WINTHROP, Mass. -- The NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet met on September 9, 2014 and awarded College Hockey America (CHA) an automatic bid to the 2015 National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Championships.

"College Hockey America is both thankful and excited that the NCAA has made the decision to award the automatic bid to the Women's Ice Hockey Championships," says Robert DeGregorio, Commissioner of College Hockey America. "Our teams and coaches have worked very hard to be recognized nationally. I congratulate the teams and coaches in the CHA and I am very thankful to the NCAA for awarding the CHA the automatic bid."

This is the first year the CHA will have the automatic bid, which will go to the 2015 College Hockey America Tournament Champion. Since the CHA was formed back at the start of the 2002-03 season, the league was represented in the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid. Mercyhurst has garnered ten (10) straight at-large berths in the Division I Women's Ice Hockey Tournament. The Lakers have appeared in four Frozen Fours (2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014), while finishing as the National Runner-up in 2009.

The First Round of the 2015 CHA Tournament will be a best two-out-of-three series, starting on Friday, February 27. The semifinals will be played on Friday, March 6 with the Championship Game taking place on Saturday, March 7 at the home arena of the Regular Season Champion.

The National Collegiate Women's Ice Hockey Quarterfinals will take place on Saturday, March 14 with each quarterfinal game being hosted by the higher seed. The University of Minnesota will play host to the Women's Frozen Four at Ridder Arena on Friday, March 20 and Sunday, March 22.