Women's Ice Hockey to Join ECAC North Atlantic League for 2015

ECAC North Atlantic Women's Ice Hockey League Release

Parts of this release are courtesy of the ECAC Communications Department

DANBURY, Conn. – It is with great excitement that today the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has released the addition of the ECAC North Atlantic Division III Women's Ice Hockey League. The Endicott women's ice hockey program will join the ECAC North Atlantic conference for the 2015-16 season along with seven other institutions. Endicott will transition from club status to an NCAA sponsored sport next fall as they await the construction of the Raymond J. Bourque Arena which will be the home of both Endicott men's and women's ice hockey.

The North Atlantic Conference will be comprised of eight total institutions that include: Endicott, Salem State, Becker, Daniel Webster, Johnson & Wales, Stevenson, SUNY Morrisville, and SUNY Canton. The New England institutions will enter their first season as an NCAA sponsored sport while Stevenson, SUNY Morrisville and SUNY Canton have been active members of NCAA DIII Women's Ice Hockey as independents.

The Gulls are led by Head Coach, Andy McPhee who joined the program last summer and so far has compiled a successful young group of players as they currently sit at 5-2 in the IWCHL. McPhee is looking forward to the opportunity to compete, saying "We are thrilled to be a part of the North Atlantic Hockey League. It is exciting for our team and school, but also for women's college hockey. The growth of the sport has been remarkable, and this new league with the commitment from these institutions will provide more opportunities for female hockey players to play college hockey at a competitive level."

The ECAC will now have three women's ice hockey leagues: ECAC West, ECAC East and ECAC North Atlantic.

Endicott's Director of Athletics, Brian Wylie is very excited for the opportunity to promote women's ice hockey and the Endicott women's program saying, "We are thrilled for the work and commitment that the ECAC put forth in establishing the North Atlantic Conference for women's ice hockey. I'm particularly excited with the quality and reputation of the institutions that have formed this new conference and look forward to transition our women's program to NCAA Division III status starting in 2015. From the perspective of Endicott, we see this as a not only a tremendous opportunity to showcase phenomenal female student-athletes, but also to further grow the development and landscape of women's ice hockey."

For more information about the Endicott women's ice hockey program and their current season click HERE.