West Coast Hockey Conference
| West Coast Hockey Conference | |
|---|---|
| Established: | 2010 |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| League: | ACHA |
| Classification: | Division II |
| Members: | 6 |
| States: | California (5), Arizona (1) |
| Web site: | WCHC Hockey |
The West Coast Hockey Conference (WCHC) is an ACHA Division 2 club hockey league which began play in the Fall of 2010. The conference is made up of six previously independent Division 2 hockey programs in California and Arizona. The six charter schools were Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Loyola Marymount, Northern Arizona and San Diego State.
Contents
History
The first game in conference history was played on October 1, 2010. Long Beach State defeated San Diego State 4-3 in San Diego. At the end of the regular season Arizona State was crowned the conference's first champion.[1] For the conference's second season and beyond a playoff will be held to determine the conference champion.
The WCHC announced on April 16, 2011 UNLV was voted unanimously to become the 7th member of the conference.[2] After the 2011-12 season Arizona State, San Diego State and UNLV went back to being independent leaving the conference with four teams for the next two seasons.
The WCHC announced on February 25, 2014 Cal State Northridge was unanimously voted to join the conference increasing membership to five schools. On June 29, 2015 the WCHC announced Northern Arizona would be leaving to become independent and Arizona State's Pac 8 team would be leaving that conference to join the WCHC to keep the conference membership at five. On February 7, 2016 it was announced San Diego State would rejoin the conference.
Members
| School | Location | Founded | Joined | Affiliation | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ | 1885 | 2015 | Public | Sun Devils | |
| California State University, Fullerton | Fullerton, CA | 1957 | 2010 | Public (California State University System) | Titans | |
| California State University, Northridge | Northridge, CA | 1958 | 2014 | Public (California State University System) | Matadors | |
| Long Beach State University | Long Beach, CA | 1949 | 2010 | Public (California State University System) | 49ers | |
| Loyola Marymount University | Los Angeles, CA | 1911 | 2010 | Private (Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities) | Lions | |
| San Diego State University | San Diego, CA | 1897 | 2016 | Public (California State University System) | Aztecs |
Former Members
| School | Current Division (Conference) |
|---|---|
| Arizona State-Elite | ACHA D-2 (Independent) |
| Northern Arizona | ACHA D-2 (Independent) |
| UNLV | ACHA D-2 (Independent) |
Team Histories
- Arizona State was originally created as the Division 3 team at ASU for the 2012-13 season. The next year they moved up to Division 2, joined the Pac 8 conference and changed their official name to Arizona State-Pac 8. In their first season they won the Pac 8 Championship. When ASU-Pac 8 moved up to Division 2 the other Division 2 team at ASU, the original team in the WCHC, changed their official name to Arizona State-Elite. After moving to the WCHC ASU is now officially called Arizona State-Maroon.
- Cal State Fullerton previously belonged to the Pacific Collegiate Hockey Association Division 3 conference before the program disbanded in 2005. The Titans re-established their program for the 2008-09 season, played that year in Division 3 and then moved up to Division 2 for the 2009-10 season.
- Cal State Northridge founded the PCHA in 1972 along with UCLA and Cal Tech. They moved up to Division 2 for the 2012-13 season after making the Division 3 National Tournament in 2010 and 2012.
- Long Beach State previously belonged to the PCHA. In the late 1990's the 49ers moved up to Division 2.
- Loyola Marymount first had an ice hockey team from 1930 to 1942.[3] The Lions re-established their program for the 2006-07 season.
- San Diego State previously belonged to the PCHA. The Aztecs moved up to Division 2 after being the Division 3 National Runner-Up to California University (PA) in 2008.
Champions
| Year | Champion | Runner-Up | Host |
| 2016 | Arizona State-Maroon | Cal State Northridge | Loyola Marymount |
| 2015 | Northern Arizona | Cal State Fullerton | Northern Arizona |
| 2014 | Northern Arizona | Long Beach State | Long Beach State |
| 2013 | Northern Arizona | Loyola Marymount | Cal State Fullerton |
| 2012 | UNLV | Northern Arizona | UNLV |
| 2011 | Arizona State (Regular Season) | - | - |
ACHA Division 2 Nationals Teams
The WCHC has sent four teams to the Division 2 National Tournament.
2015 Host City: Salt Lake City, UT
NYU (L 3-1)
Liberty (W 5-2)
Grand Valley State (L 7-2)
2014 Host City: Marlborough, MA
- Northern Arizona (Finished 9th)
New Hampshire (L 3-1)
Liberty (L 6-2)
Grand Valley State (W 6-2)
2012 Host City: Fort Myers, FL
- Arizona State (Finished 5th)
New Hampshire (W 7-1)
Maryland-Baltimore County (W 5-4 OT)
Michigan State (T 2-2)
- Northern Arizona (Finished 16th)
Grand Valley State (L 8-2)
Penn State (L 9-0)
Siena College (L 3-1)
