The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is a NCAA Division III hockey conference that began playing men’s hockey in the 1999-00 season, and began playing women’s hockey in the 2001-02 season. The NESCAC is an all-sport NCAA Division III conference that was first established in 1971.

 

Current Membership

Men’s (10 schools)

Women’s (9 schools)

History

Though many of these schools’ hockey programs date back to the early 1900’s, the NESCAC waited a while before fully sponsoring men’s hockey.  The jumble that was the ECAC played a huge part in that, but many of the history these programs have predated the NESCAC affiliation, despite the conference being around since 1971.

For years, many of the programs refused to play in postseason tournaments, similar to the Ivy League schools.  But when the NCAA Tournament dollars got larger and larger, the NESCAC stepped in and sponsored the sport in what has become one of the more competitive leagues around.  This has been the most stable league in the country, with just one program added in the last quarter century.

Men’s

Timeline

  • 1999-00: (9) Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Wesleyan, Williams
    • After years and years, the NESCAC finally forms its own hockey conference by sponsoring men’s ice hockey.
      • All nine schools come over from the ECAC East.
  • 2001-02: (10) Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, Williams
    • All-sports member Tufts joins the NESCAC, coming over from the ECAC Northeast.

Women’s

Though the women’s programs aren’t quite as old as the men’s, the NESCAC schools were pretty early to push the women’s game forward.  Like the men, in these programs’ early days, they mostly played in some form of the ECAC, but when the NESCAC finally sponsored the men’s sport, the women were not too far after.

The women’s first season took place in 2001-02, but the NESCAC officially gave a conference title to Middlebury the year prior, when everyone was still in the ECAC, as the top NESCAC school playing within the ECAC.  Since sponsoring women’s hockey, the NESCAC has seen national championships, consistent programs, and phenomenal coaching throughout its run.

Timeline

  • 2001-02: (9) Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Wesleyan, Williams
    • Just two years after starting men’s hockey, the nine women’s hockey-playing schools leave the ECAC to start their own conference in their all-sports league.

Season by Season Results

Men’s

SeasonRegular Season ChampionsConference Tournament ChampionsNCAA Tournament Teams

New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)
1999-00MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2000-01MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2001-02MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2002-03MiddleburyTrinityMiddlebury, Trinity
2003-04MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2004-05TrinityMiddleburyMiddlebury, Trinity
2005-06MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2006-07Bowdoin, MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2007-08ColbyTrinityTrinity
2008-09AmherstAmherstAmherst
2009-10BowdoinMiddleburyBowdoin, Middlebury
2010-11HamiltonBowdoin (vacated)Bowdoin
2011-12AmherstAmherstAmherst
2012-13BowdoinBowdoinBowdoin
2013-14TrinityBowdoinBowdoin
2014-15TrinityAmherstAmherst, Trinity
2015-16WilliamsTrinityTrinity, Williams
2016-17HamiltonTrinityHamilton, Trinity
2017-18TrinityColbyColby
2018-19Trinity, WesleyanTrinityTrinity
2019-20WilliamsWesleyanWesleyan
2020-21

Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22ColbyTrinityTrinity
2022-23Trinity, WesleyanBowdoinBowdoin
2023-24TrinityTrinityTrinity
2024-25HamiltonHamiltonHamilton
2025-26HamiltonWilliamsHamilton, Williams

Women’s

SeasonRegular Season ChampionsConference Tournament ChampionsNCAA Tournament Teams

New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)
2000-01 (unofficial season)Middlebury (declared champion based on ECAC standings)Middlebury, Williams (AWCHA)
2001-02MiddleburyBowdoinBowdoin, Middlebury
2002-03BowdoinMiddleburyBowdoin, Middlebury, Williams
2003-04Bowdoin, MiddleburyBowdoinBowdoin, Middlebury
2004-05BowdoinMiddleburyBowdoin, Middlebury
2005-06MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2006-07MiddleburyAmherstAmherst, Middlebury
2007-08MiddleburyAmherstAmherst, Middlebury
2008-09AmherstMiddleburyAmherst, Middlebury
2009-10AmherstAmherstAmherst, Trinity
2010-11MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2011-12MiddleburyMiddleburyAmherst, Middlebury
2012-13MiddleburyBowdoinBowdoin, Middlebury
2013-14MiddleburyWilliamsWilliams
2014-15MiddleburyTrinityMiddlebury, Trinity
2015-16MiddleburyMiddleburyAmherst, Middlebury
2016-17MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2017-18MiddleburyMiddleburyMiddlebury
2018-19WilliamsWilliamsWilliams
2019-20MiddleburyAmherstAmherst, Middlebury
2020-21

Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22MiddleburyMiddleburyColby, Middlebury
2022-23AmherstAmherstAmherst, Colby, Hamilton, Middlebury
2023-24AmherstMiddleburyAmherst, Hamilton, Middlebury
2024-25AmherstAmherstAmherst, Colby, Middlebury
2025-26MiddleburyAmherstAmherst, Williams

Championships by School

Men’s

SchoolRegular Season TitlesTournament Titles
Middlebury7 (1 shared)8
Trinity7 (2 shared)7
Hamilton41
Bowdoin3 (1 shared)4 (1 vacated)
Amherst23
Colby21
Wesleyan2 (2 shared)1
Williams21

Women’s

SchoolRegular Season TitlesTournament Titles
Middlebury17 (1 shared)11
Amherst57
Bowdoin3 (1 shared)3
Williams12
Trinity01

See Also