Syracuse, NY – The Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL) has made the difficult decision to cancel its 2020-21 conference schedule and league championship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The conference announced the decision on Friday, October 23rd. The announcement does not preclude teams from seeking to play non-conference games this academic year. SUNY Canton women's hockey team is a NEWHL member.
 
SUNY Canton women's hockey team, along with its men's program, plan to explore playing non-conference schedules during the second semester beginning in late January or early February 2021.
 
"While we are extremely disappointed for our women's hockey players, we understand and support the NEWHL's decision to cancel the conference schedule and championship, particularly in light of the SUNYAC decision to cancel its winter sports seasons," SUNY Canton Athletic Director Randy B. Sieminski said. "Similar to our SUNY Canton basketball teams who play in the North Atlantic Conference, we are still hopeful to play hockey next semester. We are considering non-conference schedules for both women's and men's teams in 2021, if safety and health regulations allow us to do so."
 
The NEWHL is an NCAA Division III women's ice hockey league featuring seven SUNY-based institutions:  Buffalo State, Canton, Cortland, Morrisville, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam.
   

About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in digital design, engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. As SUNY's leader in online education, SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses as well as 21 online degree programs. The college placed first in 14 categories in a SUNY-Wide Student Opinion Survey, most notably in career services, tutoring, library resources, and classroom facilities. The college's 15 traditional athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division III level as part of the North Atlantic Conference. SUNY Canton also features varsity eSports and cheerleading. For more information, visit www.canton.edu.