Union at RIT

Friday, October 13, 2023 • Rochester, N.Y. • Gene Polisseni Center • 2:00 PM (ET)

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Union at RIT

Saturday, October 14, 2023 • Rochester, N.Y. • Gene Polisseni Center • 12:00 PM (ET)

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Game Preview

Union Game Notes • RIT Game Notes

Hats Off To You Two
Sophomore Riley Walsh and first-year Maddie Leaney each scored hat tricks this past weekend, with their third goals to cap off their accomplishments going down as the overtime game-winners. Walsh, who had the first hat trick, gave Union their first three-goal game in almost 10 years (Jessica Kaminsky on November 16th, 2013 at Yale). Leaney's achievement the next night gave Union hat tricks in consecutive games for the first time ever.

Season Of Firsts
Even just six games into the season, Union has seen a number of players already achieve their first collegiate milestones. First-years Emma Fulawka, Maddie Leaney, and Iliana Smith have all registered their first collegiate points, while Leaney has also registed her first goal and hat trick. Sophomore Riley Walsh also got her first career hat trick, and first-year Monja Wagner notched her first win. Also getting their first goals this season are first-year Kendal Davidson, and senior Allison Smith.

It's Her Honor
After scoring her first collegiate goal and picking up an assist in Union's 5-2 home-opening victory over Robert Morris on 9/29, Kendal Davidson was named the ECAC Hockey Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending on October 1, 2023. The award is Davidson's first selection of her career. Davidson's nomination makes her the first Garnet Charger to be named Defensive Player of the Week since d-partner Stephanie Bourque was tabbed October 4th, 2022.

Maddie Leaney picked up ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors this past week after her hat trick that included the overtime winner in Saturday's win over Holy Cross. The award is Leaney's first selection of her career and Union's first Rookie of the Week selection since now-sophomore Stephanie Bourque was selected this past January 5th. 

Keeping It 100
In Union's 9/30 contest with Robert Morris, senior Emily King played in her 100th collegiate game. The captain celebrated the milestone in eloquent fashion, scoring a goal and going 20-29 from the faceoff dot in her landmark contest.

Have A (Career) Night
Riley Walsh picked up where she left off after one of the best seasons in program histroy in 2022-23. After scoring Union's first goal of the season for the second straight year in the season opener at St. Cloud State, the sophomore put a career-high four points off a goal and three assists in the home-opener against Robert Morris. Walsh also put up a team-high six shots and finished the game tied for a team-best a +2 rating.

Scouting the Tigers
For the first time in 2023-24, Union faces off with an opponent that already has games played this season. After winning just one game in Head Coach Celeste Brown's first season in the COVID-altered 2020-21 season, RIT won two games the next year and doubled their win total again to four last year. The Tigers have already won two games in 2023-24 after sweeping Assumption two weekends ago.

RIT has scored 11 goals in their six games this season, with 10 different goal scorers finding the back of the net, with 21-22 leading scorer Emma Roland the only one who has scored twice. Juniors Jordyn Bear and Jessie Burks and Sophomores Jaidan Fahrny and Lexi Sung set the pace with three points apiece.

RIT's anchor so far this season has been their goaltending. 22-23 Second Team All-CHA selection Sarah Coe has a 2.32 goals against average and .932 save percentage so far this season, while backup Sophia Bellina stopped 20 shots in her lone start, a victory, over Assumption.

On Garnet Alert
2023-24 is set to be a year that provides many changes to the Garnet Chargers record books. Senior Emily King already has her fingerprints all over it, and will look to continue to rise up the ranks. Junior Sophie Matsoukas also sees her name in the books, and Sophomore Riley Walsh is set to enter her name in multiple categories.

Leading The Way
The winningest coach in Union Women's Hockey program history, Josh Sciba, returns for his eighth season behind the Garnet Chargers bench in 2023-24. Union will look to build off their 11 wins from 2022-23, the most in the program's Division 1 history.

Here To Assist
Joining Sciba behind the bench are Assistant Coaches Chris Ardito, Olivia Soares, and Lora Ardoin. Ardito commences his third season with the program in 2023-24, while the current campaign with be Soares's second with Union. Ardoin joins the staff for her first season with the program.

New Blood
For the third straight year, Sciba and his staff have brought in eight student-athletes as their recruiting class. The Class of 2027 traverses three countries, three Canadian provinces, and four states, and includes four forwards, three blueliners, and one goaltender.

O-Zone Experience
Union returns 19 players from a season ago, including their seven highest leading point scorers. Sophomore Riley Walsh tallied team-highs with 15 goals and 22 points in her first year at Union, good for third- and seventh-most in a single season in program history, while senior Emily King, who's 41 points are good for 10th most in Union's Division 1 era, returns for one last ride.

Anchoring the Blueline
Also apart of those 19 returnees are four blueliners that appeared in every game a season ago- Stephanie Bourque, Emma Hebert, Meredith Killian, and Allison Smith- and Union's starting- and second-winningest all-time- goaltender, Sophie Matsoukas. 

Charging Forward
Union's teams will be playing with a new name this season, as the College rebranded to the Garnet Chargers in August. The Garnet Chargers nickname was selected from a field of over 400 names submitted, and references the school's official color of over 150 years, Garnet, and Schenectady's legacy as a hub for electrical innovation and invention. Union also added a new "U" logo as part of the rebrand.

Captaining the Ship
2022-23 Captain Emily King returns for her second season wearing the "C" for the Garnet Chargers, and her three Assistant Captains a season ago- Celeste Beaudoin, Meredith Killian, and Allison Smith- have all been elevated to Captain for 2023-24.

Shock Warning
Union was picked to finish 12th in the ECAC Hockey preseason coaches poll after their finish in that position last year. The Garnet Chargers will look to build off their 11 wins from last season to surprise in 2023-24.