Hockey season is right around the corner in the Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League. With St. Bonaventure announcing a second team this week, D2 West in the UNYCHL is now set. Like each other D2 division, the West will have six teams for 2023-24.
And also like the other divisions, a clear preseason front-runner in the West is tough to identify.
The recent success of the top St. Bonaventure team (40-5-2 the last two seasons) and resulting interest on campus allowed for the addition of the D2 Bonnies squad. SBU and Cornell both added second teams this season.
The Bona addition means there are now three UNYCHL teams playing out of the William O. Smith Center in Olean. The “other team,” Alfred State, will also be part of D2 West. The Pioneers look to return to the AAU College Hockey National Tournament after their first trip last season.
Another team with an eye on going back to Philadelphia is Fredonia. Last year’s appearance was a return to the big stage for the Blue Devils, who were a participant in the first National Tournament in 2020.
Buffalo State hopes its new recruits will lead to a bounce-back year for the Bengals, who were in the UNYCHL title game in 2022 before taking a step back last season. Buff St is also a part of the new UNYCHL Division 1. St. John Fisher (D2 Metro) will also play under both banners.
Across town, Erie Community College also aims for a return to past prominence. The Kats were the 2019 UNYCHL Champions under veteran coach Gary Rost. ECC has won 274 games in Rost’s 16 years behind the bench.
Rounding out the division is Geneseo. The new UNYCHL D2 is a blend of teams that were Tier 1 and Tier 2 in previous years. Geneseo among those coming from the former Tier 2, where the Knights only officially played two games last year. The league would certainly benefit from another team in the Finger Lakes area that is serious about competing at this level.
