HEADLINES

As an annual event in Eastern Pennsylvania just prior to Thanksgiving, College Hockey East teams have traditionally faired quite well at "The Classic."  The event is a weekend showcase of the top teams from the ACHA Men's Division 3 Atlantic Region.  It doubles as a friendly competition between the four leagues in the region: College Hockey East (CHE), the Empire Collegiate Hockey Conference (ECHC), the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference (DVCHC), and the Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC).

Each league sends four representatives, based primarily on order of finish in the previous season.  At-large invitations are extended to additional teams to fill any openings.  This season, Cal U of PA, Pitt-Johnstown, Penn State Behrend, and Fredonia State represented the CHE.  Robert Morris participated as an at-large team, which put them with the MCHC teams for standings and scheduling purposes.  Each team plays 3 games -- one per day -- over the course of the weekend, and a points system is used in each game to award points to the respective leagues.

While the CHE has collected the most points twice in the past -- the event's inaugural year of 2011 and again in 2015 -- this season was no so kind to the league.  The five CHE teams managed just 2 wins and 1 tie in their 15 combined games.  Pitt-Johnstown garnered the best showing with a 1-1-1 record, while Cal U of PA picked up the other win among CHE teams.  Penn State Behrend, Fredonia State, and Robert Morris each went 0-3, though each team also bolstered its strength-of-schedule along the way by playing some of the top-ranked teams in the region.

The Empire Collegiate Hockey Conference collected the most points for the second-straight season at The Classic.