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 College hockey most often refers to the American ice hockey competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, though leagues outside of the United States exist. In the NCAA there are three national divisions, I, II and III that support both men's and women's teams. The majority of teams play in division I and III, the only two levels that hold national championships. College hockey remains second to junior hockey as a talent pool for professional hockey players, but there are numerous National Hockey League players that have played in the NCAA system.
[edit] ChampionshipsThe NCAA holds a yearly post season tournament for the national championship, the Division I national champion is crowned through the NCAA Men's Division I Hockey Championship. The Frozen Four is the trademarked name of the final two rounds of the NCAA Division I championship of ice hockey in the USA. Schools advance in a single-elimination tournament from four regional sites to a single site, where the national semifinals and final game are played. The NCAA started a Women's Frozen Four beginning in the 2000-01 season. [edit] NCAA Structure  The teams that play college hockey are split into conferences, which themselves are classified within one of the NCAA's three overall athletic divisions.[1] Because of the limited number of Division I colleges sponsoring ice hockey, Division I teams compete in special hockey-only conferences that are unconnected with their member schools' various primary athletic conferences (the ones they belong to for basketball, football and other sports). The majority of hockey-playing Division III colleges also compete in hockey-only conferences, although a few Division III athletic conferences do sponsor hockey. One Division I non-hockey conference, the Ivy League, crowns hockey champions for both men and women. Six of the eight Ivies sponsor intercollegiate hockey programs for both sexes, and all are members of ECAC Hockey. The Ivy League uses the results of its members in ECAC play to determine Ivy champions. Until 1999 the NCAA also sponsored a Division II championship. It was suspended following in 1999, due to a lack of sponsoring schools. Currently the few remaining Division II teams play up in Division I or play down in Division III. The Northeast Ten Conference is the only Division II conference to sponsor ice hockey. It holds a postseason tournament for its member schools playing in Division III hockey because the NCAA prohibits Division II teams from competing in Division III postseason play.
[edit] American Women's College Hockey Alliance championsPrior to the NCAA establishing a women's ice hockey championship, the AWCHA held a championship from 1997-98 season to 1999-2000 season. Below are those champions.
[edit] NCAA Awards
Named for a 1914 Princeton graduate, the Hobey Baker Memorial Award honors the top player in Men’s Division I hockey. Established in 1981, finalists are chosen based on strength of character both on and off the ice, contributions to the integrity of the team, outstanding skills in all phases of the game, and scholastic achievement and sportsmanship, with the winner being announced annually during the off-day between the semifinal and championship rounds at the Frozen Four. Past winners include Ryan Miller, Chris Drury, and Paul Kariya.
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named after Patty Kazmaier, a standout defenseman from Princeton University from 1981 to 1986 who lost her life following a battle with a rare blood disease. First awarded in 1998, the Kazmaier award is given annually by USA Hockey to the top player in Women’s Division I program. As with the Hobey Baker Award, the Kazmaier Award is presented on the off-day between the semifinal and championship games at the Women’s Frozen Four. Nomination criteria include “Outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration will also be given to academic achievement and civic involvement.”[3] [edit] Other college hockey organizations[edit] ACHAThe American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is the sanctioning body for non-varsity club hockey. There are over 300 teams separated into three men's and two women's divisions. The majority of the ACHA schools don't offer NCAA hockey, but there are some schools that offer both a club team in the ACHA and a varsity team in the NCAA. [edit] National Junior College Athletic AssociationThe National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) sponsors men's ice hockey at the NJCAA division I level. 11 schools play hockey as members of the NJCAA, many also play against and are members of the ACHA. [edit] CISCollege hockey teams in Canada compete in leagues as part of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the national governing body for Canadian collegiate athletics. The CIS sponsors both men's and women's hockey. Like the US schools, teams compete in athletic conferences/leagues based on geographical locations of the schools. Unlike the NCAA the CIS does not award players with athletic scholarships, resulting in a lack of divisional separation such as found between NCAA divisions. Individual conferences hold postseason tournaments, followed by the round-robin CIS Championship tournament in late March.[4] [edit] Outdoor games in the 21st century
[edit] Longest-running annual international sporting eventEvery year, the United States Military Academy (Army) Black Knights face the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Paladins in the annual West Point Weekend hockey game.[5] This series, conceived in 1923, is the longest running annual international sporting event in the world.[6] [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
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