GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Exciting news is coming to the ice at Aquinas College as the school has announced the addition of a second men's hockey team, set to begin play in the fall of 2025. The new team will compete in the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC), an ACHA Division III league featuring smaller colleges and universities across the state of Michigan.
Expanding Opportunities for Student-Athletes
Aquinas Men's D1 Hockey Head Coach & Director of Hockey Operations Brandon Rozema shared his excitement about the expansion:
"We are very excited to now offer two men's hockey teams on campus starting in the fall of 2025. Offering two fully funded hockey programs gives more student-athletes the opportunity to compete for conference and national championships, all while representing our school and community."
The addition of a second varsity-level hockey team is a significant milestone for the program. Unlike club-level teams, this new team will be fully funded and operated by the Aquinas College Athletic Department.
"Having a second varsity-level team run by our athletic department is amazing," added Rozema. "Playing in the MCHC Division III offers us another opportunity to win a conference title and earn an automatic bid to play in Nationals for the ACHA Championship."
The excitement for the newest AQ Athletic addition goes beyond the Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center, Terry Keller, Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs stated, "I am excited about the addition of D3 hockey, we are enthusiastic about the new strategic opportunities this will bring to Aquinas College."
About the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC)
The MCHC is an ACHA Division III conference made up of colleges and universities throughout Michigan. The league is divided into two divisions, East and West, with teams playing a home-and-away schedule within their division.
Points System:
- Teams earn 2 points for a win, 1 point for an overtime loss, and 1 point for a tie (no shootouts).
- At the end of the season, the team with the most points wins their division. If two teams finish with the same number of points, they are declared co-winners (no tiebreaker).
About the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA)
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), founded in 1991, serves as the national governing body for non-NCAA collegiate hockey across the United States. Its mission is to promote the growth of collegiate hockey while prioritizing:
The ACHA provides a pathway for student-athletes to compete at a high level while maintaining a strong focus on academics and personal growth.
Looking Ahead
With the addition of a second men's hockey team, Aquinas College is expanding its commitment to providing opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the varsity level. The team will represent Aquinas on the ice while striving for success in the MCHC and the ACHA.
This new chapter in Aquinas Hockey is set to begin in Fall 2025, and the college community eagerly anticipates the impact it will have on both the program and the student-athletes who will don the Saints jersey.
