COVID) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2022 | NC State (5) | North Carolina | Virginia Tech (4) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2023 | Penn State (1) | North Carolina | Penn State (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2024 | Rowan (1) | UNC Wilmington | Rider (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Year | Admiral's Cup Champion | Runner-Up | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | West Virginia (1) | Charlotte | Saint Joseph's (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2024 | West Virginia (2) | Denison | Denison (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Year | Commodore's Cup Champion | Runner-Up | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | NC State (1) | West Virginia | West Virginia (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2023 | Georgetown (1) | NC State | Georgetown (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2024 | High Point (1) | Virginia Tech | Virginia (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Year | Commodore's Cup Champion | Runner-Up | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Christopher Newport (1) | College of Charleston | Chesapeake, MD | |
| 2021 | *Coastal Carolina (1) | Liberty | N/A (COVID) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2022 | Coastal Carolina (2) | Liberty | Liberty (1) | Lynchburg, VA |
| 2023 | Coastal Carolina (3) | Liberty | Liberty (2) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2024 | High Point (1) | Rowan | Rowan (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Year | Commissioner's Cup Champion | Runner-Up | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | William & Mary (1) | Appalachian State | William & Mary (1) | Lynchburg, VA |
| 2023 | Loyola Maryland (1) | William & Mary | William & Mary (2) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2024 | William & Mary (2) | Johns Hopkins | William & Mary (3) | Winston-Salem, NC |
- For the 2020-2021 season, league playoffs were held despite numerous programs not competing due to the COVID pandemic.
ACC Fall Tournament[edit]
From 2009 to 2020, NC State hosted the Stephen Russell Tournament at some point every season to commemorate the loss of their goaltender, Stephen Russell, who had passed away. The team retired Russell's #20 in his honor.
Starting in the 2021–2022 season, the ACC began to host what is now the annual fall tournament for all M2 member teams for a three-game league weekend. The tournament takes place at The St. James in Springfield, Virginia. The league will typically invite two non-members from ACHA Men's Division II to come participate as well. In 2022, the ACC began awarding a Men's Premier and Elite winner separately as well as a Women's winner which is held on a different weekend.
The current tournament features a conglomerate scoring system of winning periods (2 points per period) and whole games (4 points = W, 2 points = OT/SOW, 1 point = OT/SOL, and 0 points = L). The totals are added for a final score.
| Year | Tournament Champion |
|---|---|
| 2013 | NC State |
| 2014 | North Carolina |
| 2015 | NC State |
| 2016 | James Madison |
| 2017 | James Madison |
| 2018 | Virginia |
| 2019 | NC State |
| 2020 | NC State |
| 2021 | NC State |
| 2022 | Rowan (Premier) | Denison (Elite) | Virginia Tech (Women's) |
| 2023 | Rider (Premier) | George Washington (Elite) | Virginia (Women's) |
ACHA Men's Division II Southeast Regionals[edit]
The ACHA hosts their regional tournaments towards the end of February. Four regions (Northeast, Southeast, Central and West) see teams ranked #3-14 compete in a single elimination, three-day weekend for two berths to the Men's Division II National Tournament. The top two teams in each regional automatically qualify.
- 2020: #9 Wake Forest defeated #12 The College of New Jersey in Overtime; defeated #4 NC State; lost to #3 Cincinnati.
- 2021: ACHA did not hold the regional tournament due to the shortened seasons caused by COVID-19.
- 2022: #3 NC State lost to #13 Pennsylvania / #14 North Carolina lost to #7 Indiana.
- 2023: #7 Penn State defeated #14 Rider; lost to #6 Ohio / #9 Rowan lost to #12 Louisville / #11 North Carolina defeated #10 NC State; defeated #5 Miami Ohio in Overtime; lost to #3 Kentucky.
- 2024: #7 North Carolina lost to #14 Pennsylvania / #8 NC State defeated #13 Rowan; defeated #6 Ohio; lost to #3 Indiana / #9 Penn State defeated #12 UNC Wilmington; lost to #5 Kentucky in Overtime / #10 Rider defeated #11 Louisville; lost to #4 Miami Ohio.
ACHA Men's Division II National Tournament[edit]
The ACHA hosts the Men's Division II National Tournament every March, hosting 16 teams. Those teams are put into four separate pools with a team from each region. Winner of each pool advances to the Final Four.
- 2019: NC State (SE #4) finished 1–2 in Pool A; lost to Massachusetts (NE #1) 7–2, defeated Northern Colorado (West #2) 6-5 and lost to Trine (Central #3) 9–1.
- 2021: NC State (#2) finished 2–1 in Pool A; defeated Providence (#4) 6–4, Davenport (#3) 5-3 and lost to Mary (#1) 5–1.
AAU Men's Division II National Tournament[edit]
The AAU hosts the Men's Division II National Tournament every March, hosting 20 teams (32 teams prior to 2024). Teams are split into five pools based on their national ranking. Winner of each pool advances to the Quarter-Finals plus three wild card teams. The overall winner is the AAU Division II College Hockey National Champion.
- 2022: Christopher Newport (#16) finished 2-1 to win Pool A; lost to Central Florida (#17) 3-1, defeated Salisbury (#32) 5-2 and Tampa (#1) 4-3 in Overtime; lost to Ramapo (#9) 9-2 in the Quarter-Finals / Liberty (#12) finished 0–3 in Pool E; lost to Buffalo State (#21) 7-3, College of Charleston 4-2 and Babson (#5) 9-3 / East Carolina (#18) finished 1–2 in Pool B; lost to St. Bonaventure (#15) 9-4, Farmingdale State (#2) 7-2 and defeated Penn State Harrisburg (#31) 6-1 / College of Charleston (#28) went 1–2 in Pool E; lost to Babson (#5) 9-4, defeated Liberty 4-2 and lost to Buffalo State (#21) 11-5.
- 2023: Liberty (#4) finished 0-2-1 in Pool G; tied Fordham (#26) 3-3 in Overtime, lost to Alabama (#18) 5-1 and South Carolina (#10) 7-6 in Overtime / High Point (#32) finished 1-2 in Pool A; lost to St. Bonaventure (#1) 5-0 and Georgia (#16) 7-0 and defeated Massachusetts Maritime Academy (#24) 7-2.
- 2024: High Point (#3) finished 3-0 in Pool C; defeated Farmingdale State (#18) 3-0, Alabama Huntsville (#13) 6-4 and Central Florida (#8) 5-3; defeated Clemson (#11) in the Quarters 6-4; lost to Florida (#2) in the Semi's 9-3 / Liberty (#6) is 0-3 in Pool E; lost to Clemson (#11) 5-2, Vanderbilt (#16) 5-4 and Bishops (#5) 6-3.
AAU Men's Division III National Tournament[edit]
The AAU hosts the Men's Division III National Tournament every March, hosting 8 teams. Teams are split into two pools based on their national ranking. The top two teams from each pool advance to the Semi-Finals. The overall winner is the AAU Division III College Hockey National Champion.
- 2024: William & Mary (#8) finished 0-3 in Pool A; lost to Miami (#1) 4-0, Stony Brook (#4) 5-2 and Rochester (#6) 11-2.
References[edit]
- ^ "ACCHL: Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League | Home Page | Pointstreak Sites". Archived from the original on 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
- ^ "Membership History". Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League. Retrieved 2023-01-15.