Atlantic Coast Collegiate Hockey League
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.
 | |
| Founded | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Mike Walley (since 2012) |
| Sports fielded |
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| Division | Division II & III |
| No. of teams | 63 |
| Headquarters | North Carolina |
| Region | Southeast |
| Most recent champion(s) | Penn State (M2 Premier - 1st title) / Georgetown (Women's - 1st title) |
| Most titles | Georgetown (Men's - 6 titles) |
| Official website | Official website |
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 apart 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
Men's Division II
Women's Division II
| 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 University | Blacksburg, VA | Hokies | LancerLot Sports Complex | ACC (DI) |
Men's Division III
League Expansion
- 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.
Tournament Championships
The ACCHL playoff tournament features all six teams qualifying from the M2 Premier Division as the winner is awarded the Admiral's Cup. The M2 Elite & M3 Premier Divisions have the top eight teams qualify. The M3 Elite Division has the top four teams qualify as the winner is awarded the Captain'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 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Year | M2 Elite Division Champion | Runner-Up | Regular Season Champion | Tournament Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | West Virginia (1) | Charlotte | Saint Joseph's (1) | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 2024 | TBD | TBD | TBD | 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 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Year | M3 Premier Division 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 | TBD | TBD | TBD | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Year | Captain'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 | TBD | TBD | TBD | 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
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 drowned in a swimming accident at Jordan Lake. 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), whole games (4 points = W, 2 points = OT/SOW, 1 point = OT/SOL, and 0 points = L), and points earned in a skills competition (varying by event). The totals are added for a final score. The Premier and Elite are each awarded a winner for the weekend.
| 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 | Nov. 3-5, 2023 |
Men's Division II Southeast Regionals
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.
Men's Division II National Tournament
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.
Men's Division III National Tournament
The AAU hosts the Men's Division II National Tournament every March, hosting 32 teams. Teams are split into eight pools based on their national ranking. Winner of each pool advances to the Quarter-Finals. The overall winner is the AAU 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.
References
- "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.