About the Mayor's Cup:
- Saturday's game with be the fourth game played between the women's programs of Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. RPI holds a 2-1 record over Union in these meetings. Union is the most recent winner of the Cup back in 2019-20.
Media Coverage:
An audio stream will be available through UnionAthletics.com. There will be no video stream for the game. Live stats will also be available via UnionAthletics.com.
About the Dutchwomen:
- The Dutchwomen enter this years Mayor's Cup with a 4-21-1 record on the season. Union and RPI have met twice this season in ECAC play with the Engineers winning both meetings by a combined scored of 13-2 in those games. Union lost on Tuesday evening to the Bears of Brown University by a final of 2-1. Union's lone goal was scored by sophomore
Josie McLeod and gave Union the early 1-0 lead. Sophomore
Celeste Beaudoin earned her team leading eighth assist on the season, while classmate
Allison Smith earned her second assist. Sophomore
Hope Crisafi made 20 saves on 22 shots in the loss. Union's leading goal scorer is
Grace Heiting with eight goals on the year and she also leads the team in points with 12. Union has shared time in between the pipes with all three of their goaltenders. First-year
Sophie Matsoukas leads with a save percentage of .900 and a goals against average of 3.51.
About the Engineers:
- RPI enters this years Mayor's Cup with a 8-16-0 record on the season. RPI got the best of Union both times they played this season, winning 4-0 and then 9-2 over the Dutchwomen. The Engineers were shut out on Tuesday by the #8 Yale Bulldogs 3-0. The Engineers leading scorer in all categories is junior Marah Wagner. Wagner has nine goals, nine assists, and 18 points in her first season with RPI after transferring from Robert Morris University. Junior netminder Amanda Rampado is 7-16-0 on the season while posting a 2.36 goals against average and a .928 save percentage.
Last Time They Played:
- Union will be defending its Mayor's Cup crown after defeating RPI 2-0 in 2019, the last time the Mayor's Cup was played. Heiting and junior
Carmen Merlo each had a goal in the third period. Heiting gave Union the lead and to break the tie and then Merlo scored with just nine seconds remaining to seal the Union win.
Historically Speaking:
- Union is 6-32-5 all time against RPI. Union is 1-2 in Mayor's Cup games, including a win in the most recent Mayor's Cup winning 2-0 back in 2019-20. Union is averaging 1.3 goals a game in Mayor's Cup games, while RPI tallies 1.3 goals a game as well. Union is averaging 30.3 shots per game while RPI totals 22 per game. When it comes to special teams Union has gone 1-5 in the three games while RPI is 1-8 in those same games on the player advantage.
MAC Goaltender of the Month and Rookie of the Month:
- First year
Sophie Matsoukas was named the MAC Goaltender of the Month and Rookie of the Month as she posted a posted a 0.71 goals against average and a .978 save percentage as well as earning her first collegiate shutout and win for the Union College women's hockey team. Matsoukas went 2-0 in two starts and made 91 saves in 93 shots in the month of December. She was also named MAC Goaltender of the week on December 14th.
Rookie of the Week:
-First-year
Maren Friday was named Rookie of the Week on October 4, following a four point weekend sweep against the Tigers of RIT. Friday has a goal and an assist in both games. Union started the season off 2-0-0.
Fresh Faces:
- The Union College women's hockey team enters the year with 15 players who have never played a collegiate hockey game. Seven sophomores are returning after not seeing the ice last year because of the pandemic, while eight first-years will played in their first collegiate games for the Dutchwomen in the season opener at RIT.
Captains:
-
Cassidy Michalicka was named the captain following serving as an assistant captain in the 2019-20 season for the Dutchwomen. Classmate
Grace Heiting was named a captain for the 2021-22 season as well.
This Weekend
After defeating Dartmouth College on the road on Wednesday, the Dutchmen turn their attention to the 8th annual Capital District Mayor's Cup on Saturday.
Media Coverage
An audio stream will be available through UnionAthletics.com. There will be no video stream for the game. Live stats will also be available via UnionAthletics.com.
Social Media
Receive real-time updates during all Union men's hockey games by following the team's official Twitter account @UnionMHockey. Additional behind-the-scenes looks are also available through the team's official Instagram account, @UnionMHockey.
vs. Rensselaer
Saturday will mark the third time the rivals have met this season. Union dropped the home-an-home series with the Engineers in October, falling 4-2, and 3-0.
Mayor's Cup
Union holds a 5-3 edge in the Mayor's Cup. The last time out, Union fell in a four-round shootout.
Scouting the Engineers
The Engineers are coming off a 2-0 victory over Harvard on Tuesday. John Beaton and Jakub Lacka scored for Rensselaer while first-year Jack Watson turned aside 39 shots for his second shutout of the season.
Senior Linden Ture leads the Engineers with 24 points (10-14-24). Ture is ninth nationally in faceoff wins with 284. Senior Jake Johnson (1-10-11) is leading Rensselaer's defense, blocking 42 shots this season and registering a +8 rating.
Graduate student Linden Marshall has started 22 games this season, recording a 8-11-3 record with one shutout on the way to a 2.59 goals against average and a .893 save percentage. Watson (3-2-0) has seen increased time in net in the 2022 calendar year, starting three games with two shutouts, and boasts a 1.79 GAA and a .944 save percentage.
Olympians Made Here
For the first time in program history, three alumni have earned spots on Olympic hockey rosters: Daniel Carr (Canada), Spencer Foo (China), and Parker Foo (China).
Kosack Nominated for Hockey Humanitarian Award
For the second straight season, senior
Josh Kosack of the Union College men's hockey team has been announced as a nominee for the prestigious Hockey Humanitarian Award. Kosack is one of 11 nominees for the award this season, including one of three nominated previously in 2020-21 and one of two finalists returning to the ballot in 2021-22.
Meet Murphy
Junior transfer
Connor Murphy has been excellent between the pipes for the Dutchmen. Murphy stopped 89 shots in the series against Maine, including 51 stops on December 10, earning ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Week for the second time this season. The 51 saves ranks ninth in Union's Division I single-game record list and ranks second in Division I this season for a single game. Murphy has stopped 645 shots this season, which ranks fifth nationally, on the way to a 8-11-2 record with two shutouts.
Murphy Named to Mike Richter Award Watch List
Junior
Connor Murphy was one of 28 goaltenders named to the preliminary Mike Richter Award Watch List on Thursday, January 20.
Steady Seger
Junior assistant captain
Gabriel Seger has been a steady presence in the faceoff circle for the Dutchmen. The junior is winning 52.9 percent of faceoffs.
Aside from his steadying presence in the circle, Seger has made an impact on the Dutchmen offense. The junior is tied for third on the team with 11 points (3-8-11). Union is 6-3-1 when Seger scores a point.
Ironman Estes
Senior defenseman
Brandon Estes played in his 100th consecutive game on December 10 at Maine. The last game Estes missed was on February 3, 2018. The senior has played in 132 career games for the Dutchmen (13-38-51), including 107 in a row.
Three is the Magic Number
In 22 games this season,
Brandon Estes has scored 13 points (4-9-13). Those points were scored in three three-game point streaks (10/15-10/22, 11/5-11/12, 1/15-1/22), resulting in a 1-1-1 team record in each streak. Therefore, Union is 3-3-3 when Estes scores a point. Estes also added three points last weekend against Brown and Yale.
Kosack Named Senior CLASS Award Candidate
Josh Kosack is one of 20 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award. Kosack is one of four candidates from an ECAC Hockey school and the sixth Union player in program history.
Kozi's Kids
Senior captain
Josh Kosack launched his second Kozi's Kids fundraiser on November 15 to benefit C.O.C.O.A. House, a non-profit that provides a safe place for inner-city Schenectady children to go after school with a focus on building life skills, academics, and mentorship. After raising over $5,000 for new laptops and Christmas presents in a year without Dutchmen hockey, Kosack is aiming higher this year with a goal of $20,000. C.O.C.O.A. House purchased the building next door to create a second space for kids with an emphasis on a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship space, a lounge area, study rooms, and other resources. The money will go to developing a Kozi's Kids lounge and purchasing Christmas presents for children in the Tri-City area. As of 8:00 p.m on January 13, over $40,000 has been raised. To learn more about the fundraiser, or to donate, please visit UnionAthletics.com/KozisKids. A final amount raised will be announced soon.
Ranked Robertson
Sophomore forward
Liam Robertson is off to a great start this season. Robertson is ranked eighth nationally and first in the conference with six power-play goals in 21 games. The forward is tied for second on the team with 12 points (9-3-12), seven of which came on special teams (6-1-7).
Dutchmen Earn Player of the Week Honors
Following a career game against Merrimack College,
Liam Robertson was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Week. After their performances against Maine, first-year
Caden Villegas earned Rookie of the Week accolades and junior
Connor Murphy earned his second Goalie of the Week honor.
Lighting The Lamp Fast
Union scored the first goal in seven out of its first ten games played this season, including three games in which the Dutchmen scored within the first 2:01 of the game. Despite that advantage, Union was only 2-3-2 in those seven contests.
First-Year Force
First-year
Michael Hodge has established himself as a steady offensive presence in the first 13 games. The forward started the season on a five-game point streak, registering three goals and three assists. Hodge is tied for fifth on the team with nine points.
How Sweep It Is
On Monday, October 18, the ECAC announced a clean sweep of their weekly awards by the Dutchmen. Senior
Brandon Estes earned Player of the Week honors, scoring one goal and adding three assists from the blue line. Junior
Connor Murphy garnered Goalie of the Week recognition, posting a 1.92 goals against average and a .945 save percentage with 69 saves in two contests. First-year
Collin Graf played a role in both Union goals in Friday's 2-1 win over the Tigers, scoring his first collegiate goal on the power play and then picking up the primary assist on Estes' game-winning goal.
This marked the first time that Union swept the weekly awards since March 2014 when Daniel Carr '14 (Player), Colin Stevens '15 (Goalie), and Mike Vecchione '17 (Rookie) were all recognized.
Oh Captains, My Captains
Senior
Josh Kosack will wear the captains' "C" this season while juniors
Dylan Anhorn and
Gabriel Seger will don the "A" for the Dutchmen in 2021-22. Kosack is captaining the team for the second straight season, after serving as a team leader during the 2020-21 pandemic year.
Looking to Surprise
Union was picked to finish in a tie for eighth in the ECAC Hockey preseason coaches poll, earning 40 points to tie with Rensselaer. The local media were even more pessimistic about Union's chances, voting the Dutchmen 11th out of 12 teams (26 points) in the preseason media poll.
Welcome to the Show
Heading into the 2021-22 season, more than half (16 of 31) of Union's players have never played in a collegiate game. Seven sophomores were with the team last year but did not compete, as Union did not play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program also welcomed eight first-year players to the team this season as well.
