The Little East Conference (LEC) is a NCAA Division III hockey conference that began playing men’s and women’s hockey in the 2025-26 season. The LEC is an all-sport NCAA Division III conference that was first established in 1986.
Current Membership
Men’s (10 schools)
- Babson Beavers
- Castleton Spartans
- Keene State Owls
- New England College Pilgrims
- Norwich Cadets
- Plymouth State Panthers
- Southern Maine Huskies
- UMass Boston Beacons
- UMass Dartmouth Corsairs
- WestConn Wolves
Women’s (7 schools)
- Castleton Spartans
- Keene State Owls
- New England College Pilgrims
- Norwich Cadets
- Plymouth State Panthers
- Southern Maine Huskies
- UMass Boston Beacons
History
Men’s
Though a relatively old Division III conference, many of their core members did not offer men’s hockey as a varsity sport. When Keene State announced they would begin sponsoring men’s hockey, they became the sixth founding member, meaning they would qualify for an automatic qualifier in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Thus, the LEC announced plans to start sponsoring the sport as a league in the 2025-26 season.
Timeline
- 2025-26: Babson, Castleton, Keene State, New England College, Norwich, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, Western Connecticut State (10)
- All-Sports members Castleton, Keene State, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth make up six full-time members, allowing for immediate automatic qualification.
- Teams come from the NEHC, Division III Independents, MASCAC, NEHC, NEHC, and MASCAC respectively.
- Babson, New England College, and Norwich join LEC as affiliate members, with disbanding of New England Hockey Conference (NEHC).
- All-Sports member Western Connecticut State launches men’s hockey, becoming the seventh full member (10th overall) to join.
- All-Sports members Castleton, Keene State, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth make up six full-time members, allowing for immediate automatic qualification.
Women’s
Following the announcement of men’s hockey being sponsored in the 2025-26 season by the Little East, the conference began to look into hypothetical scenarios in which they could sponsor hockey on the women’s side.
When New England College joined the LEC as an affiliate member for men’s hockey, the women’s program went along with them. With the announcement, the LEC announced their plans to sponsor women’s hockey in 2025-26, concurrently with men’s hockey.
Timeline
- 2025-26: Castleton, Keene State, New England College, Norwich, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, UMass Boston (7)
- All-Sports members Castleton, Keene State, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, UMass Boston make up five full-time members.
- With only five full-time members, the LEC will have to wait for their automatic qualifier for a two-year grace period.
- As mentioned, New England College joined as an associate member, along with Norwich.
- As the sixth and seventh teams, they achieved automatic qualification status for the NCAA Division III Tournament, which will arrive in 2028.
- All-Sports members Castleton, Keene State, Plymouth State, Southern Maine, UMass Boston make up five full-time members.
Season by Season Results
Men’s
| Season | Regular Season Champions | Conference Tournament Champions | NCAA Tournament Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
Little East Conference (LEC) |
|||
| 2025-26 | Norwich | Norwich | Norwich |
Women’s
| Season | Regular Season Champions | Conference Tournament Champions | NCAA Tournament Teams |
|---|---|---|---|
Little East Conference (LEC) |
|||
| 2025-26 | Norwich | Norwich | Norwich |
Championships by School
Men’s
| School | Regular Season Titles | Tournament Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Norwich | 1 | 1 |
Women’s
| School | Regular Season Titles | Tournament Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Norwich | 1 | 1 |
