Hood College women’s hockey is set to join the UCHC for the 2024-25 season, expanding the UCHC women’s hockey membership to 12 teams.
“It is exciting to see the growth of competitive opportunities for women in ice hockey and we are proud to support the rise with the addition of Hood College to the UCHC,” said UCHC commissioner Chuck Mitrano in a news release. “A strong academic institution with a commitment to the student-athlete experience, Hood is an excellent addition to the UCHC, and we are excited to be part of their history.”
Hood, located in Frederick, Md., is set to begin NCAA women’s hockey play in the 2024-25 season. Josh Funk will serve as Hood’s inaugural head coach after a stint as the director of women’s hockey at the Minnesota Advancement Program. He spent two seasons as head coach at Plymouth State from 2020 to 2022 and the 2019-20 campaign as an assistant coach at Robert Morris.
Joey Kolega was recently named an assistant coach for the Blazers.
“We are excited to have our new women’s ice hockey program join the UCHC and compete alongside the outstanding institutions making up its membership,” said Hood College president Andrea E. Chapdelaine, Ph.D. “The UCHC is a great fit for Hood, alongside other MAC members. We look forward to enhancing existing rivalries and establishing new ones with women’s ice hockey. This will provide our women’s ice hockey student-athletes with exceptional academic and athletic experiences.”
“We’re thankful for Hood College’s women’s ice hockey to gain membership into UCHC when we begin play in 2024-25,” added Dr. Susan Kolb, Hood’s director of athletics. “The UCHC’s membership includes not only some of the top teams in the region, but in all of Division III. We look forward to providing a great student-athlete experience to our future women’s ice hockey student-athletes and cannot wait to begin competition in the UCHC.”
The Blazers will play at Skate Frederick, a two-ice sheet facility located just three miles from campus. Skate Frederick features two NHL regulation rinks as well as a pro shop and snack bar. The rink has year-round hockey and figure skating programs.
In preparation for the inaugural 2024-25 season, Hood has plans to improve the seating, site lines and fan experience, as well as add a new Blazers locker room and team area. Hood will also be adding in signage, logos, and Blazers colors into the arena to create an energetic environment to watch and play NCAA hockey.
