Men's and Women's DIII Ice Hockey Teams Become Members Effective 2024-25 Season
New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Announcement
New Haven, Conn., December 8, 2022 - Albertus Magnus College is skating into a new league. Both of the College's NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Falcons ice hockey programs will be joining the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) effective with their 2024-2025 seasons. Albertus has competed at the NCAA Division III level in men's ice hockey since 2019-2020 and play their home contests at the recently renovated Ralph Walker Skating Rink in New Haven. This past summer, the College announced plans to sponsor women's ice hockey as its 17th intercollegiate sport, effective with the 2023-24 academic year.
"Albertus Magnus College and its ice hockey programs are thrilled to accept this invitation to join the New England Hockey Conference," said Albertus Athletic Director Michael Kobylanski. "The NEHC and its member institutions have long demonstrated the highest level of success on the academic and athletic fronts. We look forward to competing against this prestigious group of institutions and ice hockey programs in the years ahead. In addition, we are extremely pleased to be able to provide our student-athletes and coaches for both our women's and men's programs the opportunity to compete for postseason berths against some of the most formidable programs in the nation."
"The NEHC is excited to welcome Albertus Magnus College as the league's newest member," stated NEHC Commissioner Katie Boldvich. "We've eagerly watched the success and resources committed to the men's program the last few years and are excited to welcome another strong partner to the conference. Albertus Men's Coach Kyle Wallack is building a special program, and we have no doubt the women will see similar progress under the guidance of Coach Steve Novodor."
Since its inaugural season, the Albertus men's ice hockey team has emerged as a national-caliber program for its efforts on the ice, in the classroom, and within the community. Last year's team registered 16 victories and posted wins over three former NCAA Division III Championship programs – SUNY-Plattsburgh, Trinity, and Neumann – in just its third full season. Men's Head Coach Kyle Wallack was named American Hockey Coaches Association National Coach of the Year finalist for his efforts.
"We are ecstatic to join one of the strongest hockey conferences in the country," said Coach Wallack. "From top to bottom, the NEHC is one of the toughest leagues in all of Division III hockey. Acceptance into the NEHC will help us continue to recruit the best student-athletes in North America and will ensure that we are competing in the toughest competition on a nightly basis."
The men's program also has consistently ranked among the best academic squads in the nation since its inception. Last year's team posted a 3.7 cumulative GPA, and 18 student-athletes were selected as AHCA All-America Scholars. The team also led the Falcons' athletic department in terms of overall community service hours. This year's squad has posted an 8-3 record thus far, including a triumph over No. 10 nationally ranked Trinity, and has ranked consistently in the Top 20 of Division III PairWise rankings.
The inaugural season of competition for the Albertus women's program is slated for 2023-24. Stephen Novodor, a resident of Cheshire, joined the Falcons after most recently serving as an Assistant Coach at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor. During his 10-plus years there, the team claimed the Founders League title in 2015 and the Large School New England Championship in 2014 and 2020. Novodor has also served as a Director and Head Coach with Yale Youth Hockey since 2014, preceded by a run as the Head Coach at Southern Connecticut State University and additional experience with multiple youth and amateur organizations in the state. Under his guidance, the Yale Junior Bulldogs U15 Tier 1 program won a USA Hockey National Championship.
"I am thrilled that we have been accepted to play in the NEHC starting in the 2024-25 season," said Coach Novodor. "As we launch our program, this will be a tremendous help to our recruiting efforts as our student-athletes know they will be playing in one of the best Division III conferences in the country and fighting for the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament."
Current members of the NEHC include Babson College, Castleton University, Elmira College, Hobart College, Johnson & Wales University, University of Massachusetts Boston, New England College, Norwich University, Plymouth State University, Salem State University, Skidmore College, University of Southern Maine, and William Smith College.
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About Albertus Magnus College: Albertus Magnus College, founded in 1925, is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. Its values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For five consecutive years, graduating classes at Albertus have achieved post-graduate employment and graduate school success at a rate of at least 95%. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students across its traditional undergraduate program, accelerated adult degree program, and 11 graduate programs. With more than half of its students coming from minority backgrounds and nearly the same percentage being the first generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's degree programs in Game and Computer Arts, General Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Studies, Project Management, Public Health, Social Media, and Supply Chain Management; among its graduate programs is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program. Just three years from its historic 100th Anniversary Year, the College is implementing its new strategic plan, Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century, which articulates an inspiring, bold vision, in which Albertus Magnus College "will be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.
ABOUT THE NEHC: The New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) prides itself on being one of the premiere playing conferences for NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Hockey in the country. The league and its members are committed to promoting the sport of hockey, recognizing the student-athletes, and promoting fair play and sportsmanship while maintaining a high level of competition. The conference boasts a unique geographic footprint and utilizes a travel partner scheduling model which allows for meaningful conference competition across the northeast. The ability to travel to desirable cities, hockey towns and rinks makes for a high-quality student-athlete experience for our teams.
