The United Collegiate Hockey Conference is pleased to announce the return of Elmira College as a men’s and women’s hockey member effective with the 2025-26 academic year.

“It is great to have Elmira return to the UCHC,” said UCHC Commissioner Chuck Mitrano. “The Soaring Eagles are an original member of the UCHC and are consistently amongst the best teams nationally. Our Championship Trophy is named in honor of Elmira’s former Vice-President and Director of Athletics, Patricia Thompson making this a meaningful return.”

Elmira College, founded in 1855, provides a collaborative and supportive environment that enables students to become active learners, effective leaders, responsible community members, and globally engaged citizens. Elmira College offers more than 35 majors and academic programs, an honors program and 17 academic honor societies. Located in the Southern Finger Lakes Region of New York, Elmira's undergraduate and graduate student population hails from 30 states and 20 countries.

“We are excited to return to a familiar home for our hockey programs ahead of the 2025-26 season,” said Rhonda Faunce, Elmira College Director of Athletics. “We were fortunate to be able to capture five league championships in the league between our two programs in just four seasons in the UCHC.Returning to a league that we are familiar with and is more regionally located will provide a positive experience for our student-athletes and fan base.”
 
Elmira, a charter member of the UCHC, returns after playing the last three seasons as a member of the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC). The Soaring Eagles have enjoyed a storied history on both the men’s and women’s sides. The men won the UCHC Championship in 2021, have captured 11 league championships in its 51-year program history and have made 18 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including national runner-up honors in 1980 and 1988. In addition, the Soaring Eagles have had 22 men’s ice hockey players earn All-American status.
 
The Elmira women’s hockey program is one of the most successful in Division III history, since the program’s inception in 2001. The Soaring Eagles won the first two NCAA Division III Championships during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. After capturing its third national title during the 2012-13 season, Elmira most recently made the NCAA Championship contest in 2023-24, its eighth appearance all-time. Elmira has made 18 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and won four consecutive UCHC Championships in its first stint as a league member from 2018-2021. In all, the Soaring Eagles have placed 21 members on All-American teams, while the Division III Women’s Hockey Player of the Year award is named after former Soaring Eagles standout Laura Hurd, who played at Elmira from 2001-05.
 
The UCHC Championship trophy is named after Pat Thompson, former Elmira Vice President of Athletics. The Soaring Eagles play at the historic 3,200-seat Murray Athletic Center in Horseheads, NY.

Founded in 2017, the UCHC has developed into one of the premier NCAA Division III hockey conferences, both on the ice and in the classroom. The conference consists of current members SUNY Brockport (men), Chatham University, SUNY Geneseo (men), Manhattanville University, Nazareth University and Utica University. Albertus Magnus College, Elmira, Hilbert College (women) and St. John Fisher University are set to join for the 2025-26 season, giving the men’s league nine teams and women’s league eight members.

ABOUT ELMIRA COLLEGE
School: Elmira College
Location: Elmira, NY
Founded: 1855
Nickname: Soaring Eagles
Colors: Purple and Gold
Affiliation: NCAA Division III
President:  Dr. Charles Lindsay
Director of Athletics: Rhonda Faunce
Athletics Website: https://athletics.elmira.edu/

NCAA Division III Sponsored Sports (16): Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men’s Golf, Field Hockey, Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey, Men's and Women's Lacrosse, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men’s and Women's Volleyball and Men’s and Women’s Wrestling.

ABOUT THE UNITED COLLEGIATE HOCKEY CONFERENCE
The United Collegiate Hockey Conference is a collaborative effort to provide a competitive environment and structure for NCAA Division III men's and women's ice hockey in the Eastern United States. The UCHC will enter its eighth season in 2024-25 with first-year members SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo joining founding members Chatham University, Manhattanville University, Nazareth University and Utica University.  For more on the UCHC, visit the league's homepage at http://www.theuchc.com/.
 
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