SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - The Union College women's hockey team opened up Messa Rink for the new season in a big way Friday night, picking up their first win of the season in a 5-2 victory over Robert Morris University in their 2023-24 home opener.
 
Five different goalscorers lit the lamp for the Garnet Chargers, including net-finders from Allison Smith and Kendal Davidson for their first collegiate goals. Riley Walsh set a career-high with four points on the night to lead nine different Union skaters in picking up points, while Sophie Matsoukas held things down in the Union net, stopping 31 of the 33 shots on goal.
 
The win marks Union's first victory over Robert Morris since January 15, 2006. Robert Morris had won the four previous meetings between the two schools since, the first two taking place in October 2016 with the last two occurring at the end of September 2019. The game Friday night was the first contest between the two in four years and a day.
 
After almost two periods of scoreless hockey, Maddie Suitor opened things up for Union on the power play. The Burlington, Ontario native was stationed in front of the Robert Morris net as Union worked the puck around the outside, and popped open to fire a one-timer past Maggie Hatch to give Union the 1-0 lead.
 
Robert Morris came right back with a power play goal of their own with less than 30 seconds in the period to make it a 1-1 game after two.
 
But then the Garnet Chargers offense clicked.
 
Four Union goals in the span of 6:33 provided the difference, as the hosts made the most of their 11 shots on goal in the final 20 minutes.
 
Union kicked things off with a goal from Stephanie Bourque a little over four minutes in. The play began as Kaitlyn Ehmann picked up a wayward Riley Walsh puck that trickled through the offensive zone into the middle of the ice. Ehmann proceeded to weave her way through the Robert Morris forwards as she entered the zone, and as she circled around the back of the net past the Colonials defense, found a wide open Bourque entering the zone off the bench. Bourque collected the tape-to-tape pass and fired a wrister by Hatch glove-side high to take back the lead.
 
Union continued to pressure, as Riley Walsh forced a turnover in Robert Morris's defensive zone to set up the next goal. After Walsh won the puck behind the Colonials net, she passed it to the point to Davidson, who sent it along the blue line to Allison Smith. Smith threw the puck on goal with a myriad of bodies between her and the net, and the puck deflected off a skate in front and by Hatch to give the Garnet Chargers a two-goal advantage.
 
Walsh and Iliana Smith would team up three minutes later to push the lead to three. Smith blocked a Robert Morris clearing attempt back into the Colonials zone, and as the puck trickled towards the lone RMU defender between the puck and the net, Walsh lifted her stick, allowing Smith to collect the puck. Smith put a shot on net, which Hatch stopped, but couldn't contain, and Walsh was right there to clean up the rebound on the doorstep.
 
The Garnet Chargers would cash in on the power play for the second time just over halfway through the third. Amanda Quan brought the puck into the zone at the right point, and while a RMU defender initially stopped her and knocked the puck off her stick, Emma Fulawka kicked the pick through a defender's legs to create a Union 2-on-1. Fulawka's kick pass landed right on the stick of none other than Walsh, who backhanded a one-touch pass to a wide-open Davidson who potted her first collegiate goal from the top of the hash marks.
 
The Colonials got one back with 6:16 left on the clock, but Union preserved their three-goal advantage the rest of the way to pick up the victory.
 
Union killed 8 of the 9 penalties taken in the game.
 
Union will look to sweep the home opening series Saturday, when they host the Colonials at Messa Rink for a 3:00 contest.