Women's Midwest College Hockey

Women's Midwest College Hockey
ConferenceACHA
Founded2019
CommissionerJason White
Sports fielded
DivisionWomen's Division 1
No. of teams7
RegionMidwest, Mid-Atlantic
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

Women's Midwest College Hockey (WMCH) is an American Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Division 1 club level hockey-only college athletic conference for women's hockey teams. It is one of four ACHA Women's Division 1 conferences, along with the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association, Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League, and Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League. The league features seven of the top ACHA programs from across the country regardless of geographic considerations, with its membership ranging from Lynchburg, Virginia in the southeast to Minot, North Dakota in the northwest.

WMCH began play during the 2019–20 season with teams that had won four of the last seven national championships (Minnesota in 2013, Liberty in 2015, 2018, and 2019), and each of its members had participated in their respective national tournaments within the past two seasons (Minot State did so in Division 2, the rest in Division 1). The conference lived up to that billing by earning four of the eight available bids to the 2020 ACHA National Tournament, before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current membership

Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Colors Primary Facility
Liberty University Lynchburg, Virginia Flames 1971 Private
(Baptist) 		15,000
(residential) 		Blue, White and Red[1]
      		LaHaye Ice Center
Maryville University St. Louis, Missouri Saints 1872 Private 4,609 Red, Black and White[2]
      		Maryville University Hockey Center
Lindenwood University St. Charles, Missouri Lions 1827 Private 7,465 Black and Gold
    		Centene Community Ice Center
McKendree University Lebanon, Illinois Bearcats 1828 Private
(Methodist) 		2,499 Purple and White
    		McKendree Metro Rec Plex
Midland University Fremont, Nebraska Warriors 1883 Private
(Lutheran) 		1,400 Orange and Blue
    		Sidner Ice Arena
University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Golden Gophers 1851 Public 47,783 Maroon and Gold[3]
    		Mariucci Arena
Minot State University Minot, North Dakota Beavers 1913 Public 3,560 Red, Green and Black[4]
      		Maysa Arena

Membership timeline

Maryville UniversityMinot State UniversityUniversity of MinnesotaMidland UniversityMcKendree UniversityLindenwood–Belleville Lynx women's ice hockeyLindenwood UniversityLiberty University

Playoff championship game results

The WMCH championship trophy
Year Champion Score Runner-Up Location
2020 Liberty 2–1[5] Minot State St. Louis, Missouri

Regular season champions

  • 2019–20 Liberty†

† The WMCH did not formally declare a regular season champion. Liberty was the top-seeded team for the league playoffs due to having the highest ACHA ranking of the members.

ACHA National Tournament appearances

Appearances made while a WMCH member.

School Appearances Years Championships
Liberty 1 2020 None
Lindenwood–Belleville 1 2020 None
McKendree 1 2020 None
Minot State 1 2020 None

See also

References

  1. ^ "Colors & Fonts". Liberty University. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "MU – Graphic Identity". MaryvilleSaints.com. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  3. ^ "Our Brand: How to Convey It". University of Minnesota. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  4. ^ "MSU – Graphic Identity". Minotstateu.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  5. ^ "Smibert's late goal lets Lady Flames hoist WMCHL trophy". Liberty University. March 8, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.