SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College women's hockey team is set to end their season on the road, taking on conference opponents Colgate and #1 Cornell on Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22, respectively.
About the Dutchwomen:
- Union hosted their last pair of home games, and welcomed Dartmouth and Harvard to Messa Rink. The Dutchwomen were swept on the weekend, with Dartmouth grabbing a 2-0 win, and Harvard getting the 3-2 win in an intense overtime game.
- Union was in a scenario where they need to win the next few games to have a chance to clinch a playoff spot for the postseason.
- Sophomore Grace Heiting scored her sixth of the season in the game against Harvard, followed by junior Megan Ryan scoring her seventh of the season, to tie the team-lead in goals with senior Katelynn Russ.
- First-year goaltender Bella McKee stopped 34 shots in the loss to Dartmouth on Friday. Senior Amelia Murray got the start on senior day versus Harvard, and stopped 46 shots, a season-high for the senior.
- The Dutchwomen are led in scoring by a freshman and sophomore, with Heiting and Leah Herrfort both having 13 points so far on the season. Upperclassmen aren't too far behind them, with Ryan, and seniors Rachel de Perio and Ava Reynolds all having 11 points to round out the top-ten.
- With Union's losses on the weekend, the Dutchwomen currently have sole possession of ninth place in ECAC Hockey with a conference record of 5-12-3. Union is currently ahead of Dartmouth, Brown, and RPI, and is currently eliminated from postseason contention.
About the Raiders:
- Like their travel partner Cornell, Colgate also took a road trip to Yale and Brown. The Raiders fell 5-3 to the Bulldogs on Friday, and grabbed a 6-2 win over the Bears on Saturday.
- Colgate has been known this year for their rookie offense. Freshman Danielle Serdachny (9-19-28) has the team lead in points and in assists. Behind Serdachny on the leader board is classmate Sammy Smigliani, with her team-lead 12 goals and 26 points in her rookie campaign for the Raiders. Alongside them is Malia Schneider with 23 points on the year, and Tanner Gates, who has thrived in her sophomore season for the Raiders with 19 points.
- Colgate's goaltending responsibilities have mainly been the work of the lone senior on the squad, Liz Auby. Auby currently has a .918 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average in her 31 starts in net. Her record currently stands at 13-12-6 so far, with four shutouts.
- Colgate is currently 9-3-4 at home so far. The matchup between the two teams is the second on the season, as Colgate defeated Union by a 4-0 tally in January at Messa Rink.
- With their 9-8-3 record in ECAC Conference play, the Raiders are 7th in the conference, ahead of St. Lawrence.
About the Big Red:
- The Big Red spent the weekend on the road, and took their final road trip to Brown and Yale. Cornell won both games on the weekend, got a 4-0 win over the Bears, before defeating the Bulldogs 5-1 on Saturday.
- Cornell is known nationally for their offense, along with their national #1 ranking. Jaime Bourbonnais (7-28-35) holds the team lead in points and assists. Behind Bourbonnais on the leader board is senior Kristin O'Neill, with 18 goals and 31 points to tie the lead in points, and have the lead in goals so far this year for the Big Red. Alongside them is Maddie Mills with 31 points on the year to tie with O'Neill, and Paige Lewis who has 29 points.
- Junior Lindsay Browning has handled the goaltending responsibilities this season, starting 27 games for the Big Red. Browning has earned a 23-1-3 record, 0.74 GAA, with a save percentage of .960. Browning currently leads the country in win percentage, GAA, save percentage, and shutouts.
- Cornell is currently 12-0-1 at home so far. The matchup between the two teams is the second on the season, as the Union tied the Big Red in Schenectady in January.
- With their 17-0-3 record in ECAC Conference play, the Big Red are first in the conference, and first nationally.
The Series with Colgate:
- Friday's meeting between Union and Colgate is the 38th all-time meeting between the two conference foes, with Union has never grabbed a win, sitting at 0-34-3 historically.
- The two teams last played each other in January, where Colgate claimed a 4-0 shutout win over Union at Messa Rink.
- The two squads first met on November 27, 1999, in Hamilton, which ended in a 7-0 Raider victory.
The Series with Cornell:
- Saturday's meeting between Union and Cornell is the 34th all-time meeting between the two conference foes, with Union sitting at 1-29-3 historically.
- The two teams last played each other in January, where Union tied the Big Red, 1-1, in Schenectady.
- The two squads first met on Feburary 27, 2004, at Messa Rink, which ended in a 4-0 Big Red victory.
A Golden Year:
- During winter break, head coach Josh Sciba traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia, as the assistant coach for the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team, for the second consecutive season.
- Team USA earned a gold medal in Slovakia, after earning an overtime win over Canada on January 2. This marks the second U18 world medal for Sciba, as Team USA earned a silver medal in 2019.
Comparing the Conference:
- First place Cornell is pulling ahead with 37 points, holding a conference record of 17-0-3 so far on the season.
- Four ECAC teams are in the top ten in the weekly polls. Cornell is at No. 1/1, Princeton is at No. 6/6, Clarkson at No. 7/6, and Quinnipiac rounds out the pack at No. 10/10.
- Union sits at ninth with a 5-12-3 conference record, and 13 points in the standings.
