College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) is an American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I ice hockey conference with teams in Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The league was formed in 2006 after members of the now defunct University Hockey League organized the league and moved from the ACHA's Division II to Division I.

College Hockey Mid-America
ConferenceACHA
Founded2006
Sports fielded
DivisionDivision I
No. of teams8
HeadquartersPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
RegionWestern Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia
Most recent
champion(s)
Robert Morris
(2nd title)
Most titles(Tie) West Virginia
and Robert Morris
(3 titles)
Official websiteCHMA Website
Locations
Location of teams in

Season format

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The conference formed in 2006 after members of the now defunct University Hockey League organized the league and moved from the ACHA's Division II to Division I. With eight members, each CHMA team plays every other team in a home and away series, producing a regular season of 14 games. Prior to the 2018-19 season, the regular season champion received an automatic bid to the ACHA Division I National Tournament. Starting with the 2019 National Tournament, the CHMA awarded the playoff champion the conference's automatic bid. In 2010, season champion Slippery Rock declined their bid to the national tournament. In 2012, the conference experienced expansion when Mercyhurst and Robert Morris joined.[1] In 2020, Slippery Rock suspended their ACHA Men's Division 1 team. At the same time, the conference added Kent State, who began conference play in the 2021-22 season. The University of Pittsburgh left the conference for the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League beginning with the 2022-23 season.

Membership

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Of the seven member schools, four compete at the Division I level of NCAA, two at Division II (all within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference), and one at Division III.

School Location Nickname Primary conference Website Team Colors
Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Dukes Atlantic 10 (DI) [1]    
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA Crimson Hawks PSAC (DII) [2]    
John Carroll University University Heights, OH Blue Streaks Ohio Athletic Conference (DIII) [3]    
Mercyhurst University Erie, PA Lakers PSAC (D-II) [4]    
Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA Colonials Horizon League (D-I) [5]    
West Virginia University Morgantown, WV Mountaineers Big 12 Conference (DI) [6]    
Kent State University Kent, OH Golden Flashes Mid-American Conference (DI) [7]    
  • Mercyhurst and Robert Morris joined in 2012. Kent State joined in 2021.

Note: Mercyhurst and Robert Morris have NCAA Division I hockey teams competing in Atlantic Hockey.

Conference arenas

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School Home arena Location Capacity
Duquesne Alpha Ice Complex Harmarville, Pennsylvania 1,200
IUP S&T Bank Arena Indiana, Pennsylvania 1,000
John Carroll Gilmour Academy Ice Arena Gates Mills, Ohio 800
Mercyhurst Mercyhurst Ice Center Erie, Pennsylvania 1,500
Robert Morris Clearview Arena Neville Township, Pennsylvania 1,200
West Virginia Morgantown Municipal Ice Arena Morgantown, West Virginia 500
Kent State Kent State University Ice Arena Kent, Ohio 1,500

Former members

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Past Champions

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Season Regular season Tournament Tournament site
2006-2007 Washington & Jefferson Duquesne Alpha Ice Complex, Harmarville, Pennsylvania
2007-2008 West Virginia Washington & Jefferson Ice Zone, Boardman, Ohio
2008-2009 Duquesne Duquesne Ice Castle Arena, Castle Shannon, Pennsylvania
2009-2010 Slippery Rock West Virginia S&T Bank Arena, Indiana, Pennsylvania
2010-2011 Slippery Rock Slippery Rock WesBanco Arena, Wheeling, West Virginia
2011-2012 West Virginia West Virginia Alpha Ice Complex, Harmarville, Pennsylvania
2012-2013 John Carroll Mercyhurst S&T Bank Arena, Indiana, Pennsylvania
2013-2014 West Virginia West Virginia Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills, Ohio
2014-2015 Robert Morris Robert Morris BladeRunners, Harmarville, Pennsylvania
2015-2016 Mercyhurst Pittsburgh Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills, Ohio
2016-2017 Pittsburgh John Carroll Colonials Arena, Neville Township, Pennsylvania
2017-2018 Pittsburgh John Carroll Mercyhurst Ice Center, Erie, Pennsylvania
2018-2019 IUP Robert Morris Alpha Ice Complex, Harmarville, Pennsylvania
2019-2020 Pittsburgh IUP Alpha Ice Complex, Harmarville, Pennsylvania
2020-2021 Robert Morris* Robert Morris* Colonials Arena, Neville Township, Pennsylvania
2021-2022 Pittsburgh John Carroll Gilmour Academy, Gates Mills, Ohio
2022-2023 IUP Robert Morris S&T Bank Arena, Indiana, Pennsylvania
2023-2024 IUP IUP Colonials Arena, Neville Township, Pennsylvania
  • Robert Morris completed a shortened 2020-21 season of five games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Colonials defeated the West Virginia Mountaineers in a three-team CHMA Tournament in March 2021.

National Tournament results

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Since the 2007–08 season, the conference's regular season champion received an automatic bid to the Division I national tournament. Starting with the 2018-19 season, the conference's playoff champion received an automatic bid to the Division I national tournament. In the conference's first season in 2006–07, West Virginia earned a spot in the tournament based on their national ranking, winning neither the regular season nor the conference tournament. Washington & Jefferson College also earned a berth to the 2006-07 ACHA Division I National Tournament having won the CHMA regular season title and ranking 14th overall. In the 2021-2022 season, the conference saw two teams represented for the third time in sixteen seasons.

  • 2024: #22 Indiana (PA) defeated in first round by #11 Purdue Northwest.
  • 2023: #18 Indiana (PA) defeated in first round by #15 Illinois State.
  • 2022: #13 Pittsburgh defeated #20 Navy in first round; was defeated by #4 Nevada-Las Vegas / #20 John Carroll defeated in first round by #14 Maryville.
  • 2021: #2 Robert Morris defeated #15 Davenport in first round; was defeated in second round by #7 Indiana Tech.
  • 2020: #19 Indiana (PA) was scheduled to play #14 Drexel in the first round. The game, as well as the entire 2020 National Tournament, was canceled on March 12, 2020 due to public health concerns related to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.[2]
  • 2019: #20 Robert Morris defeated in first round by #13 UNLV.
  • 2018: #18 Pittsburgh defeated in first round by #15 Stony Brook.
  • 2017: #19 Pittsburgh defeated in first round by #14 Oklahoma.
  • 2016: #19 Mercyhurst defeated in first round by #14 Delaware.
  • 2015: #18 Robert Morris defeated in first round by #15 Niagara / #20 John Carroll (HOST) defeated in first round by #13 Illinois.
  • 2014: #20 West Virginia defeated in first round by #13 Navy.
  • 2013: #20 John Carroll defeated in first round by #13 Liberty.
  • 2012: #17 West Virginia defeated #16 Rutgers in first round; was defeated in second round by #1 Penn State.
  • 2011: #16 Slippery Rock defeated in first round by #1 Lindenwood; won 15th-place consolation game against #15 Rutgers.
  • 2010: Slippery Rock declined invitation; was not replaced by another conference team.
  • 2009: #15 Duquesne defeated in first round by #2 Penn State.
  • 2008: #14 West Virginia defeated in first round by #3 Penn State.
  • 2007: #13 West Virginia defeated in first round by #4 Rhode Island; won 13th-place consolation game against #9 Kent State / #14 Washington & Jefferson defeated in first round by #3 Illinois; lost 15th place consolation game against #16 Robert Morris (PA).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Robert Morris to Join CHMA in 2012". Robert Morris Colonials. December 18, 2011. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  2. ^ "ACHA CANCELS 2020 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT | ACHA Nationals - Pointstreak Sites".
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