Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association was a college athletic conference which operated in the midwestern United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference. The conference included only men's teams.

History The league was founded in 1998 with six teams: Benedictine University, the University of Findlay, Lawrence University, Marian University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and Northland College. After one year in the conference, Benedictine dropped hockey, and Findlay moved to the Division I College Hockey America conference. The University of Minnesota Crookston joined in 1999. As a Division II school, Minnesota Crookston operated the hockey team with no scholarships like the other Division III members of the league. While they competed in the conference championship, they were ineligible for the NCAA Division III Tournament, but they were eligible for the Harris Cup.

In 2007, in order to meet NCAA guidelines and receive an automatic bid for the Division III tournament, the NCHA mandated that all member programs be Division III by the end of the 2008–09 season. Minnesota–Crookston continued to play in the conference for the next two years but after the '09 season the university dropped varsity hockey and were replaced by Lake Forest.

Finlandia University joined the conference for the 2004–05 season. Before the 2007–08 season, the MCHA added Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin, and Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan.

In the summer of 2012, the five hockey-playing schools in the University of Wisconsin System announced that they would leave the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) to begin playing hockey in their all-sports conference, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The move would have left only two men's teams in the NCHA, leading St. Norbert College and the College of St. Scholastica to join the MCHA. In April 2013, the NCHA and MCHA announced a merger, where the NCHA would absorb the MCHA's teams (of the MCHA's 10 schools, all seven who also sponsored women's hockey played in the NCHA). The men's and women's sides will retain separate administrative structures, as well as their automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament.

Members School Location Nickname Founded Affiliation Colors Joined Left Subsequentconference Currentconference Adrian College Adrian, Michigan Bulldogs 1859 Private/Methodist 2007 2013 NCHA Benedictine University Lisle, Illinois Eagles 1887 Private/Catholic 1998 1999 Dropped program Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin Falcons 1880 Private/Lutheran (LCMS) 2007 2013 NCHA Findlay, Ohio Oilers 1882 Private 1998 1999 CHA (D-I) Dropped program (2004) Finlandia University Hancock, Michigan Lions 1896 Private/Lutheran (ELCA) 2004 2013 NCHA N/A (Closed in 2023) Lake Forest College Lake Forest, Illinois Foresters 1857 Private 2009 2013 NCHA Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin Vikings 1847 Private 1999 2013 NCHA Marian University Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Sabres 1936 Private/Catholic 1998 2013 NCHA Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin Raiders 1903 Private 1998 2013 NCHA Crookston, Minnesota Golden Eagles 1905 Public 1999 2009 Dropped program Northland College Ashland, Wisconsin Lumberjacks 1906 Private/United Church of Christ 1998 2013 NCHA

Champions

MCHA regular season champions 1998–99: Findlay 1999–2000: UM–Crookston 2000–01: UM–Crookston 2002–03: UM–Crookston 2001–02: Marian 2003–04: Marian 2004–05: MSOE 2005–06: MSOE 2006–07: MSOE 2007–08: Adrian 2008–09: Adrian 2009–10: Adrian 2010–11: Adrian 2011–12: Adrian 2012–13: Adrian

Harris Cup Champions (playoffs) 2002: Marian 2003: UM–Crookston 2004: UM–Crookston 2005: MSOE 2006: MSOE 2007: Finlandia 2008: Adrian 2009: Adrian 2010: Adrian 2011: Adrian 2012: MSOE 2013: Adrian

NCAA Tournament Results 2010 Adrian First Round vs. St. Norbert College L 3–4 2011 Adrian Quarterfinals vs. Elmira College W 5–3 Semifinals vs. Oswego State University W 5–3 Championship vs. St. Norbert College L 3–4 2012 MSOE First Round vs. Gustavus Adolphus College L 1–3 2013 Adrian Quarterfinals vs. Oswego State University L 2-3 (OT)

References

External links Official web site MCHA Page on U.S. College Hockey Online