Blue Ridge Hockey Conference
|
| |
|---|---|
| Established: | 2001 |
| Members: | 24 |
| Sport: | College Ice Hockey |
| League: | ACHA Division III |
| Region: | Mid-Atlantic/Southeast |
| States: | Maryland Washington, DC Virginia North Carolina South Carolina |
| Headquarters: | Arlington, Virginia |
| Commissioner: | Rich Appleby |
| Website: | brhockey.com |
The Blue Ridge Hockey Conference or BRHC is an ACHA college ice hockey conference in the Southeast region of the United States. The league's mission is to develop and advance collegiate ice hockey. Despite not having a single varsity program in the region, ice hockey has grown significantly due to the success of the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes.
The BRHC has advanced four of its members to the ACHA National Tournament since 2003.
Teams
The BRHC's membership has tripled since 2007, making it the largest collegiate hockey conference in the United States. The rapid growth is widely attributed to the growth of the sport and the formation of “tiers” within the conference that resulted in more competitive games. The Colonial Division is the highest tier and Carolina is the lowest.
Colonial Division
| School | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Newport University | Newport News, VA | 1961 | Public | Captains |
I} |
| East Carolina University | Greenville, NC | 1907 | Public (University of North Carolina System) | Pirates |
I} |
| University of North Carolina-Wilmington | Wilmington, NC | 1947 | Public (University of North Carolina System) | Seahawks |
|- |Radford University |Roanoke, VA |align=center|1910 |Public |Highlanders | |} |- |Virginia Commonwealth University |Richmond, VA |align=center|1838 |Public |Rams | |} |- |Coastal Carolina University |Conway, SC |align=center|1954 |Public |Chanticleers | I} |-
Atlantic Division- North Region
| School | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American University | Washington D.C. | 1893 | Private/Methodist | Eagles | |
| Catholic University | Washington D.C. | 1887 | Private/Roman Catholic | Cardinals | |
| Marymount University | Arlington, VA | 1856 | Private/Roman Catholic | Saints | |
| Northern Virginia Community College | Annandale, VA | 1964 | Community College | Nighthawks |
|- |College of William and Mary |Williamsburg, VA |align=center|1693 |Private |Tribe | |} |-
Atlantic Division- South Region
| School | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, VA | 1930 | Public | Monarchs | |
| University of Richmond | Richmond, VA | 1930 | Private | Spiders | |
| Appalachian State University | Boone, NC | 1899 | Public (University of North Carolina System) | Mountaineers | |
| Johnson & Wales University | Charlotte, NC | 2004 | Private/Non-profit | Wildcats | |
| The Citadel | Charleston, SC | 1839 | Public Military College | Bulldogs |
Conference Champions
The BRHC Championship Tournament is held every year on the third weekend of February. In 2015 it was held at Chilled Ponds in Chesepeake, Virginia.
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2001-02 | Charleston |
| 2002-03 | Appalachian State |
| 2003-04 | Richmond |
| 2004-05 | Richmond |
| 2005-06 | Richmond |
| 2006-07 | Richmond |
| 2007-08 | Old Dominion |
| 2008-09 | VCU |
| 2009-10 | Appalachian State |
| 2010-11 | William & Mary |
| 2011-12 | Liberty |
| 2012-13 | James Madison |
| 2013-14 | James Madison |
| 2014-15 | Catholic University |
|- 2015-2016 || |} I-
Colonial Division
| Year | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2008-09 | George Washington |
| 2009-10 | Loyola-Maryland |
| 2010-11 | Loyola-Maryland |
| 2011-12 | Christopher Newport |
| 2012-13 | Christopher Newport |
| 2013-14 | Loyola-Maryland |
|- | 2014-15 || Christopher Newport |} |- | 2015-16 || George Mason |} I-