SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's ice hockey team starts its regular season contest with a challenge, heading down to Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania to face off against the Robert Morris Colonials on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.
The Dutchwomen graduated one and added a corps of six active first-year players in Olivia Groulx, Leah Herrfort, Emily King, Emma Michalicka, Carmen Merlo, and Bella McKee. Union returns a core group, including Katelynn Russ, who is the team's leading returning scorer, and senior goaltender Amelia Murray returning in the net. Despite losing last year's leading scorer, Union returns three of the top four scorers from the 2018-19 season. Russ led with 11 points, and senior Rachel de Perio and sophomore Grace Heiting not too far behind with 10 points each.
Union women's hockey faces a difficult schedule this year. The Dutchwomen meet five of the top ten teams in the preseason USCHO poll, and another five opponents received votes in the same poll. The poll includes 3 ECAC foes in Cornell, Clarkson, and Princeton, and two upcoming opponents in Boston University and Northeastern. Robert Morris also received one vote in the poll, but it wasn't enough votes to place them in the top 10.
The Dutchwomen enter the regular season after a tough exhibition contest against the Brock University Badgers, with a 1-1 tie Saturday. All six of the first-year players dressed for the game, with King scoring a goal for the Dutchwomen on the power play, off an assist from sophomore Maia Martinez ten minutes into the third period to give Union the lead.
Robert Morris also played an exhibition to start the 2019-20 season on Saturday against Concordia University. The Colonials fell in the contest, 5-4. Two newcomers for the Colonials, Clarkson transfer Michaela Boyle and freshman Marah Wagner, scored in their debuts for RMU. The CHA scoring champion from last season, Jaycee Gebhard, notched a goal and an assist in the contest to start the season.
Union has faced off against Robert Morris four times in their history, holding a 1-2-1 against the CHA foe. The last time these two teams met was October 15, 2006, in Pittsburgh, where the Dutchwomen fell in both games of the series. Robert Morris took game one, 7-2, and game two, 3-2. The Dutchwomen took the first-ever series between these two teams, tieing the first game, 2-2, and winning the second with a 3-2 final.
Receive real-time updates on scores and goals during all Union women's hockey games by following the team's official Twitter account @UnionWHockey and support the team's Instagram account @UnionWHockey.
