ACHA College Hockey Championship Coming To BisMan!

A National Champion for college hockey will be crowned in Bismarck Mandan.  According to a press release from the American Collegiate Hockey Association, the governing body for non-NCAA college hockey in the United States, announces that the 2021 Men’s Division 2 (M2) National Championships will be held in the cities of Bismarck and Mandan, North Dakota, from April 15-20, 2021.

“We are excited to bring the ACHA M2 Nationals to North Dakota,” said ACHA Executive Director Craig Barnett. “The communities of Bismarck and Mandan have proven their support of the University of Mary’s ACHA Hockey program over the past few years. We expect that tremendous support to continue and that we’ll have a great event at the Schwan Cadillac Rink at Starion Sports Complex in Mandan and Wachter Arena at Capital Ice Center in Bismarck. We know that we are in good hands with U of Mary as our host.”

“The University of Mary, our community and our team are honored to be named host of the 2021 ACHA MD2 National Championship during this extended pandemic. We are excited to provide a championship event for the student athletes this season after having missed out last March. We thank the ACHA for their trust in our community to pull together and support all of the teams and fans that will embark to Bismarck and Mandan in April,” stated Dan Huntley, U of Mary head coach.

Details regarding the form and structure of M2 Nationals, including the number of teams competing and game dates and times, are currently being assessed by the ACHA staff and ACHA M2 leadership.

“We are currently working with local health care authorities in the area to develop a COVID-19 mitigation plan for the Tournament in an effort to ensure the health and safety of all student-athletes, coaches, staff, and visitors,” said Barnett. “We hope to have these details finalized and announced in the coming weeks.”

The University of Mary will receive an automatic host bid for the tournament.