ADRIAN COLLEGE FINISHES NO. 1 IN AMERICAN COLLEGIATE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION MEN’S DIVISION 1 FINAL RANKING

Coronavirus Pandemic Wipes Out National Championships

UNION LAKE, Mich. – (March 31, 2020) – Adrian College finished the 2019-2020 season as the No.1 team in the 2019-2020 American Collegiate Hockey Association Men's Division 1 Final Ranking after the 2020 National Championships Tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The tournament was scheduled to take place March 19-24 at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.

“We are incredibly disappointed to have to cancel our National Tournament,” said ACHA Executive Director Craig Barnett.  “However, the safety of our teams and student-athletes is of paramount concern.  With the recent actions taken by USA Hockey and other major sports leaders, together with the uncertainty regarding the current public health situation, we felt it necessary to be proactive and take this preventative measure to mitigate, suppress, and delay the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).  The ACHA apologizes for any inconvenience; however, we believe we are acting in the best interests of the ACHA’s student-athletes, their families and fans, by taking this extraordinary action.”

“We are extremely grateful to our tournament hosts and sponsors, the Dallas Stars, the Frisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the City of Frisco, for their support of our event over the past two years,” said Barnett.  “We’re also very thankful to all of the ACHA staff, volunteers, and coaches for their dedication and continued support of ACHA student-athletes and the organization itself.”

Despite the setback of not being able to compete for a National Championship title after spending seventeen consecutive weeks as the No. 1 ranked team, the Bulldogs (28-2-0) defeated Calvin University 5-1 on the last weekend of games to secure both the regular season and playoff championship of the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League.  Goaltender Michael Barrett of Adrian College was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year.

No. 2 Liberty University (33-4-0) defeated Stony Brook University 4-0 to acquire both the regular season and playoff championship of the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League as goaltender Cedric Lesieur of Liberty was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.

No. 3 Lindenwood University (27-7-0) defeated University of Illinois 5-0 to procure both the regular season and playoff championship of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League as defenseman Austin Wilk of Lindenwood was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Rounding out the Top 5 for the season were No. 4 Minot State University (18-5-3) and No. 5 Ohio University (24-9-4).

In addition, the final two conference playoff champions were crowned.  In the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA), Drexel University defeated the United States Naval Academy 4-1 to sweep both the regular season and playoff championship as forward Kyle Weller of Drexel was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.  In Midwest College Hockey (MCH), McKendree University beat Illinois State University 4-1 to capture both the regular season and playoff championship as forward Dominic Naas of McKendree was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.

With the conclusion of the ACHA’s 29th season, there have been a total of 14 schools that have won the ACHA Men's Division 1 National Championship:

• Penn State (5 times)
• Ohio (4)
• Lindenwood (3)
• Central Oklahoma (2)
• Illinois (2)
• Minot State (2)
• North Dakota State (2)
• Adrian
• Arizona State
• Davenport
• Delaware
• Iowa State
• Oakland
• Rhode Island

The CSCHL (5) leads the way with all of its member teams ranked, while the ESCHL has five (of 6) of its member teams ranked, the WCHL has four (of 7) of its member teams ranked, the WHAC has three (of 6) of its member teams ranked, and the GLCHL has three (of 7) of its member teams ranked.

The 2021 ACHA Men's Division-I National Championships will be hosted March 25-30 for the first time at the New England Sports Center (NESC) in Marlborough, MA. This will be the tenth year of the 20-team format and will celebrate the ACHA’s 30th anniversary.

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About American Collegiate Hockey Association

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a recognized 501(c)3 organization of over 500 college and university-affiliated programs which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes the quality of collegiate ice hockey throughout the United States.  Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, the ACHA's primary mission is to support the growth and development of college hockey programs nationwide.  The ACHA identifies standards which serve to unite and regulate teams at the collegiate level and enters its 30th season in September 2020. For more information, visit achahockey.org.