RECAP: 2023 AAU College Hockey National Championship

03/24/2023


College athletes laced up their skates and took the ice in West Chester, Pennsylvania for the 2023 AAU College Hockey National Championships

By: Troy MacNeill

2023 AAU College Hockey National Championship 
Dates: March 10-15, 2023
Location: Ice Line Quad Rinks
Photos | Results | Replay

WEST CHESTER, Penn. (March 24, 2023)
-- College athletes made their way to West Chester, Pennsylvania to put skates on ice and pucks in net at the 2023 AAU College Hockey National Championships. The college teams traveled to Pennsylvania but only two (2) teams got to hoist an AAU National Championship trophy.

The largest college hockey event in North America took place on March 10 through March 15, 2023. Forty (40) teams playing 70 games in six (6) days. This year’s event was bigger and better than ever. Athletes were just as hungry to prove themselves. 

College teams with well over a thousand college athletes competed throughout the six-day event. Teams were split up into two divisions: the National Division and the American Division. The National Division had 32 teams with the American Division having eight (8) teams battling for supremacy. The National Division is divided into eight (8) pools with four (4) teams in each. The American Division had two (2) pools of four teams. 

The action began on March 10 on a snowy day in the northeast. But the action on the ice continued to heat up with every game. There were 16 games a day for pool play in the National Division with the quarter finals starting on March 13, semifinals on March 14, and the National Championship game deciding the winner on March 15. 

The American Division played 4 games a day for pool play, beginning on March 11. On March 14 there was a 2 game semifinal with the top four teams from pool play. The American Division decided an AAU National Championship on March 15 to start the day. 

In the American Division, St. John Fisher College outlasted everyone else to take home the American Division 2023 AAU College Hockey National Championship. The Cardinals went 4-1 in the tournament with their only loss coming during pool play against the University of Tampa D3 team. They matched up in the championship game across from the Farmingdale State College Rams, which was a shock to some.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The Farmingdale State College Rams knocked off the undefeated University of Tampa D3 Spartans in the semifinals. However, the momentum did not carry over to the title game as the Cardinals were too much to handle. Putting 3 goals on the board in the 1st period was just the tip of the iceberg, as St. John Fisher College would win the championship game 8-1 to capture glory.

Binghamton University was dominant in the National Division as they finished the tournament a perfect 6-0 and had their dreams of redemption realized. The Binghamton University Bearcats took on the Fairfield University Stags in the title game.

Just one year ago Binghamton University saw the title slip out of their hands in the championship game. This season was one of redemption and doing whatever it took to taste gold. The team outskated and outshot almost every team they played including beating the 30-0 University of Tampa Spartans in the semi-finals. In the championship game, the Bearcats scored first and knew they needed more. Fairfield made a great push at the end of the game, but every goal was answered with one by Binghamton. At the final buzzer, Binghamton University had won the game 6-3 and it was time to jump for joy. Gloves were thrown in the air in celebration and players and coaches alike stormed the ice. A year long journey culminated in the 2023 AAU College Hockey National Championship.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The AAU Hockey 2023 College Hockey National Championships were streaming live on Black Dog Hockey again this year. Replays are available in case you missed any of the action or just want to relive the exhilarating non-stop competition. Click here to watch

This was the first year with the title of an AAU College Hockey National Champion. In February, the Collegiate Hockey Federation (CHF) and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) partnered to launch AAU College Hockey. This is a new model of collegiate hockey in the United States. 

"AAU is extremely excited at the opportunity to help establish another level of varsity hockey for our collegiate programs that raise awareness of the talent these student-athletes have and should be recognized throughout university athletic programs", noted AAU Board Member and National Hockey Chair Keith Noll. 

To read more about the CHF and AAU partnership, click here.  

For the full list of results and pool standings, visit aaucollegehockey.org. You can also watch post-game interviews and recaps on the Collegiate Hockey Federation YouTube Channel. Click here to watch

We were live on the scene as well! You can check out the action on social media by following @AauHockey on Twitter and @aausports on Instagram. Check out all of the pictures from the tournament on Facebook. Be sure to tag us in all posts about the AAU College Hockey National Championships. Visit aauicehockey.org for additional information regarding AAU Hockey.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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