The Northeast Women's Hockey League (NEWHL), with whom SUNY Morrisville holds membership in the sport of women's ice hockey, issued a statement Thursday afternoon, suspending conference and non-conference competition until Jan. 1, 2021, due to the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NEWHL will continue to explore all options for a safe return to intercollegiate athletics for its member institutions in January, keeping the health and safety of all league members at the forefront of the decision.
"SUNY Morrisville agrees with the NEWHL recommendation to suspend competition until Jan. 1," said Mary Bonderoff, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. "We recognize that this is a necessary decision for the safety of all our students, faculty and staff, and we will continue to keep the health, safety and well-being of our entire campus community in mind as we explore alternate opportunities for our student-athletes to engage with the campus community in ways to build a strong sense of belonging and commitment to student success."
"While this has been another difficult decision, we understand and agree with it to keep our student-athletes and campus community safe," said Interim Athletic Director Todd Kleinhans. "We hope that delaying the season will allow for a safe way to return to the ice in January."
Fall intercollegiate competition for the Mustangs has been suspended by all league offices, with the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) postponing winter competition to a potential Jan. 1 start date.
Leadership from the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) announced a decision regarding winter and spring sports will be made at a later date.
"These are extraordinary times and we appreciate the commitment of our faculty, staff and students in creating a safe environment for SUNY Morrisville," Bonderoff said.
The full statement from the NEWHL office can be found on the league's website.