New England Women's Hockey Alliance

{{Infobox sports league

| name = New England Women's Hockey Alliance

| color = #4C92CD

| font_color = white

| logo = NEWHA logo small.png

| logo_size = 171

| founded = 2018

| association = NCAA

| division = Division I

| teams = 8

| sports = Ice hockey

| region = New England, New York

| headquarters = Winthrop, Massachusetts

| commissioner = Robert M. DeGregorio, Jr.

| since = 2018

| website = [https://newhaonline.com newhaonline.com]

}}

The New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) is a women's college ice hockey conference in the United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. As of the most recent 2023–24 NCAA hockey season, the conference is made up of eight teams, with two each in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, and one each in New York and Vermont.

History

Prior to 2017, the women's ice hockey program at Sacred Heart University was a longstanding independent team, part of no conference. In that year, three NCAA Division II colleges and one Division I college (College of the Holy Cross) were removed from their NCAA Division III hockey conference (the New England Hockey Conference, formerly the ECAC East). Those teams had previously not been eligible for postseason play, but the conference no longer wanted Division I and II teams playing a conference schedule at all. A sixth team, from Post University, announced plans to start playing that year as well.

Sacred Heart, Post, and the other four programs (Holy Cross, St. Michael's, St. Anselm, and Franklin Pierce) then formed a scheduling alliance called the New England Women's Hockey Alliance. This was not a formal conference affiliation, just an agreement among the teams to schedule each other during the regular season; officially the teams would be classified as Division I or Division II independents. (NCAA women's ice hockey makes no distinction between Divisions I and II; the NCAA operates a single National Collegiate Championship for women's hockey that includes both Division I and Division II teams, and scholarship limits in that sport are identical in both divisions.)

Holy Cross intended to be independent only for one season, applying for and gaining membership in Hockey East effective 2018. In that year, the other NEWHA members announced plans to adhere to Division I recruiting rules and offer scholarships, and so applied to the NCAA for the NEWHA to be recognized as an official Division I conference. They also announced the conference would include Long Island University's team when it began play in 2019. NEWHA was approved as a Division I NCAA conference in September 2019.{{cite news |last1=USCHO Staff |title=Alliance approved for NCAA Division I status, effective with ’19-20 season |url=https://www.uscho.com/2019/09/04/new-england-womens-hockey-alliance-approved-for-ncaa-division-i-status-effective-with-19-20-season/ |accessdate=16 January 2020 |publisher=USCHO |date=September 4, 2019}} The conference will need to play at least two seasons with the same six members before being granted an automatic bid to the National Collegiate Championship playoffs in women's ice hockey.

The NEWHA expanded to seven members in 2022 with the arrival of Stonehill College, which started a varsity women's hockey team in the 2022–23 season. Stonehill had initially planned to start play in 2021–22,{{cite press release|url=https://newhaonline.com/general/2019-20/releases/20191209do1o9v |title=Stonehill to Add Women’s Ice Hockey; Accepts Invitation to Join NEWHA |publisher=New England Women's Hockey Alliance |date=December 9, 2019 |accessdate=January 29, 2020}} but NCAA-imposed recruiting limits imposed in the wake of COVID-19 led the school to delay the team's start by a year.{{cite press release|url=https://www.stonehillskyhawks.com/sports/wice/2020-21/releases/20200911g35z1y |title=Stonehill to Delay First Women’s Hockey Season to 2022-23 |publisher=Stonehill Skyhawks |date=September 11, 2020 |accessdate=November 25, 2020}} The latest addition to the NEWHA is Assumption University, which joined for administrative purposes on July 1, 2022, in advance of its first season of varsity play in 2023–24.{{cite press release|url=https://newhaonline.com/general/2021-22/releases/20220629o1o8px |title=Assumption accepts invitation to join NEWHA as its eighth member |publisher=New England Women's Hockey Alliance |date=June 29, 2022 |accessdate=July 16, 2022}}

On February 22, 2020, Saint Anselm and Franklin Pierce broke the record for longest NCAA women's hockey game with a five-overtime contest in the NEWHA Playoff Tournament that went 147:24. The game eclipsed the previous record of 144:32 in a 2010 game featuring RPI and Quinnipiac.{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=One night after winning longest game, Saint Anselm women fall |url=https://www.unionleader.com/sports/college/one-night-after-winning-longest-game-saint-anselm-women-fall/article_c09b1a58-7ae2-5317-9ddb-2f711ea971e9.html |accessdate=24 February 2020 |publisher=The Union Leader |date=February 23, 2020}}

Members

=Current members=

Institution	Location	Nickname	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Joined	Men's Hockey conference	Primary Conference	Colors
class="wikitable sortable"
Assumption University	Worcester, MA	Greyhounds	1904	Private (Catholic)	2,349	2023{{efn\|group=f\|Assumption joined for administrative purposes in 2022, but did not start NEWHA play until 2023.}}	Northeast-10 (D-II)	Northeast-10 (D-II)	{{color box\|#004B87}} {{color box\|#FFFFFF}}
Franklin Pierce University	Rindge, NH{{efn\|group=c\|Franklin Pierce is located in New Hampshire, but plays its home hockey games in Winchendon, Massachusetts.}}	Ravens	1962	Private (Nonsectarian)	2,381	2017	Northeast-10 (D-II)	Northeast-10 (D-II)	{{color box\|#6F1931}} {{color box\|#6D6E71}}
Long Island University	Brooklyn/Brookville, NY	Sharks	1926	Private (Nonsectarian)	18,500	2019	Independent{{efn\|group=c\|While LIU has been an independent since its first men's ice hockey season in 2020–21, it is a scheduling partner of Atlantic Hockey.{{cite press release\|url=https://www.liuathletics.com/news/2020/10/15/mens-ice-hockey-mens-hockey-announced-as-atlantic-hockey-scheduling-partner.aspx \|publisher=LIU Sharks \|title=Men's Hockey Announced as Atlantic Hockey Scheduling Partner \|date=October 15, 2020 \|accessdate=October 19, 2020}}}}	Northeast Conference	{{color box\|#69B3E7}} {{color box\|#FFD700}}
Post University	Waterbury, CT	Eagles	1890	Private (For-profit)	849	2017	Northeast-10 (D-II)	Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (D-II)	{{color box\|#632D50}} {{color box\|#FF8300}}
Sacred Heart University	Fairfield, CT	Pioneers	1963	Private (Catholic)	5,428	2017	Atlantic Hockey America	Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference	{{color box\|#A6192E}} {{color box\|#8A8D8F}}
Saint Anselm College	Goffstown, NH	Hawks	1889	Private (Catholic)	2,015	2017	Northeast-10 (D-II)	Northeast-10 (D-II)	{{color box\|#143E5F}} {{color box\|white}}
Saint Michael's College	Colchester, VT	Purple Knights	1904	Private (Catholic)	1,600	2017	Northeast-10 (D-II)	Northeast-10 (D-II)	{{Color box\|#652d8a}} {{Color box\|#cfab7a}}
Stonehill College	Easton, MA	Skyhawks	1948	Private (Catholic)	2,500	2022	Independent	Northeast Conference	{{Color box\|#4F2684}} {{Color box\|#fff}}

{{OSM Location map

| width=300

| height = 300

| coord = {{coord|42.75|-72.75}}

| nolabels = 1

| title = New England Women's Hockey Alliance

| mark-coord = {{coord|42.271389 | -71.798889}} |label=Assumption |label-pos = left | mark = Blue pog.svg | label-color = black

| mark-coord1 = {{coord|42.750 | -72.010}} |label1=Franklin Pierce |label-pos1 = left | mark1 = Blue pog.svg | label-color1 = black

| mark-coord2 = {{coord|40.820611 | -73.50725}} |label2=LIU |label-pos2 = bottom | mark2 = Blue pog.svg | label-color2 = black

| mark-coord3 = {{coord|41.556111 | -73.041389}} |label3=Post |label-pos3 = right | mark3 = Blue pog.svg | label-color3 = black

| mark-coord4 = {{coord|41.2214 | -73.2419}} |label4=Sacred Heart |label-pos4 = left | mark4 = Blue pog.svg | label-color4 = black

| mark-coord5 = {{coord|42.985 | -71.506389}} |label5=Saint Anselm |label-pos5 = top | mark5 = Blue pog.svg | label-color5 = black

| mark-coord6 = {{coord|44.4947 | -73.1653}} |label6=Saint Michael's |label-pos6 = right | mark6 = Blue pog.svg | label-color6 = black

| mark-coord7 = {{coord|42.057 | -71.08}} |label7=Stonehill |label-pos7 = right | mark7 = Blue pog.svg | label-color7 = black

| zoom = 5

| caption = Current NEWHA members: 10px full member

}}

=Former member=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
Institution !Location !Founded !Type !Nickname !Joined !Left !Current Conference
{{sort\|Holy Cross\|College of the Holy Cross}} \|Worcester, Massachusetts \|1843 \|Private (Catholic) \|Crusaders \|2017 \|2018 \|Hockey East

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

Institution

!Location

!Founded

!Type

!Nickname

!Joined

!Left

!Current
Conference

|Worcester, Massachusetts

|1843

|Private (Catholic)

|Crusaders

|2017

|2018

|Hockey East

=Membership timeline=

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy

ImageSize = width:750 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:01/01/2017 till:07/01/2027

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5

Colors =

id:barcolor value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5)

id:line value:black

id:bg value:white

PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:barcolor from:07/01/2017 till:07/01/2018 text:Holy Cross (2017–2018)

bar:2 color:barcolor from:07/01/2017 till:end text:Franklin Pierce (2017–present)

bar:3 color:barcolor from:07/01/2017 till:end text:Post (2017–present)

bar:4 color:barcolor from:07/01/2017 till:end text:Sacred Heart (2017–present)

bar:5 color:barcolor from:07/01/2017 till:end text:St. Anselm (2017–present)

bar:6 color:barcolor from:07/01/2017 till:end text:St. Michael's (2017–present)

bar:7 color:barcolor from:07/01/2019 till:end text:LIU (2019–present)

bar:8 color:barcolor from:07/01/2022 till:end text:Stonehill (2022–present)

bar:9 color:barcolor from:07/01/2023 till:end text:Assumption (2023-present)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/2017

Champions

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" ! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|New England Women's Hockey Alliance\|color=#000000}}"\|Season !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|New England Women's Hockey Alliance\|color=#000000}}"\|Tournament !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|New England Women's Hockey Alliance\|color=#000000}}"\|Regular Season Champion !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|New England Women's Hockey Alliance\|color=#000000}}"\|Tournament Champion !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle\|New England Women's Hockey Alliance\|color=#000000}}"\|Notes
2017–18	2018 \| Saint Anselm (1) \|\| Sacred Heart (1) \| New England Women's Hockey Alliance founded by Franklin Pierce, Holy Cross, Post, Sacred Heart, Saint Anselm, and Saint Michael's. Final NEWHA season for Holy Cross, (leaving for Hockey East).
2018–19	2019 \| Saint Anselm (2) \|\| Saint Anselm (1) \|
2019–20	2020 \| Sacred Heart (1) \|\| LIU (1) \| LIU joins the NEWHA.
2020–21	2021 \| Not Played - COVID \|\| Not Played - COVID \| Season canceled due to COVID-19.
2021–22	2022 \| Franklin Pierce (1) & LIU (1) \|\| Franklin Pierce (1) \|
2022–23	2023 \| LIU (2) \|\| LIU (2) \| Stonehill joins the NEWHA.
2023–24	2024 \| LIU (3) \|\| Stonehill (1) \| Assumption joins the NEWHA.
2024–25	2025 \| LIU (4) \|\| Sacred Heart (2) \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|New England Women's Hockey Alliance|color=#000000}}"|Season !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|New England Women's Hockey Alliance|color=#000000}}"|Tournament !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|New England Women's Hockey Alliance|color=#000000}}"|Regular Season Champion !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|New England Women's Hockey Alliance|color=#000000}}"|Tournament Champion !! style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|New England Women's Hockey Alliance|color=#000000}}"|Notes

2017–18

2018

| Saint Anselm (1) || Sacred Heart (1)

| New England Women's Hockey Alliance founded by Franklin Pierce, Holy Cross, Post, Sacred Heart, Saint Anselm, and Saint Michael's. Final NEWHA season for Holy Cross, (leaving for Hockey East).

2018–19

2019

| Saint Anselm (2) || Saint Anselm (1)

2019–20

2020

| Sacred Heart (1) || LIU (1)

| LIU joins the NEWHA.

2020–21