This Weekend
Union closes out the 2024 portion of the schedule this weekend with a two-game series against the University of Vermont. Saturday's game will feature the annual toy drive with COCOA House and a post-game skate with the team.
Supporting Matt DuBrey
The Union Hockey family is banding together to support our beloved broadcaster, Matt DuBrey, in his recent cancer diagnosis. DuBrey, Union's play-by-play broadcaster for over 20 years, was diagnosed in October and has begun treatment. There is a
GoFundMe set up to assist DuBrey and his family during this time.
Last Time Out
Union returned to ECAC Hockey action last weekend with a trip to Princeton and #18 Quinnipiac. The Garnet Chargers fell 2-1 to the Tigers on Friday and 3-1 to the Bobcats on Saturday. Senior
Caden Villegas and junior
Nate Hanley were the goal scorers on the weekend. The weekend sweep on the road drops Union to 3-3-0 in ECAC Hockey play.
Toy Drive
For the fourth consecutive year, the team is joining forces with COCOA House to collect toys for their annual toy drive. Toys collected on Saturday will be distributed to kids in the Capital Region for the holidays.
Scouting Vermont
Vermont is coming off of a weekend split with LIU. They dropped a 3-2 decision on Friday before storming back to win 7-4 on Saturday at home.
Leading the way for the Catamounts is first-year Max Strand who leads the team with 12 points (3-9-12) in 13 games. Strand is currently on a four-game point streak with four points (2-2-4) in that time frame. Colin Kessler is second on the team in overall points (5-5-10) and leads the team with five goals.
Three different goalies have appeared in net this season. Most of the games have been split between Axel Mangbo and Keenan Rancier. Mango is 3-4-0 with two shutouts, a 2.56 GAA, and a .901 save percentage. Rancier is 1-4-3 with a 3.22 GAA and a .886 save percentage.
Don't Miss the Second
Last weekend saw a combined seven goals scored between the two games. However, in an interesting twist, all seven goals on the weekend were scored in the second period.
No Penalties, No Problem
Friday's game at Niagara saw the Purple Eagles put together a penalty-free game. The last time an opposing team did not commit a penalty against Union was over 20 years ago, a 3-2 loss to UMass Lowell on November 1, 2002. In an interesting twist, Union's women's team also saw their opponent stay out of the penalty box on the same night. The women tied #8 St. Cloud State, 2-2.
How Sweep It Is
Union swept a road opponent for the first time this season after previously sweeping Mercyhurst at home in October. The last time Union won both games on the road was this past January, when the team defeated Dartmouth 5-1 on Jan. 19 and Harvard in a 5-4 overtime thriller on Jan. 20.
Shoot More, Score More
Union is averaging 3.77 goals per game in the first 13 games of the 2024-25 season. Compared to the first 13 games from 2023-24, where Union averaged 3.61 goals per game, on the way to a 7-6-0 record. Union is currently averaging 32.8 shots per game and is on pace to surpass last year's shot total.
Balanced Attack
Seven Union skaters have reached double-digit scoring only 13 games into the season. First-year
Ben Muthersbaugh leads the way with 16 points (8-8-16) and junior
Nate Hanley has 14 points (4-10-14). Juniors
Brandon Buhr and
Carter Korpi each have six goals apiece. In 13 games, 16 skaters have at least one goal and 20 skaters have at least one point.
Shorty for Korpi
Junior
Carter Korpi has been a key part of Union's special teams unit the last two seasons. Eight of Korpi's 22 career goals have come on either the powerplay or the penalty kill. Korpi has two short-handed goals already this season. To date, Korpi has five short-handed tallies in his career. He is only two goals back from tying Union's Division I record of seven short-handed goals which is held by Mike Vecchione '17.
The Kid's Alright
First-year
Ben Muthersbaugh has been a spark for the Union offense this year with 16 points (8-8-16) in 13 games. The rookie is third among first-years nationally and is currently tied for 21st in scoring overall.
Strength in Center
Union has been exceptionally strong on the faceoff this season. The Garnet Chargers are currently ranked 15th in the country with a 52.9% win percentage through 13 games. Junior
Colby MacArthur leads the team with a 58.1% win rate since moving to center. First-year
Drew Sutton has 102 faceoff wins to date with a 57.0% win rate. Junior
Parker Lindauer comes in at 56.2% in 11 games.
Shots, Shots, Shots!
Union has been peppering the opposition with shots this season. Through 13 games, Union is averaging 32.8 shots per game. The Garnet Chargers put up a season-high 45 shots on goal in at Stonehill. The team has recorded 30 or more shots on goal in eight games with two games reaching the 40 mark.
Hot Start
Union compiled a 6-1-0 record in the month of October, marking the best start for a Union squad since the 1976-77 team won their first seven games.
The Capital Skates are Home!
For the first time since 2017, the Capital Skates trophy has returned to Schenectady. Union won game one of the series in Troy, 6-3, and followed it up with a 4-3 win at home.
Powered Up Powerplay
The Union powerplay exploded for four goals against RPI on Oct. 25, which marked the most for a Union team since they scored four on the player advantage on February 11, 2017, an 8-3 win at Dartmouth. The team went 4-for-9 on the powerplay with 23 shots on the player advantage. The team followed it up the next night with a 1-for-2 effort.
Awards Keep Coming
First-year
Ben Muthersbaugh had a stellar start to his collegiate career. After being named the ECAC Hockey #Bitcoin Rookie of the Week twice, and Forward of the Week, presented by Bluebird Hotels, the first-year was honored as the ECAC Hockey Rookie and Forward of the Month. His play also caught national attention as the Hockey Commissioners Association named him the HCA Rookie of the Month.
Defender of the Month
Junior alternate captain
John Prokop was named the ECAC Hockey Defender of the Month for October. The blueliner has six points (3-3-6) in seven games, including the overtime game-winning goal against Army West Point.
Weekly Awards
First-year
Ben Muthersbaugh put together a stellar weekend against Mercyhurst with seven points (3-4-7) including his first collegiate goal and hat trick. He was named the ECAC Hockey Forward of the Week, presented by Bluebird Hotels, and the ECAC Hockey #Bitcoin Rookie of the Week.
Throw Those Hats
First-year
Ben Muthersbaugh scored a hat trick on Friday night against Mercyhurst, making him the first Union rookie to score a hat trick since Daniel Carr '14 recorded one in a 6-2 win against Army West Point on Dec. 11, 2010. The hat trick was part of a five-point night, making him the first Union skater to score five in a game since Mike Vecchione '17 recorded five (4-1-5) on Oct. 22, 2016.
Defender of the Week
Junior
John Prokop was named the ECAC Hockey Defender of the Week on Tuesday, October 8th. Prokop netted the overtime goal against Army West Point.
All-Messa Rink Teams
Over the course of the season, Union fans will have a chance to vote for the best players to don the garnet and white over the years. Your votes (both online and in person at Messa Rink) will help to determine which players will be recognized on the Union Hockey All-Messa Rink Teams, which will be announced later in the season.
Welcome Back Alumni
The men's team will welcome back the inaugural 1975-76 team as well as the 1983-84 Division III national runners-up on Saturday, February 1 to be recognized during Union's game against Brown University. On Saturday, February 15, Union will be inviting back members of the first Division I team from 1991-92 as well as the 2011-12 Frozen Four team to be recognized during the game against Princeton University.
The Final Season
The 2024-25 season marks the final season at Messa Rink for both the Union College men's and women's hockey programs. Beginning in 2025-26, the teams will play down the road at Mohawk Harbor Arena. The Union men are 388-283-72 (.570) all-time at Messa Rink with a 217-201-67 (.515) record as a Division I program.
Captaining the Ship
Senior
Cullen Ferguson was named the captain of the 2024-25 team. Joining him as alternate captains are seniors
Caden Villegas and
Josh Nixon as well as juniors
Nick Young and
John Prokop.
All-American Era
John Prokop returns for his junior campaign after earning All-America Second Team East honors last season. Prokop led the team in scoring for the second-straight season with 35 points (8-27-35).
Picked Eighth
Despite finishing in sixth last season, Union was selected to finish eighth in the ECAC Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll. Union garnered 60 points in the votes, only six back from seventh-place St. Lawrence.
Double Trouble
Senior
Caden Villegas and junior
John Prokop were two players to watch last season as they both recorded 30 or more points. Villegas and Prokop became the first Union duo to put up a 30-spot since the 2017-18 season saw three skaters reach the 30-point mark.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered!
Head Coach
Josh Hauge signed a contract extension this offseason to stay on as head coach through 2028-29.
Welcome Home
Over the summer, the 2014 National Championship team returned to Schenectady for their 10 year reunion. The team met at Mohawk Harbor to sign a steel plate that will be installed at Union's new rink.
This is What Champs are Made of
June 24, 2024 was a night to remember as two alumni won championships in the same night. Mike Vecchione '17 and the Hershey Bears defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the AHL Calder Cup Championship to win their second-straight title. Former student manager and video coordinator, Thomas Harding '19, lifted the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in a thrilling game seven. Harding is the Communication Manager for the Panthers.
Not So Young Anymore
Union is one of the older teams in the country in terms of age. On average, the team is 22.6 years old. Of Union's 28 players, 17 are either juniors or seniors. Union's junior class boasts 11 members.
Return Them
Union boasts one of the top returning teams in terms of scoring. The Garnet Chargers returned 219 points, which ranks 10th in the NCAA.
Preseason Pick
Junior
John Prokop was named the ECAC Hockey Preseason All-ECAC Hockey team, the first Union skater to be honored since Mike Vecchione '17 was recognized in the 2016-17 season.
Adding the Assist
Head coach
Josh Hauge added two members to his coaching staff this past summer.
Mike Zannella joins the team from the USHL's Lincoln Stars. Also joining the staff is
Sean Speck '24, a former member of the men's soccer team, and hockey equipment assistant.
