October 4, 2016
 
UNITED COLLEGIATE HOCKEY CONFERENCE SET FOR 2017-18 LAUNCH
 
ROCHESTER, NY -- Daan Braveman, President of Nazareth College (NY), is excited to unveil the creation of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC), a men's and women's ice hockey league comprised of NCAA Division III institutions that will begin play in the 2017-18 season.
 
"We are pleased to announce the formation of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference," said Nazareth College and UCHC President Daan Braveman. "We have a tremendous grouping of academic and athletic institutions, and this will be an exciting time for our student-athletes and member institutions."  
 
The structure includes ten men's and women's teams from Chatham University (PA), Elmira College (NY), Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY), King's College (PA), Lebanon Valley College (PA), Manhattanville College (NY), Neumann University (PA), Stevenson University (MD), and Utica College (NY). The conference also includes Nazareth College's (NY) men's team and will welcome Wilkes University (PA) men's and women's teams in 2018-19. Wilkes will play an abbreviated conference schedule in 2017-18.  
 
Patricia Thompson, Vice-President of Athletics at Elmira College, will serve as the Vice-President of the UCHC and chair of the Director of Athletics committee.
 
"Establishing a new conference was a collaborative effort on the part of all of our members. Under the leadership of our Commissioner, Chuck Mitrano, we were able to move our aspirations to reality. The opportunity to incorporate our men's and women's programs in the same hockey conference, the infusion of new programs along with our shared commitment to provide a quality student-athlete experience were the underpinnings for creating our new and exciting UCHC alliance."

For King's, new men's and women's head coaches Stephen Mallaro and Jen Kindret are thrilled to have their respective teams aligned in a conference rather than play an independent schedule.

"We are thrilled to be joining the United Collegiate Hockey Conference," said Mallaro, who was hired in July. "The UCHC will not only be one of the top conferences athletically, but also academically in Division III ice hockey. Being part of such an exciting conference will give us a leg up on recruiting elite student-athletes to King's College."
For Kindret, King's joining a conference with established programs will offer credibility to the both of the college's women's and men's new programs.

"We are thrilled to be joining the UCHC along side these great institutions," added Kindret, who was hired in August. "Having a brand new program in a brand new conference is an exciting time and we cannot wait to be a part of the history the UCHC creates. This league has both established, as well as up and coming programs, and will provide great experiences and competition for us ."
 
Empire 8 Commissioner, Chuck Mitrano, will serve as the inaugural commissioner of the UCHC. Mitrano has 22 years of experience in collegiate athletics and is in his 15^th year as Empire 8 Commissioner. During his tenure with E8, the conference has received national recognition and is considered the leader in sportsmanship education and policy. He has served as President of the Division III Commissioners Association, was named ECAC Administrator of the Year in 2008 and was honored as the prestigious NCAA Bob Fredrick Sportsmanship Award winner in 2010-11 for his demonstrated leadership nationally in the area of sportsmanship policy and education. He was also named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America" and has served on numerous NCAA committees. Mitrano is also currently the President of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. A highly respected speaker on leadership, he has conducted dozens of programs for student-athletes, coaches, and administrators for institutions and conferences across the country.

"I'm honored to serve as the inaugural commissioner of the UCHC," says Mitrano. "We have an exceptional group of institutions that will make UCHC a highly respected structure in the landscape of ice hockey. We are excited to enhance the experience for our student-athletes while representing the very best values of ice hockey."
 
The UCHC will begin a search for a Sports Information Coordinator to build a state of the art, interactive website and launch its social media platforms as well as handle weekly and annual honors and conference statistics. 
 
Follow/Add UCHC on Social Media:
Facebook: @UCHCHockey
Twitter: @UCHCHockey
Instagram: @UCHCHockey
-UCHC-
 
Contact:           Chuck Mitrano
                        cmitrano@empire8.com
                        585.329.2234