The MASCAC Council of Presidents and MASCAC Commissioner Angela Baumann are excited to announce the addition of women’s ice hockey as the conference’s 19th sponsored sport.
Beginning in the 2024-25 season, Anna Maria College, Framingham State University, MCLA, Rivier University and Worcester State University will officially compete for a MASCAC Regular Season Championship and an end of the season conference tournament will be contested with all five teams. During the first year of play, Salem State University will play non-conference games against the five MASCAC Women’s Ice Hockey members. In 2025-26, Salem State University will leave their conference and join the five MASCAC Institutions. The MASCAC will then begin their two-year wait for the NCAA Automatic Qualifier into the tournament which will be awarded in 2027-2028.
“This is an exciting time for the MASCAC as we add another women’s sport to our conference sport sponsorship,” Commissioner Baumann said. “Women’s ice hockey is a sport that is rapidly growing and we are excited to cultivate that growth in the MASCAC. The addition of women’s ice hockey will bring great excitement, enhanced visibility and most importantly, new opportunities for our student-athletes and member institutions going forward."
With the addition, the MASCAC will join the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA), New England Hockey Conference (NEHC), New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC), United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) as fellow conferences that sponsor the sport.
“Women’s ice hockey is a sport seeing significant growth in participation rates around the country, if not the world,” Worcester State President Barry Maloney said. “We are really proud of the on and off-ice success of our recently created women’s ice hockey program at Worcester State. The MASCAC Conference is proud to be able to expand additional opportunities for women to play collegiate sports. Adding women’s ice hockey to the MASCAC menu of sports offerings meets this goal.”
The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the nation’s oldest Division III men’s and women’s playing conference, has a rich and storied tradition of competitive success while celebrating excellence in the classroom. MASCAC member schools include Bridgewater State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, MCLA, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University and Worcester State University. Two other institutions, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Plymouth State University, are affiliate members of the conference in the sports of football and men’s ice hockey, while Western Connecticut State University joined the conference as a football affiliate member in 2013 and Castleton University in 2024. Springfield College joined as a men’s golf affiliate in 2019. Anna Maria College will join the conference as the ninth core member in 2025 and Dean College as a football affiliate in 2025.
What those around the MASCAC are saying:
From Anna Maria College President Mary Lou Retelle:
“As a new MASCAC member, this expansion for women’s ice hockey underscores the opportunities this conference affords all of our student-athletes, especially our women’s ice hockey players. We look forward to competing and are excited for conference play to start in 2024.”
From Framingham State University Women’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Robert Lavin:
“We are excited for the opportunity to add women's ice hockey as a varsity sport at Framingham State starting in the fall of 2024 and joining the MASCAC in 2025. Framingham State offers student-athletes a top-notch education with 39 undergraduate majors across the arts, humanities, social sciences and STEM fields. FSU provides access to a vast array of internship opportunities at industry leaders headquartered along Route 9, as well as at local non-profit and government agencies, allowing students to gain valuable professional experience prior to graduation. Student-athletes at FSU are able to participate in 15 different varsity offerings. Adding ice hockey will provide additional athletic opportunities for female athletes from the surrounding area and the Northeast. Recently renovated Loring Arena is home to both the Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey teams.”
From MCLA Goalie, Juliette Barney:
“The announcement of the MASCAC Conference for women’s hockey gives us the opportunity to play against a larger and more competitive field of teams. It will provide each and every one of us something to compete for, and ultimately it offers us a chance to make it to the national tournament.”
From Rivier University Women’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Chris Czarnota:
“This is an exciting day for Rivier University women’s hockey! Becoming a member of the MASCAC will positively impact all aspects of the collegiate experience and will heighten our team’s profile on a national level. We want to thank everyone involved who has helped us get to this important moment. Joining the MASCAC is a historic milestone and the start of a new chapter for Rivier University women’s hockey.”