The NCAA has approved sites for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Division III men’s hockey championships:
• 2006, First Arena in Elmira, New York (hosted by Elmira)
• 2007, Wessman Arena in Superior, Wisconsin (hosted by Wisconsin-Superior)
• 2008, Lake Placid, New York (hosted by Potsdam State and the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority)
This will be the first time since 1993 that the Division III championships have been held at a neutral location. As expected, two Eastern sites and one Western location were selected.
A total of eight proposals were received by the NCAA. While those that did not win were not made public, sources indicated the five sites that were not selected included Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Rochester, N.Y.
Each of the three locations poses a unique situation. Elmira plays only one regular-season game a year at the First Arena, which is host to the Elmira Jackals of the United Hockey League. The arena seats 3,900 for hockey.
Wessman arena is the only on-campus facility chosen. The home of the Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets seats 3,000 and hosted the Division III hockey championships in 1994 and 2000.
The 1980 Olympic Arena in Lake Placid is one of the most famous arenas in hockey, the site of the “Miracle on Ice.” Seating 8,000, the arena was host to the ECAC Division I championships from 1993 to 2002.
The 2005 championships will be held at the site of one of the participating schools, as has been the case for 21 of the 22 seasons a Division III champion has been crowned by the NCAA. The lone exception was 1993, when the championships were held at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, Minn.
