Union at Harvard

Friday, October 20, 2023 • Cambridge, MA • Bright-Landry Hockey Center • 6:00 PM (ET)

Live Stats • Video Stream • International Video Stream

Union at Dartmouth

Saturday, October 21, 2023 • Hanover, N.H. • Thompson Arena • 3:00 PM (ET)

Live Stats • Video Stream • International Video Stream

Game Preview

Union Game Notes • Harvard Game Notes • Dartmouth 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 
Eight 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 registered 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-years Kendal Davidson and Iliana Smith 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 Crimson 
Harvard women's hockey begins a new era in the 2023-24 season, welcoming back program great Laura Bellamy '13 as the head coach. After a 4-0 exhibition victory over McGill University on October 6th got her squad's feet warm, the Crimson were thrown into the fire with an ECAC Hockey game to officially begin the season the following Friday, and suffered a 4-2 loss to Dartmouth. 

While the Crimson did graduate their only two 20 point-getters from last season, they do return five of their next top seven. Senior Shannon Hollands (14 points) is the top returner of the group and also adds a C to her jersey, while Gabi Davidson Adams, who was second on the team with eight goals a year ago, returns for her third season at Harvard.

Also returning for Harvard in 2023-24 is junior Alex Pellicci. Pellici started all but one game in net for Harvard a season ago, setting the program record for saves in a season with 1,048. Her total was second highest in the country, 43 saves ahead of Union goalie Sophie Matsoukas, who placed third. Pellicci also becomes the first junior captain since Kate Hallett '18 assumed the role in 2016-17.

Scouting the Big Green 
Dartmouth is off to their best start in recent memory in 2023-24, as the Big Green defeated Assumption in their season opener before beating Harvard three nights later. The victories marked the program's first season-opening win and their first victory over Harvard since October 23rd, 2015, when the Big Green knocked off the Crimson to open their season eight years ago.

Dartmouth lost their leading goalscorer and point-getter from last season, CC Bowlby, to the transfer portal, who the Garnet Chargers saw opening weekend at St. Cloud State. Senior Jenna Donohue and junior Laura Fuoco, who finished tied for second, return for Dartmouth this season, and Donohue currently leads the team with four points off a pair of goals and a pair of assists. 

The Big Green lost both goalkeepers they had on their roster and in the net a year ago, allowing freshman Elanor Rogers to earn the starting position in the preseason. The Locust Valley, N.Y. native has stopped 45 shots across her first two collegiate games, posting a .918 save percentage to go with her perfect 2-0-0 record.

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.