In less than 50 days, a puck will fall atop a sheet of ice in Pennsylvania and the league's 12th season of women's hockey will be born.
The 2013-2014 D1 schedule, made public today by the DVCHC, outlines what comes next: a 46 game journey of 8 university teams and their 100+ student-athletes.
Rivalry, finesse and heart will punctuate the five month, regular season before another puck-drop kicks off a massive, February finish -- the DVCHC Women's Championship.
Here's a look at some of the changes and highlights that will make this season one for the books. Get pumped!
NEW: The addition of a team at Towson University adds obvious excitement to the season ahead. With strong support on campus and an unknown roster they could be any kind of wild card.
GONE: American University has moved its program to D2 for the season as they rebuild a roster that's graduated all but 4 players.
NEW: D2's back-to-back champion, Rutgers University joins D1 for their 1st step into the league's top bracket. Watch for how many goals Alyssa Agati can score when no longer limited to 3 a game.
GONE: Delaware, Cal U and West Chester have left the DVCHC to start a division with College Hockey East. We wish them all the best.
NEW: Those 3 teams have been dominant for years, winning 4 of the past 6 cups. The void of their leaving & the absence of a defending champ has teams buzzing for some serious 'Game of Thrones style' crown claiming. Only 1 team in D1 has ever raised the Spikes Cup (UVA. 3 times!).
GONE: North & South divided. Fewer teams has allowed for a single, D1 iron curtain. That also means an exciting new playoff format (TBA).
NEW: Most teams will see their division rivals 2x this season. Occasionally however, two teams will match-up only once. When that happens it's a high-stakes game worth 4 points in the standings.
Check out this year's D1 schedule!
Click "Game Schedule" to see a list of dates or find your favorite team & click to see their schedule.
Mark those calendars!
Big. Shiney. Cup. The 2014 DVCHC Women's Championship will be held Feb 15-17 @ the Delaware State Fairgrounds. |
The season opens on Saturday, October 5th as Slippery Rock hosts the Hoos of UVA. |
The 1st women's ice hockey game in Towson University history will happen on 10/20. Their 1st home game? 11/2. |
Rutgers steps into D1 on October 12th when they host last year's runner-up, Maryland. |
The US Naval Academy will host Villanova on an important day in American / Navy history, December 7th. |
The regular season ends on Feb 9 as Villanova hosts a senior game against the Terps. |
There is a 7 out of 8 chance that the team who hoists the cup will be one who's never held it before. |