West Chester University’s Golden Rams capped an extraordinary 2025–26 campaign by claiming the Colonial Cup, sealing a dominant regular season with a conference playoff title and a berth at the ACHA M2 Northeast Regional.
🏒 Regular Season Overview
The 2025–26 CSCHC season will be remembered as the year of the Golden Rams. West Chester entered the campaign with a point to prove and never looked back, going 14–1–1 across conference play to finish atop the standings by a considerable margin. Their goal differential of +84 was the most dominant regular-season performance the conference has seen in recent memory, with opponents routinely held to single-digit totals while West Chester’s offence averaged the better part of eight goals per game.
The season also marked the arrivals of two notable clubs. Neumann University joined the conference as a brand-new member and made an immediate statement, finishing second at 12–4. Their physical style of play and efficient attack allowed them to leapfrog established sides from day one. The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) also returned to ACHA D2 competition after time away, though they endured a tough baptism — finishing the regular season without a conference win as they rebuild towards future competitiveness.
📊 Final Regular Season Standings
| Team | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Chester University Champions | 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 116 | 32 | +84 |
| Neumann University | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 77 | 46 | +31 |
| University of Scranton | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 69 | 38 | +21 |
| Millersville University | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 71 | 49 | +22 |
| Stockton University | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 18 | 81 | 57 | +24 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 16 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 77 | 59 | +18 |
| Drexel University Eliminated | 16 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 51 | 84 | −33 |
| Seton Hall University Eliminated | 16 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 95 | −73 |
| The College of New Jersey Eliminated | 16 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 108 | −99 |
🏆 Colonial Cup Playoffs
The 2026 CSCHC Playoffs were held at Lancaster Ice Arena in February, hosted by defending champions Millersville University. The top six sides qualified, with West Chester and Neumann earning first-round byes by virtue of their regular-season finishes.
West Chester were imperious throughout the playoff weekend. Their depth, physicality and experience proved impossible for any opponent to contain. The Golden Rams swept through the bracket without dropping a game, claiming the Colonial Cup in emphatic fashion and securing the conference’s automatic berth into the ACHA M2 Northeast Regional.
🗺️ ACHA M2 Northeast Regional
Representing the CSCHC as the 16th seed, West Chester travelled to Simsbury, Connecticut for the ACHA M2 Northeast Regional. Their first-round opponent was Niagara — the top seed in the region and one of the favourites to advance to the national tournament.
Despite a tremendous season, West Chester’s run ended at the regional stage, falling to Niagara in a hard-fought contest. It was, nonetheless, a remarkable achievement for a programme that had never before carried the CSCHC’s banner this deep into the postseason with such dominance behind them.
“West Chester ended their unbelievable season yesterday with a loss in Regionals to Niagara. What a run it was.” — CSCHC Official Instagram
⭐ Season Highlights & Storylines
Neumann’s debut: Few first-year conference members have made an impression quite like Neumann University. Finishing second in the regular season with 24 points, the Knights immediately established themselves as a genuine contender and a long-term force in the CSCHC landscape.
Millersville’s defence of the title: The 2024–25 champions arrived looking to go back-to-back. While they put together a solid campaign — finishing fourth and qualifying for the playoffs — they were unable to replicate last spring’s magic. Their hosting duties for the playoff weekend, however, gave Lancaster a memorable weekend of hockey.
The mid-table battle: Scranton and Millersville finished on 24 and 22 points respectively, separated only by tiebreakers, as Penn and Stockton pushed hard from below. Conference play from third through sixth seed was as competitive as any year in recent history.
TCNJ’s return: The return of The College of New Jersey was welcomed warmly across the conference, even as they faced a difficult debut season back in ACHA D2. With a full off-season to prepare and lessons hard-learned, the Lions will be expected to push up the standings in 2026–27.
🗓️ End-of-Season Events
The 2025–26 season concluded with the annual CSCHC All-Star Game, held on April 25 at Hatfield Ice Arena in Colmar, Pennsylvania. Team White faced Team Gray in a showcase of the conference’s best individual talent — a fitting send-off to a season full of memorable moments.
The Colonial States College Hockey Conference is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Men’s Division II, based in the mid-Atlantic region. The conference is composed of nine member institutions across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.