Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League


The Western Women's Collegiate Hockey League is an American Collegiate Hockey Association Women's Division 1 club level hockey-only college athletic conference for women's hockey teams. It is one of four ACHA Women's Division 1 conferences, along with the Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association, Women's Midwest College Hockey, and the Eastern Collegiate Women's Hockey League. The league has a large footprint spreading across the western United States, featuring members in Arizona, Colorado and Utah.
Among the ten members the conference has hosted, both Minnesota and Wisconsin won ACHA national championships prior to joining the WWCHL, while Colorado and Colorado State also have lengthy histories pre-dating the conference's creation. The rest of the league roster, however, consists of newer programs, largely in emerging hockey locales. Denver began play, as the WWCHL itself did, for the 2014–15 season. Arizona State started its program in 2016–17 while Grand Canyon and the University of Utah did so in 2017–18 and 2019–20, respectively.

Current membership

InstitutionLocationNicknameFoundedTypeEnrollmentColorsPrimary Facility
Arizona State UniversityTempe, ArizonaSun Devils1885Public51,585Maroon and Gold
Oceanside Ice Arena
University of ColoradoBoulder, ColoradoBuffaloes1876Public35,528Silver, Black and Gold
CU Recreation Center
Colorado State UniversityFort Collins, ColoradoRams1870Public33,877Green and Gold
Edora Pool Ice Center
University of DenverDenver, ColoradoPioneers1864Private11,614Crimson and Gold
Joy Burns Ice Arena
Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, ArizonaAntelopes1949Private/Christian20,500Purple, Black and White
AZ Ice Arcadia
University of UtahSalt Lake City, UtahUtes1850Public32,994Red, Silver and Black
SLC Sports Complex

Membership timeline


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bar:2 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:end text:Colorado State
bar:3 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:end text:Denver
bar:4 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:01/01/2018 text:Lindenwood–Belleville
bar:5 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:01/01/2019 text:Midland
bar:6 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:01/01/2019 text:Minnesota
bar:7 color:barcolor from:01/01/2014 till:01/01/2018 text:Wisconsin
bar:8 color:barcolor from:01/01/2016 till:end text:Arizona State
bar:9 color:barcolor from:01/01/2017 till:end text:Grand Canyon
bar:10 color:barcolor from:01/01/2019 till:end text:Utah
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Playoff championship game results

YearChampionScoreRunner-UpLocation
2015Minnesota3–2 Colorado StateSun Prairie, Wisconsin
2016Lindenwood–Belleville2–1ColoradoBoulder, Colorado
2017Minnesota2–1ColoradoTempe, Arizona
2018Colorado5–2MinnesotaFremont, Nebraska
2019Midland3–2 ColoradoLas Vegas, Nevada
2020Colorado5–1Arizona StateSalt Lake City, Utah

Regular season champions

Appearances made while a WWCHL member.
SchoolAppearancesYearsChampionships
Lindenwood–Belleville32016, 2017, 2018-
Minnesota32015, 2017, 2018-
Colorado22018, 2020-
Midland12019-

World University Games selections

Since 2011, the American Collegiate Hockey Association has supplied players for the United States team at the World University Games women's hockey tournament, held biennially and as part of the multi-sport event for college and university student-athletes.
YearLocationPlayerSchoolResult
2015Granada, SpainMolly O'NeilColorado StateFifth Place
2015Granada, SpainWhitney ThomasColoradoFifth Place
2017Almaty, KazakhstanJordan AndersonMinnesotaBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanKathleen AshColoradoBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanAlexandra BrownLindenwood–BellevilleBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanLeah MacArthurColoradoBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanLyndsay OdenMinnesotaBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanBecca SendenMinnesotaBronze Medal
2017Almaty, KazakhstanLivia TwohigMinnesotaBronze Medal
2019Krasnoyarsk, RussiaKathleen AshColoradoFourth Place

Notable ACHA award winners

YearWinnerSchoolAward
2014–15Kelsey BrownColoradoCommunity Playmaker
2014–15Emera DanosColoradoOff-Ice MVP
2015–16Katherine HannahLindenwood–BellevilleCoach of the Year
2018–19Jason WhiteMidlandCoach of the Year
2018–19Kenzie BertolasMidlandOff-Ice MVP