FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2016
MANSFIELD, Mass. - After consultation with the respective athletics departments, it has been determined that the 2016 Northeast-10 Men’s Ice Hockey Championship final game between No. 1 Stonehill and No. 2 Saint Anselm, originally slated for last Saturday, Feb. 27 will not be rescheduled.
The game’s postponement last weekend became necessary when a health concern arose within the Saint Anselm team.
“Every effort was made to examine solutions that were in the best interests of both teams’ student-athletes; however, the calendar was not on our side and ultimately we had to arrive at the difficult conclusion that there simply wasn’t an opportunity within a reasonable time frame to get these young men back on the ice to play for the title,” said Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner Julie Ruppert.
“While everyone certainly wishes that the title could have been determined on the ice, the cancellation ultimately provides the most logical resolution for the greatest good. These teams have been immersed in their playing season since October and to extend that season up to four more weeks proved impractical. I am grateful to the administrators at both institutions for their thoughtful deliberation and agreement on this difficult issue.”
With students from both institutions on spring break through March 13th and the requisite on-ice conditioning, academic priorities and the Easter holiday, it became apparent that having four weeks elapse between the semifinals and final was not a solution.
Current Conference policy addresses situations for all championships that have played at least one round and where unforeseen events necessitate cancellation of any subsequent round. That policy indicates the highest remaining seed will be declared the tournament champion. Stonehill College, by virtue of its regular season title and subsequent victory in the Feb. 20 semifinal, will be declared the 2016 champion.
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.