The Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League now counts 35 schools among its members, but not all in New York State. In fact, the entirety of UNYCHL Division 3 for 2023-24 is out of state. Four NW Pennsylvania schools and the league’s first Ohio entry will make up D3.
In non-NCAA hockey, the easiest way to keep costs down is to reduce travel and that is a continued focus of the UNYCHL.
Penn State Behrend College, Mercyhurst, and Gannon sit within 15 minutes of each other in Erie, PA. Allegheny College is less than 40 miles to the south in Meadville, while Hiram College is both the first UNYCHL and AAU College Hockey team in Ohio. Hiram is about halfway between Cleveland and Youngstown.
PSB and Gannon were both in the UNYCHL Tier 2 Semifinals last season, falling to Rochester and St. John Fisher, respectively. The Allegheny Gators enter season two in the league and will be trying to build on a solid inaugural season. Mercyhurst, meanwhile, has as much hockey on campus as any college in the country with five teams (NCAA D1 Men, NCAA D1 Women, ACHA D1 Men, ACHA D2 Women, AAU College Hockey D3 Men).
While UNYCHL D3 will see all its regular season division action in PA and OH, the eventual champion will still need to win in New York. The UNYCHL D2 and D3 Semifinals and Finals will be played at the North Buffalo Rink, March 2-3.
