ale ina ▁remained ▁the ▁league ' s ▁Commission er ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁during ▁which ▁time ▁the ▁W P CH A ▁and ▁Western ▁Pennsylvania ▁saw ▁its ▁first ▁big ▁growth ▁of ▁college ▁hockey . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 0 2 - 0 3 ▁season ▁marked ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁an ▁era ▁and ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁legacy . ▁On ▁April ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁the ▁W P CH A ▁was ▁officially ▁renamed ▁to ▁College ▁Hockey ▁East ▁( CH E ) ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁for ge ▁new ▁relationships ▁with ▁a ▁bro ader ▁scale ▁of ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁beyond ▁the ▁limits ▁of ▁Western ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁guidance ▁of ▁new ▁Commission er ▁Charles ▁R . ▁K uz n iew ski ▁II , ▁the ▁league ▁expanded ▁into ▁Ohio ▁and ▁New ▁York , ▁adding ▁to ▁the ▁existing ▁teams ▁in ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁West ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁With ▁help ▁from ▁Associ ate ▁Commission er ▁Thomas ▁P . ▁Har per ▁and ▁I UP ▁Head ▁Co ach ▁Samuel ▁Kelly , ▁the ▁College ▁Hockey ▁Association ▁( CH A ) ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁as ▁an ▁extension ▁of ▁the ▁CH E , ▁offering ▁a ▁place ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁new ▁and ▁developing ▁programs . ▁ ▁Robert ▁Morris ▁University ▁( then ▁Robert ▁Morris ▁College ) ▁changed ▁the ▁landscape ▁of ▁colleg iate ▁hockey ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁by ▁winning ▁the ▁American ▁Colleg iate ▁Hockey ▁Association ▁( AC HA ) ▁Men ' s ▁Division ▁