HC Université Neuchâtel

HC Université Neuchâtel
Club information
history	HC Université Neuchâtel (since 1965)
Location	Neuchâtel NE , Switzerland
Club colors	Blue, red and white
league	1st League
Venue	Patinoires du Littoral
capacity	7,000 seats
2015/16	7th place, play-off quarter-finals

The HC Université Neuchâtel is an ice hockey club from Neuchâtel NE ( French Neuchâtel ) in Switzerland . The club is best known for its women's ice hockey team, which has been participating in the top division, the Swiss Women's Hockey League A , since 2011 . The first men's team plays in the highest amateur division, the first division .

Men

history

In 1963, an ice hockey team was founded at the University of Neuchâtel to take part in the Swiss university championships. In 1964 this group of enthusiasts organized the tournament for the university championship, in 1965 the HC Université Neuchâtel was founded in order to better promote this sport. The team started playing in the fifth class 3rd division. Due to a special status within the Swiss Ice Hockey Association, the university club was allowed to use foreign students without restrictions. Greeks, Norwegians, Germans and finally Canadians played for HC Université . This raised the level of play and the club made it to the 2nd division in 1969. After three seasons and the departure of some top performers, relegation to the 3rd division followed in 1972. In 1974, the Canadian Louis-Marie Boulianne was hired a new coach, who led the team to promotion to the second division in 1976. Since then, the club's first team has never been relegated.

In 1982 HC Université Neuchâtel won the Swiss University Championship for the first time. Two years later, Eugene Lapointe was hired as a coach. During the 1985/86 season the new ice rink was opened in Neuchâtel, the Patinoires du Littoral . Shortly before the end of the regular season, the first official game was played in the new ice rink: This game against the HC Neuchâtel Young Sprinters took place in front of 1,500 spectators.

Led by some Canadian students, including Stéphane Rochette, who was the best goalscorer in the second division several times, the club won the Swiss university championship several times in the 1990s. At the end of the 1992/93 season, the club won its first title in the 2nd division, but did not advance to the 1st division. In addition, the club founded a second men's team at this time, which first played in the 4th, later in the 3rd division.

In the 2008/09 season, HC Université Neuchâtel dominated the league with 18 wins from 18 games and achieved the championship title of Suisse Romand . The team led by Marc Gaudreault then beat Forward Morges HC in the play-off final and rose to the top division for the first time in the club's history.

At the beginning of the 2011/2012 season, Gil Montandon was hired as a new coach who led the team into the midfield of the first division. In 2014, HC Serrières-Peseux, founded in 1986, was integrated into the HC Université as a (new) second team .

successes

University championships

• 12 championship titles (1982, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2010)

2nd league

• Uninterrupted participation from 1976 to 2009 (record)
• four-time regular season champion (1993, 1995, 2006, 2009)
• two-time play-off champions (2006, 2009)

3rd league

• Promotion to the 2nd division (1969, 1976)

player

Blocked jersey numbers

# 9 Stéphane Rochette

Women

Neuchâtel Hockey Academy
Greatest successes
Promotion to performance class B (2007) Promotion to performance class A (2011)
Club information
history	HC Université Neuchâtel (1999–2016) Neuchâtel Hockey Academy (since 2016)
Location	Neuchâtel NE , Switzerland
Club colors	Blue and white
league	SWHL A
Venue	Patinoires du Littoral
capacity	7,000 seats
2018/19	4th place (qual.), 3rd place (play-offs)

In 1999 the club founded a women's team, the Hirondelles du Littoral , which in 2007 made it to the second division (performance class B). In 2011, the LKB won the championship and was promoted to the top division, performance class A. There the team established itself relatively quickly and is now one of the direct competitors of the two most successful teams, ZSC Lions and HC Lugano . In 2016, the women's team split off from the main club and founded its own club, the Neuchâtel Hockey Academy.

Well-known players

• Sarah Forster
• Julia Marty
• Stefanie Marty

statistics

season	league	Sp	S.	N	OTS	OTN	Gates	Points		rank	Play-offs
2003/04	Performance class C	16						8th		7th
2004/05	Performance class C	16						20th		3
2005/06	Performance class C	18th						36		1	qualification
2006/07	Performance class C	15th						42		1	Ascent
2007/08	Performance class B	20th						16		4th	Promotion lap
2008/09	Performance class B	12	8th	3	1	0	54:30	26th		1	Promotion lap
2009/10	Performance class B	20th	11	8th	0	1	72:70	9		3	Promotion lap
2010/11	Performance class B	14th	12	1	1	0	79:23	38		1	Ascent
2011/12	Performance class A	20th	4th	15th	0	1	47: 140	10		6th	Play-outs
2012/13	Performance class A	20th	8th	10	1	1	74: 113	21st		4th	Semifinals
2013/14	Performance class A	20th	10	7th	1	2	68:59	25th		3	Semifinals
2014/15	SWHL A	20th	6th	12	1	1	69:76	15th		5	Relegation
2015/16	SWHL A	20th	12	7th	0	1	92:59	29		3	Semifinals
2018/19	SWHL A									4th	Semifinals; place 3

Legend for season statistics: GP or SP = total games; W or S = victories; L or N = defeats; T or U = tie; OTS = wins after extra time ( overtime ); OTN or OL = overtime defeats; SOS = shootout wins; SOL or SON = Shootout Losses; P = points; Pct% = wins in%; GF or T = goals; GA or GT = goals conceded

Web links

• Official website of the HC Université Neuchâtel
• Official website of the Neuchâtel Hockey Academy
• Profile at eurohockey.com
• Profile and statistics since 1987 at eliteprospects.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Historique - HC Université Neuchâtel. In: hcuni.ch. Retrieved July 25, 2016 (French). 
2. ↑ HC Université Neuchâtel II details - Eurohockey.com. In: eurohockey.com. Retrieved July 25, 2016 . 
3. ^ Hall of Fame - HC Université Neuchâtel. In: hcuni.ch. Retrieved July 25, 2016 (French). 
4. ^ Le club - Neuchâtel Hockey Academy. In: nha.hockey. Retrieved July 25, 2016 (French). 
5. ↑ Les Hirondelles changent de nom, pas de nid. In: nha.hockey. March 21, 2016, accessed July 25, 2016 (French).