This Weekend
Union kicks off the 2025 slate with four straight road games beginning this weekend with a trip to Brown University on Friday and Yale University on Saturday.
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
Coming off a pair of road losses, Union looked to bounce back at home with a two-game series against Vermont. The Garnet Chargers dropped a pair of games with a 6-3 loss on Dec. 13 and a close 3-2 loss on Dec. 14. Junior
John Prokop scored a goal in each game against the Catamounts while classmate
Brandon Buhr and sophomore
Joseph Messina also added goals on the weekend.
Scouting the Bears
Brown is coming off a 3-0 win over LIU this past Sunday. The Bears are 4-4-2 this season with a 2-3-1 record in conference play.
Brian Nicholas leads the way for the Bears with 11 points (4-7-11) in 10 games. Max Scott is the leading the team with five goals as part of a seven-point campaign (5-2-7) through 10 games.
In goal, the Bears have primarily relied on Lawton Zacher who has posted a 4-2-2 record with two shutouts. In eight games, Zacher has posted a .945 save percentage and a 1.72 GAA.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Yale is coming off an upset over nationally-ranked Boston University this past weekend. The Bulldogs took down the Terriers 7-5, backed behind four special teams goals.
Ronan O'Donnell leads the team with nine points (5-4-9) in 10 games and is the team's leader in goals. Three Yale skaters have registered multiple power-play goals this season.
Between the pipes, Jack Stark has played most of the minutes for Yale this season with a 2-5-1 record in nine games. Stark has posted a .877 save percentage and a 3.77 GAA.
The Final Eight
The turn of the calendar year means the final set of games at Messa Rink. Union has eight guaranteed home games remaining with the conclusion being senior day on March 1.
Balanced Attack
Seven Union skaters have reached double-digit scoring 17 games into the season. First-year
Ben Muthersbaugh leads the way with 17 points (8-9-17) and junior
Nate Hanley has 16 points (5-11-16). In 17 games, 17 skaters have at least one goal and 20 skaters have at least one point.
Leading the Way
Union's junior class is leading the way for the Garnet Chargers this season. Through 17 games, the junior class has amassed 84 (30-54-84) of the team's 150 (55-95-150)points.
Nate Hanley is second on the team in scoring with 16 points (5-11-16) while
Brandon Buhr is second on the team in goals scored with seven.
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.
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 18 points (8-10-18) in 17 games.
Strength in Center
Union has been exceptionally strong on the faceoff this season. The Garnet Chargers are currently ranked 22nd in the country with a 51.6% win percentage through 17 games. First-year
Drew Sutton has 116 faceoff wins to date with a 57.4% win rate to pace the Union centers. Junior Parker LIndauer comes in at a 56.4% win rate and junior
Colby MacArthur also has a 51.9% success rate.
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.
