Atlantic Hockey History

A new chapter in the history of college hockey was ushered into existence when the Atlantic Hockey Association was created on June 30, 2003, by nine charter members. The sixth Division-I men's ice hockey conference arose when the founding members - American International, Bentley, Canisius, Connecticut, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, and the United States Military Academy (Army) - required an organization that represented their specific hockey needs.  Now in its ninth year of existence, Atlantic Hockey members are known throughout the NCAA landscape.

Quinnipiac after a two-year stay in Atlantic Hockey announced on August 24, 2004 that the Bobcats would be leaving and joining the ECAC Hockey League.  Four months later the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) announced their hockey program will be making the jump to Division I and will join Atlantic Hockey starting in the 2006-07 season.  At the end of the 2004-05 season the Air Force Academy will also be joining Atlantic Hockey making the move from the College Hockey America conference, announcing its move on April 12, 2005.  With the addition of RIT and Air Force beginning with the 2006-07 season the league increase its membership to ten (10) teams.  Another jump in membership happened at the start of the 2010-11 season, as Robert Morris and Niagara join Atlantic Hockey to increase the membership to twelve (12) teams.

Last season, RIT took home its second Regular Season Crown, while also earning its first Tournament Title in its fourth season in Atlantic Hockey.  In the previous two season, RIT was defeated in the semifinals at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y., but last year got to the finals and earned the schools first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in its fifth year as a Division I program.  Not only did RIT get to the NCAA Tournament, they proceeded to win the East Regional, which took place in Albany, N.Y., defeating #1 Denver, 2-1 and then topping #3 New Hampshire, 6-2 to earn a trip to Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. for the Frozen Four, the first time an Atlantic Hockey institution played in the Frozen Four.  In the National Semifinal contest, the Tigers fell to Wisconsin.

After the 2008-09 season, Air Force became the first Atlantic Hockey squad to win back-to-back-to-back tournament championships and for the second time in league history upset the top-seed, as the Falcons defeated Michigan, 2-0 in the East Regional in Bridgeport, Conn.  The Falcons fell to Vermont, 3-2 in double overtime the next night for a place in the Frozen Four in Washington, DC.  The previous two seasons, Air Force nearly pulled upsets as the Falcons fell to Minnesota, 4-3 in 2007 and Miami, 3-2 in overtime in 2008.  In 2006, Holy Cross earned its second Atlantic Hockey Association Regular Season and Tournament Crowns.  The Crusaders posted the first ever NCAA Tournament victory as Holy Cross defeated top-seed Minnesota, 4-3 in overtime at the West Regional in Grand Forks, N.D.  Quinnipiac earned its first Atlantic Hockey Association Regular Season crown during the 2004-05 season, but fell in the title game to Mercyhurst, as the Lakers earned the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.  Mercyhurst drew top-seeded Boston College and nearly upsetting the Eagles in the First Round of the East Regional.

The inaugural season for Atlantic Hockey showed that the conference has a bright future on the horizon. Robert DeGregorio, a former commissioner of Hockey East, was named the conference's first commissioner and held an integral role in the development of the league as play between the nine squads began in the Fall of 2003. As the season unfolded, the fledgling conference made its mark in college hockey with victories over non-conference opponents, such as Ohio State and Western Michigan (CCHA), Rensselaer (ECAC), Merrimack (Hockey East) and Wayne State (CHA), along with an exciting chase to claim the first-ever regular season title. Holy Cross secured the league's first regular season title, and followed up the feat by capturing the tournament championship, sending the Crusaders to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program's, along with the league's, history.

Success in the classroom is as important as success on the ice among the member institutions of Atlantic Hockey as on average 113 student-athletes garner All-Academic over the last five seasons.  Last season,  a record 135 student-athletes garnered the 3.0 GPA during both the Fall and Spring semester to earn All-Academic honors.  Atlantic Hockey athletes have also contributed their time off the ice to numerous charitable organizations as a way of saying thanks to their many supporters.

In addition to success in the classroom, Atlantic Hockey student-athletes have been recognized on a national level by Conference SID's as well as coaches.  Eric Ehn, Air Force garnered the leagues first-ever All-American back in 2007, while fellow Falcon, Jacques Lamoureux was also named an All-American in 2009.  Army's Chase Podsaid and Air Force's Mike Phillipich were honored with the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award.  Philipich was also honored by earning ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® honors.

Currently, Atlantic Hockey spans a total of five states, reaching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains. Members reside in Colorado (Air Force), Connecticut (University of Connecticut, Sacred Heart), Massachusetts (American International, Bentley, Holy Cross), New York (Army, Canisius, Niagara, RIT), and Pennsylvania (Mercyhurst, Robert Morris).

Below are the postseason results during the seven-year existence of Atlantic Hockey: