Change is coming across the Divisions II and III college hockey landscape in New England, as two schools made major announcements regarding their future in recent days.
St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., will transition to the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) and NCAA Division III, while also working to secure future conference homes for its men’s and women’s hockey programs.
While the NEWMAC will serve as a long-term home for most St. Anselm athletics, the conference does not sponsor ice hockey. As a result, the college said identifying appropriate affiliate conference arrangements for both hockey programs is a top priority during the transition.
In a separate development, Anna Maria College in Paxton, Mass., announced it will cease academic operations following the Spring 2026 semester, bringing an end to its 80-year history and its D-III athletic programs, including men’s and women’s ice hockey.
As of Friday, Anna Maria’s athletics website appeared to be inactive. Its men’s hockey team had just competed in the NCAA D-III tournament, losing in the first round to Wisconsin-Stout.
In a statement, St. Anselm president Joseph A. Favazza said the college is actively engaged in discussions with NCAA Division III hockey conferences in New England. He added that conversations have been “highly positive” and expressed confidence that both programs will secure stable conference homes.
The college emphasized that its commitment to ice hockey remains strong and that it is focused on maintaining competitive alignment and long-term program stability.