ANNVILLE, Pa. - Lebanon Valley College has announced it will add women's ice hockey and its men's ice hockey program will return to NCAA Division III, both in the 2016-17 season.

With the addition of women's ice hockey, Lebanon Valley will sponsor 25 intercollegiate sports. It will be the fourth new program added since the beginning of the decade, along with men's and women's lacrosse (2009-10), and women's golf (2013-14). Both teams will practice and compete at historic Hersheypark Arena.

Lebanon Valley will begin the application process for conference membership, including exploring affiliations with new programs that may emerge regionally and within the Middle Atlantic Conference. LVC's women's program will be the 53rd in NCAA Division III; the men's will be the 77th.

"These two NCAA Division III ice hockey programs will allow the College to offer an even more comprehensive and equitable intercollegiate athletic program," said President Lewis Evitts Thayne, Ph.D. "They also increase our ability to recruit internationally and bring excellent student-athletes to campus, which fits well with our strategic vision for the institution."

Men's ice hockey Head Coach Don Parsons will immediately begin to recruit the first class of women's student-athletes while the College conducts a national search for a women's coach, with that person to start in summer 2016. The men's program will expand its roster to include six to eight additional student-athletes, and the women's team is anticipated to have 20 to 25 student-athletes.

"The addition of women's ice hockey is a natural fit for Lebanon Valley College with our already-established hockey base," said Director of Athletics Rick Beard '90 M'92. "With a proven winner in Coach Parsons and his extensive domestic and international relationships, now is the right time to launch our women's program and transition the men's team back to NCAA Division III."

Lebanon Valley's men's program competed in NCAA Division III from its inception in 1998 until 2010, when it joined the American Collegiate Hockey Association's Division I. In five seasons since, the program has compiled a .558 winning percentage with frequent appearances in the national top-25 poll, ranking 22nd last week. LVC has qualified for postseason play in each of the last three seasons, including the last two seasons in arguably the top league in the ACHA, the Eastern States Collegiate Hockey League (ESCHL). 

About Lebanon Valley College
Lebanon Valley College is a private, coeducational college founded in 1866 and dedicated to the liberal arts. The College offers 36 undergraduate majors plus self-designed majors and a range of minors, concentrations, and pre-professional options, as well as graduate degree programs in athletic training, business administration, music education, physical therapy, and science education.

The College has 1,573 full-time undergraduate students and 106 full-time faculty. Students can choose from more than 90 clubs and organizations, and 12 study abroad programs. LVC awards generous academic scholarships to those whose high school records demonstrate a commitment to challenge and achievement. Learn more at www.lvc.edu.