NCAA Division 1 women's hockey will lose Saint Anselm College following the 2026-27 season as the NEWHA school will drop to Division III.
NCAA Division I women's hockey is set to lose a founding member of the NEWHA conference following this season as Saint Anselm College prepares to drop four programs, including women's hockey, to the Division III level after this season.
Last season Saint Anselm advanced to the conference championship game with a chance to play in the NCAA national championships before falling 2-0 to Franklin Pierce in the final.
The Saint Anselm Hawks finished the regular season with a 19-18-1 record bolstered by NEWHA Player of the Year Brooklyn Schneiderhan who will play professionally in Switzerland this season.
Saint Anselm's women's hockey team will join the Little East Conference at the NCAA Division III level for the 2027-28 season. Despite the move, the school maintains their program will continue their tradition of athletic excellence.
"As Saint Anselm College embraces the opportunities of Division III, we are committed to ensuring that every one of our student athletes has the opportunity to compete, grow, and excel within a strong conference community," said Dr. Michael Lewis, President of Saint Anselm College in a statement. "We are delighted to join the Little East Conference as a partner in that journey for our ice hockey and golf programs. We look forward to building a meaningful relationship with the LEC and to watching our student-athletes carry the proud tradition of Saint Anselm forward with excellence, character, and distinction."
Saint Anselm was a founding member of NEWHA in 2017 and won their lone conference title in 2019 recording a program-best 25-3-1 record before defeating Post 5-1 in the final.
In their eight year history, Saint Anselm players have won NEWHA Player of the Year three times including Kelly Golini (2023), Katie Meehan (2019), and Schneiderhan this season. Tyra Turner was NEWHA Rookie of the Year in 2022 as the program's only other major award winner.
"We are thrilled to join the Little East Conference as an affiliate member in men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s ice hockey," said Saint Anselm Director of Athletics Phil Rowe. "The LEC provides an excellent competitive home for these four programs as we transition to NCAA Division III. We look forward to building relationships throughout the conference and providing our student-athletes with meaningful and rewarding championship experiences."
While Saint Anselm is communicating their excitement, the loss of a Division I women's hockey program at the time the sport is booming globally is unwelcomed news for the sport and in particular for NEWHA, a conference that has struggled to gain competitive footing against other conferences and schools nationally.
