Making the Midwest Grade

In an earlier blog, I wrote about how I wanted this site to become the place to get all of the Midwest hockey information for every level.

So, I need to admit here that if I have a weak link it would be the various College levels.  Now, that is not saying I don’t know anything about it or don’t care about it.  However, as a fan who originally hails from north of the USA border, I was raised on junior hockey and pro with College as a distant relative.

That situation is much different in the Midwest and like the pro and junior levels, this Region is well represented and among the top College levels whether talking about NCAA Division 1, Division 3 or the numerous club hockey divisions.

Division 1 Mens

The Division 1 landscape was changed somewhat drastically as far as the Midwest is concerned last season with the Introducation of the Big 10 Hockey Division. Before that, the Midwest teams basically played in either the WCHA or CCHA divisions. Now, they are spread among four different divisions, including the newly formed Big 10 that includes Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Minnesota Golden Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers along with one non-Midwest team — Penn State.

The WCHA now includes 10 teams — seven of them — The Bemidji State Beavers; Bowling Green Falcons; Ferris State Bulldogs; Lake Superior Lakers; Michigan Tech Huskies, Minnesota State Mavericks and  Northern Michigan Wildcats — hail from the Midwest. Non Midwest teams include the Alabama Huntsville Chargers, Alaska Nanooks and Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.

Most of the other teams from the Midwest Region moved together into what is now called the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).

Among the teams in this conference for the 2014-15 season at the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks; Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs; Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks; North Dakota; St. Cloud State Huskies and Western Michigan Broncos. These six teams are joined by a pair of Colorado teams — the Colorado College Tigers and University of Denver Pioneers.

One other Midwest squad, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, has moved into the Hockey East Division

Division 1 Womens

For the Women, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) remains the primary site for teams from the Midwest Region.

The conference is led by perennial powerhouse outfits, the University of Wisconsin Badgers and University of Minnesota Golden Gophers along with the Bemidji State Beavers; Minnesota State Mavericks; Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs; North Dakota, Ohio State Buckeyes and St. Cloud State Huskies.

Competing in the College Hockey America Conference is the Lindenwood Lions from Missouri along with eastern teams Robert Morris (PA), Penn State; Mercyhust; RIT and Syracuse.

Division 3 Mens

Division 3 Hockey is also well represented by the Midwest with three different conferences taking in a bulk of the squads.

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference includes nine teams from around the state including in alphabetical order: the Augsberg Auggies from Minneapolis; Bethel Royals from St. Paul; Concorida (MN) Cobbers from Moorhead; the Gustaphus Adolphus Golden Gusties out of St. Peter’s; Hamline Pipers from St. Paul; St. John’s Johnnies from Collegeville; St. Mary’s Cardinals from Winona; St. Olaf Olies from Northfield and St. Thomas Tommies from St. Paul.

There is a Michigan/Illinois/Wisconsin flavor in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association with 10 more teams including alphabetically: the Adrian Bulldogs from Adrian, MI; Concordia (WI) Falcons from Mequon; the Finlandia Lions from Hancock, MI; Lake Forest, Forresters from Lake Forest, IL; Lawrence Vikings from Appleton, WI; Marian Sabres from Fond du Lac Wisconsin; Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders; Northland Lumberjacks from Ashland, WI; St. Norbert Green Knights from Green Bay, WI and the St, Scholastica Saints from Duluth, MN.

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference includes five teams from five University of Wisconsin Extension schools including: UW-Eau Claire Blugolds; UW-River Falls Falcons; UW-Stevens Point Pointers; UW-Stout Blue Devils from Menomonie and UW-Superior Yellowjackets.

Division 3 Womens

Division 3 conferences for Women are similar with a 10-team Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference including the Augsbuerg, Auggies from Minneapolis; Bethel Royals from St. Paul; Concorida (MN) Cobbers from Moorhead; the Gustaphus Adolphus Golden Gusties out of St. Peter’s;  Hamline Pipers from St. Paul; St. Benedict Blazers from St. Joseph; St. Catharine Wildcats from St. Paul; St. Mary’s Cardinals out of Winona; St. Olaf Olies from Northfield and St. Thomas Tommies from St. Paul.

The seven-team Northern Collegiate Hockey Association includes: Adrian Bulldogs from Adrian, MI; Concordia (WI) Falcons from Mequon; Finlandia Lions from Hancock, MI; Lake Forest, Forresters from Lake Forest, IL; Marian Sabres from Fond du Lac Wisconsin; St. Norbert Green Knights from Green Bay, WI and the St, Scholastica Saints from Duluth, MN.

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference includes four University of Wisconsin Extension schools: UW-Eau Claire Blugolds; UW-River Falls Falcons; UW-Stevens Point Pointers; and UW-Superior Yellowjackets.

Club teams

When it comes to the various Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 Club teams, there are simply too many to list — well at least on this already long night. I will try to gather up some more information on that front for an upcoming blog .