MCHA Re-aligns...Again

For the second time in three seasons the MCHA has re-aligned itself. As the continuing lack of available non-conference games has forced the league to maintain its 20-game league schedule, the two-division arrangement first implemented in 2007 will remain, but the divisions will look a bit different this fall.

The discontinuation of the Minnesota-Crookston program along with the addition of Lake Forest were the two main catalysts for the reshuffling as it moved the geographic center of the league signficantly to the southeast. As a result, the 2009-10 divisions will be:


North Division: Northland, Finlandia, Lawrence, Marian
South Division: MSOE, Concordia, Lake Forest, Adrian


The end-sum here is that Marian replaces Crookston in the North and Lake Forest fills in Marian's spot in the South. As in the past two seasons, teams will play opponents from within their own division four times, and those from the other division twice. Not ideal, but it works.

The resultant competitve balance due to the changes have been met with praise league-wide as it was widely accepted the South Division, which included Adrian, Marian and MSOE, was somewhat stronger than the North over the past two years.

Either way, that's the arrangement for 2009-10, and it now appears that the inevitable evolution of the league is...finally...almost complete.