PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Little East Conference (LEC) Commissioner Pamela S. Samuelson announced the Norwich University women’s ice hockey program will join the league as affiliate member for the LEC’s inaugural season in 2025-26. The addition of the Cadets’ storied program increases the LEC’s future women’s ice hockey membership to eight institutions.
“On behalf of the Little East Conference presidents and athletic directors, I am pleased to welcome Norwich University women’s ice hockey as an affiliate member for our inaugural season,” said Samuelson. “Their addition will allow for the continuation of established New England Hockey Conference rivalries without interruption, and enhances the profile of what we expect will be a highly competitive sport for the LEC.”
"We are excited to expand our relationship with the Little East Conference by adding our women’s ice hockey program for the LEC’s inaugural season,” said Norwich Director of Athletics Ed Hockenbury. “We are very happy to have found a home for both our men’s and women’s programs for years to come. The creation of Little East women’s ice hockey is an exciting development for Division III, and is a natural fit for Norwich. It provides us an ideal geographic location, continues some of our long-standing traditional rivalries, and generates some compelling new matchups in a league that will be highly competitive. We are very proud of our history of success in women’s hockey, and look forward to contributing to the LEC getting off to a great start. I would like to thank Pam Samuelson, as well as the LEC chancellors, presidents and athletic directors for welcoming us to the Little East.”
Samuelson announced in February the LEC would begin sponsoring women’s ice hockey in 2025-26 with a combination of primary and affiliate programs, comprised of current women’s ice hockey playing members University of Massachusetts Boston, Plymouth State University, University of Southern Maine and Vermont State University Castleton, in addition to a new varsity program at Keene State College and New England College as an affiliate member. Western Connecticut State University has since announced the addition of women’s ice hockey as a varsity program that would begin competing in the LEC in 2026-27.
The addition of men’s and women’s ice hockey in 2025-26 will increase the LEC’s championship sponsorship to 23 sports, making the Little East the second-largest Division III conference in New England by championship offerings.
About the Little East Conference
The Little East Conference (LEC) was formed in 1986 when six public institutions gathered to create a single sport athletic conference, and has expanded into what is now New England’s premier athletic conference for public institutions in NCAA Division III. The LEC will soon feature 23 championship sports, sponsoring quality competition for our student-athletes while following the Division III mission of “passion, responsibility, sportsmanship and citizenship.”
The Little East consists of nine primary institutions that encompass all six New England states – Eastern Connecticut State University, Keene State College (N.H.), UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth, Plymouth State University (N.H.), Rhode Island College, University of Southern Maine, Vermont State University Castleton, and Western Connecticut State University.
About Norwich University
Norwich University is a diversified academic institution that educates traditional-age students and adults in a Corps of Cadets and as civilians. Norwich offers a broad selection of traditional and distance-learning programs culminating in baccalaureate and graduate degrees. Norwich University was founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge of the U.S. Army and is the oldest private military college in the United States of America. Norwich is one of our nation's six senior military colleges and the birthplace of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).