Story by Shawn Smith (UMC Sports Information Director)
The University of Minnesota Crookston hockey program has officially been invited to join the Western Collegiate Club Hockey Association (WCCHA) as a full member beginning with the 2021-22 season. The Golden Eagles have graciously accepted the membership offer. The WCCHA has been one of the premier leagues in ACHA Division II. During the 2019-20 season, the WCCHA qualified four teams for the ACHA Division II National Tournament.
“We are extremely honored to be invited to join the prestigious WCCHA as a full member,” said Director of Athletics Stephanie Helgeson. “I am very proud of the season Head Coach Steve Johnson and his team put together in our first season back on the ice. They represented the University and our athletic program well. By joining the WCCHA, we will be able to continue to grow our ACHA Division II hockey program and build on the traditions established by our NJCAA and NCAA programs in the past.”
“It will be exciting to get into a league and league play with the opportunity to compete for a league championship and the ACHA National Tournament,” said Head Coach Steve Johnson. “In addition to the great competition we will face in the WCCHA, we will also look to add 16 non-conference games next season, including opponents from ACHA Division I opponents.”
UMC will be a member of the Northwest Division. The WCCHA includes club teams for Bethel University, Gustavus Adolphus College, the University of Minnesota, the University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State University-Mankato, North Dakota State University, Saint John’s University, St. Cloud State University, St. Thomas University, the University of North Dakota, Winona State University, the University of Wisconsin, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
The Golden Eagles will join the Northwest Division with Minnesota, North Dakota State, St. John’s, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, and Bethel. The Southeast Division will consist of St. Thomas, Wisconsin, Minnesota State, Minnesota Duluth, Gustavus Adolphus, Winona State, and Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
“With the support of our membership, I am excited to welcome the University of Minnesota-Crookston into the WCCHA,” said WCCHA Commissioner Ryan Donovan. “The Golden Eagles have a storied hockey history that is now continuing in the ACHA. With fantastic support from the school and community, the program is poised for great things. We expect UM-Crookston to compete at a high level from the first puck drop, and along with our current members, continue to collectively raise the profile and quality of this level of hockey in Minnesota and beyond.”
The WCCHA did not play a 2020-21 conference season due to COVID-19. The WCCHA members were allowed to play an independent non-conference schedule. The WCCHA has been one of the top ACHA Division II conferences since 2003. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is the most recent WCCHA Champion. They have won the league three times, as has St. Cloud State and Minnesota State, while Minnesota is five-time champions of the WCCHA. Minnesota was the most recent Northwest Division Champion, while St. Thomas won the Southeast Division. The WCCHA plays for the Carla Berg Memorial Cup.
Ryan Donovan has served as the commissioner of the WCCHA since 2003. The WCCHA provides collegiate club hockey teams from the upper Midwest an opportunity for intercollegiate competition in a competitive format. By organizing a conference schedule and end-of-season tournament, each participant is provided a chance to continue their competitive hockey career at a high level while balancing the rigors of their educational endeavors.
The Golden Eagles will play a 16-game WCCHA schedule, with two games against each divisional opponent and at least two series against teams from the other division. Crookston will also look to continue regional non-conference rivalries established in their inaugural season back on the ice.
