NEWPORT, R.I. – (September 12, 2025) – Salve Regina University President Kelli Armstrong, in conjunction with Patrick Colbert, commissioner of the Conference of New England (CNE), announces that the school's women's and men's ice hockey programs will be returning to membership in the league formerly known as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), beginning with the 2026-27 seasons.

"We are very grateful to the CNE for this membership and look forward to reuniting with our former colleagues on the ice," said President Kelli Armstrong.  "Our hockey community is deeply valued at Salve and our athletes contribute in such important ways to our mission." 

The Seahawk skaters have a rich history with their fellow institutions in the CNE, having been a CCC member for several years before one season in the now defunct New England Hockey Conference (NEHC).

"Salve Regina University is a critical part of the New England hockey landscape that offers two established programs with a proven history of competing at a high level both regionally and nationally," said CNE Commissioner Patrick Colbert. "It was important that the CNE strategically position itself to be the right fit for them competitively and philosophically. It is clear that their leadership has a strategic vision for these programs and providing them with the right conference affiliation was an intentional and diligent effort."

Most recently (the 2023-24 season), both Salve ice hockey programs hosted postseason CCC contests at the Howard Rink in Middletown, Rhode Island, before large fan bases (WOMEN: Salve v. Curry; MEN: Salve v. Wentworth) as the Seahawk men reached their third conference final in eight years after upsetting the top-seeded Colonels at the Canton Ice House in a 7-2 semifinal victory on February 24, 2024.

"We could not be more thrilled to be rejoining our hockey playing partners in the Conference of New England," said Salve Athletic Director Sean Sullivan. "For years, thanks to such an impressive array of hockey programs in the CNE, Salve Regina enjoyed competing against some of the strongest men's and women's teams in both the region and across the country. We deeply appreciate the opportunity to return to this competitive mix and look forward to reestablishing many of the rivalries that have helped shape the history of hockey at Salve Regina."

Starting in the 2016-17 season, CCC men's ice hockey teams left their single-sport conferences and become the Conference's 16th championship sport. The addition of men's ice hockey also saw the league add its first-ever associate members.

The year before (2015-16), Salve men's ice hockey captured the final ECAC Northeast Championship after knocking off a top-seed (Nichols) in a semifinal and defeating newcomer Endicott on its home ice in the title game (4-0 on March 5, 2016). The Seahawks advanced to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Championships.

Two years later, Salve emerged on the precipice of its first national title. Three CCC schools earned bids to the 12-team national championships – University of New England, Nichols College, Salve Regina University. The Seahawks finished as the top seed in the CCC, lost to Nichols in a league semifinal, before hosting the Bison in an NCAA Quarterfinal, winning 4-3 to advance to their first Frozen Four.

On the national stage, Salve shutout Wisconsin-Stevens Point (who would win the crown the subsequent year), 3-0 in the semifinal, behind a 55-save effort from All-American goaltender Blake Wojtala '19. The national championship teams (Salve Regina and St. Norbert) produced an historic double-overtime thriller, won 3-2 by the Green Knights.

On the women's side, attrition had left the single-sport Colonial Hockey Conference (CHC) with only CCC members (and associate member Becker) remaining. Adding Suffolk University and the creation of a new program at Western New England would get the CHC the seven members it needed to retain its NCAA AQ, but not enough "core" members to bring the sport fully "in-house" as part of the multi-sport conference. As a temporary solution, the CCC took over operation of the CHC for the 2020-21 season and rebranded the league Commonwealth Coast Women's Ice Hockey, retaining Becker as an associate member. However, the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Curry started varsity women's ice hockey in 2021-22, giving the conference the seven core members necessary for its own AQ. The league kept all the CHC records and women's ice hockey became the CCC's 19th championship sport.

Salve women's ice hockey had previous championship experience when the 2008-09 squad upset host and top-seed Manhattanville, 1-0, in an ECAC Women's East Semifinal on the back of goaltender Rebecca Simmons '11 and her 38 saves.

As independents in 2025-26, the Seahawk squads have a full slate of games across the region and will compete for an at-large bid to NCAA Division III Championships next March.

Colbert added, "As one of the premier hockey conferences in the country, we are honored to welcome the Seahawks programs along with their dedicated alumni and fan base that will bring an exciting environment to CNE hockey moving forward."
  
ABOUT SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY
Salve Regina University is a Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1947. For more than 75 years, Salve has offered rigorous, innovative academic programming in the liberal arts tradition that prepares students to be global citizens and lifelong learners. More than 2,700 undergraduate and graduate students from around the world are enrolled at Salve in 48 undergraduate majors, nine master's degree programs, combined bachelor's/master's programs and four doctoral programs. Every undergraduate student engages in Salve Compass, a transformational four-year program through which they develop the experience, skills and wisdom required for a fulfilling career and to make a positive difference in the world. The University is also home to the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, a multi-disciplinary research center focused on the intersection of politics, policy and ideas. For more information visit salve.edu.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 11 full member and five associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 21 intercollegiate sports.