Inaugural Women's Ice Hockey Season Begins Friday

HARTFORD, Conn. – The 2001-02 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) women’s ice hockey season gets underway on Friday, November 16. This season marks the first year of NESCAC conference play and the inaugural NESCAC Women’s Ice Hockey Championship tournament.

Through last year, NESCAC women’s teams competed in the ECAC Division III Women’s League. This year, each team will play two games against each team in the conference (16 games). The top seven teams will qualify for the NESCAC tournament. This year’s championship will have first-round action on Saturday, February 23, 2002 with the semifinals and championship games conducted on Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3, respectively. The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the first NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship.

Middlebury won each of the first two American Women’s Collegiate Hockey Association championships. Last year, the Panthers and Williams each received a bid to the four-team national championship. Middlebury defeated Gustavus Adolphus 6-0 in the national title game. In the 2000 championship, the Panthers swept two games from Augsburg to win the national championship.

Three NECSAC teams hold the top three spots in this week’s USCHO.com Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Poll. Middlebury is ranked first followed by second-ranked Williams and third-ranked Bowdoin.