AT HOME: The Union College women's hockey team continues its stretch of 10 straight home games as it hosts the Ice Breaker Tournament at M&T Bank Center. Union begins the tournament facing Saint Anselm College on Friday at 3:37 p.m. EST, while top-ranked Wisconsin takes on the University of Vermont earlier in the day at 12:07 p.m. EST.
ICE BREAKER HISTORY: This is the fifth edition of the Women's Ice Breaker Tournament, which started in 2019 and continued the last three years following a COVID-induced two-year hiatus in 2020-21. This season's event is the third time it has been hosted in New York, but the first time it will be held at the host school's site - Mercyhurst hosted in Buffalo in 2019 and Clarkson hosted in Lake Placid in 2022. The WCHA (Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State and Ohio State) has won three of the four previous events, while ECAC Hockey has won once (Clarkson). In four seasons, WCHA teams boast a 6-0 record, while the ECAC is 5-3, the AHA (formerly CHA) is 4-4, Hockey East is 1-5 and the NEWHA is 0-4.
LAST WEEKEND: Union skated to a 1-1 tie (OT) over New Hampshire on Friday night before falling 3-1 on Saturday afternoon. In Friday's tie, first-year
Natalie Andelova scored her first collegiate goal on the power play to force overtime and a shootout, while junior goaltender
Monja Wagner made 28 saves. On Saturday, junior
Quinn Dunkle tallied Union's lone goal on the power play, and first-year Emma Rhéaume turned aside 23 shots.
ABOUT THE HAWKS: Saint Anselm defeated NEWHA conference opponent, Stonehill College, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon. Lauren Waldo and Brooklyn Schneiderhan (2) provided the offense for the Hawks, while goaltender Kayla Czukkoski made 38 saves to secure the win.
ABOUT THE CATAMOUNTS: Vermont skated to a 1-1 tie (OT) against #13/14 St. Lawrence on Friday before defeating the Saints, 2-1, in overtime on Saturday. Morgann Skoda scored the lone goal for the Catamounts in Friday's draw, while goaltender Ellie Simmons stopped 33 shots. On Saturday, Kayle Lewis opened the scoring for Vermont, and Oona Havana netted the overtime winner. Goaltender Zoé Cliche made 25 saves in the victory.
ABOUT THE BADGERS: Wisconsin swept #4/5 Minnesota Duluth, in a dramatic 4–3 win on Saturday afternoon before completing the weekend sweep with a 4–0 win on Sunday. Kirsten Simms opened the scoring for the Badgers, followed by Cassie Hall. Caroline Harvey tied the game with 22 seconds remaining in regulation, and Hall netted her second of the night, the game-winner, with eight seconds left to seal the comeback. On Sunday, Harvey, Laney Potter, Adéla Šapovalivová, and Lacey Eden scored. Goaltender Ava McNaughton made a total of 36 saves on the weekend.
M&T BANK CENTER
This season, Union Hockey will call the state-of-the-art M&T Bank Center its home, becoming the primary tenant of the 100,000-square-foot multi-purpose venue. The arena boasts a capacity of 2,200 for hockey games and expands to 3,600 for other sporting events, trade shows, special events, and conventions. Highlights include seven luxury suites, a spacious hospitality suite, two full-service concession stands, and an elegant bar overlooking the Mohawk River. Convenient on site parking is available, with an additional 700-space lot within walking distance.
RECEIVING VOTES
For the first time in program history, Union College women's hockey received votes in the USCHO Weekly National Poll, released Monday, October 6. The recognition comes as the Garnet Chargers posted their third-best five game unbeaten streak (3-0-2). Union's strong opening stretch included back-to-back shutout wins over Franklin Pierce, a Friday night victory against Merrimack on October 3, an overtime battle with the Warriors on October 4, and a tie against New Hampshire on Friday, October 10.
AT A GLANCE SO FAR
Union College women's hockey has already broken four program records through just four games to start the season. The first two came in the opening weekend against Franklin Pierce, when junior goaltender
Monja Wagner and first-year Emma Rhéaume recorded back-to-back shutouts — a program first. Rhéaume also set an individual milestone, becoming the first first-year goaltender in program history to post a shutout in her collegiate debut. With the win against Merrimack on Friday, October 3, the Garnet Chargers improved to 3-0 on the season, marking the best start in program history. The team also received votes in the USCHO.com Weekly National Poll on Monday, October 6, for the first time ever, further highlighting their historic start.
LEANEY LEADS
Junior
Maddie Leaney opened the scoring and scored the first goal in history at M&T Bank Center on Friday, September 26, aiding in the 3-0 victory over Franklin Pierce. The tally marked her third career power-play goal and fifth game-winning goal, moving her into second place all-time in program history for game-winners. Leaney's now 23 career goals also rank sixth all-time in Union history.
SISTERS IN SCHENECTADY
Courtney Hall, Union College Women's Hockey Assistant Coach/Hockey Operations, and her sister, Cassie Hall, a member of the Wisconsin Badgers, are both set to compete in the Ice Breaker Tournament this weekend, with a potential matchup in the championship game.
Cassie has recorded 70 career points on 44 goals and 26 assists in 80 games for the Badgers. During her playing career, Courtney skated for fellow WCHA member St. Cloud State from 2019–23 and for AHA member Robert Morris during the 2023–24 season, totaling 12 goals and 32 assists for 44 points in 115 career games.
DYNAMIC DUNKLE
Junior blueliner
Quinn Dunkle is off to a hot start this season, tallying three goals and two assists for five points in six games. Dunkle scored a pair of empty-net goals to seal Union's 3–0 win over Franklin Pierce on Friday, September 26, and the 4–2 victory against Merrimack College on Friday, October 3. She added her third goal of the season on the power play against New Hampshire on Saturday, October 11. Dunkle also tallied assists in the 4–0 win over Franklin Pierce on Saturday, September 27, and against New Hampshire on Friday, October 10.
CAREER FIRST
First-year
Natalie Andelova recorded her first collegiate goal on the power play to force overtime against New Hampshire on Friday, October 10. The dynamic first-year has made an immediate impact on the program, tallying three points in six games, including two assists in the 2–2 tie against Merrimack on Saturday, October 11.
FORWARD FLEET
Union returns two of its top forwards from last season. Key contributors junior
Maddie Leaney and sophomore
Karianne Engelbert appeared in all 37 games for the Garnet Chargers. The forward group also features returning veterans
Greta Kropp,
Mallory Mauracher, and
Amanda Quan, along with juniors
Mikayla Blomquist and
Emma Fulawka, and sophomores Klara Kenttälä and
Jill Willis.
Engelbert looks to build on one of the most productive rookie seasons in program history. In 2024-25, Engelbert tallied 15 goals and nine assists for 24 points, setting a new Union rookie single-season points record and tying the first-year goals mark. Her 10 goals in the first half of the season led all first-years nationally, and she finished third among all Division I rookies in goals scored.
Leaney contributed eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points, ranking second on the team in scoring. Her 15 helpers also ranked third all-time for most assists in a single season at Union.
ANCHORING THE BLUELINE
Union returns two of its top-six defensemen from last season. Senior captain
Stephanie Bourque appeared in all 37 contests, while junior
Quinn Dunkle skated in 36. The Garnet Chargers also bring back junior blueliners
Megan Ognibene and
Brigitte McGuire, along with sophomores
Lauren Johnson and
Giavanna Mancy. Transfer sophomore
Peyton O'Neill and first-years
Isabel Powers and
Kaitlyn Toner look to make an immediate impact on the blue line.
Bourque anchors the defense after a record-breaking 2024-25 campaign, tallying eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points. She ranked third on the team in scoring, and her five power-play goals tied for third-most in a Division I single season. Bourque set the Union single-season record for goals by a defenseman with her eighth of the year against Quinnipiac on February 15. One week later, her assist in the program's first-ever ECAC Tournament win over Brown broke the school standard for points by a defenseman in a season and ranked fifth among all skaters.
BRICKWALL BRIGADE
Union enters the season with a four goaltenders consisting of senior
Emily Evans, junior
Monja Wagner, sophomore
Sara Da Silva, and first-year Emma Rhéaume.
Wagner has started four games for the Garnet Chargers, earning her second career shutout in her season debut against Franklin Pierce on Friday, September 26. She started both games against Merrimack College, turning aside 24 shots for a .909 save percentage in Friday's 4–2 win and making another 24 saves on Saturday to help secure a 2–2 tie with the Warriors. Wagner also started in Friday night's 1–1 tie against New Hampshire, helping Union earn the shootout victory.
Rhéaume has appeared in two games for Union this season, earning her first collegiate shutout and win in the 2–0 victory over Franklin Pierce. She made her second start in Saturday's 3–1 loss to New Hampshire, recording 23 saves.
Evans made one appearance during the 2024-25 campaign, stopping seven shots against #9/8 Quinnipiac on January 3.
GOING STREAKING
Senior
Stephanie Bourque (112 games) and junior
Maddie Leaney (78 games) are both riding multi-year iron-woman streaks, having appeared in every game of their three- and two-year careers, respectively. Sophomore
Jill Willis also skated in all 37 contests as a first-year and look to build on her streak.
OH CAPTAINS, OUR CAPTAINS
Senior blueliner
Stephanie Bourque will serve as team captain for the Garnet Chargers, while junior defenseman
Megan Ognibene returns as an assistant captain for a second consecutive season. Senior forward
Mallory Mauracher joins the leadership group as a first-time assistant captain.
ENGELBERT'S EXCELLENCE
Sophomore
Karianne Engelbert will look for more success after registering one of the most productive rookie seasons in program history in the 2024-25 season, scoring 15 goals with nine assists for 24 points while playing in all 37 games as a first-year. Engelbert's points broke the school D-I record for points by a rookie and tied the school's first-year goals mark. Her goals ranked second in program D-I history in single-season goals and points overall. Engelbert also scored six power-play goals to finish second on the school single-season list and tallied a team-leading three game winning goals. Engelbert's 10 goals in the first half of the season led all first-years nationally and she finished the season third among all Division I rookies in goal scoring.
COACHES CORNER
Tony Maci was named the fifth head coach in the history of Union women's hockey on July 31, 2024, and begins his second season behind the bench for the Garnet Chargers in 2025-26. Maci and his staff made an immediate impact in their first season in Schenectady, leading the Garnet Chargers to the most wins in program history and earning the team's first-ever postseason victory. Union finished the season with a 13-23-1 record and won a program-record eight conference games as part of a very challenging ECAC Hockey slate, including the team's first-ever win over a top-10 opponent with a 3-2 win at #9 Cornell University in November. The squad also set new program records for most goals scored and fewest goals allowed in a season in the school's Division I era, while also earning the program's first ECAC postseason honor since 2008 with first-year
Karianne Engelbert's All-Rookie team nod.
HERE TO ASSIST
Joining Maci are second-year coaches
Shawn Skelly,
Tina Ciraulo, and
Courtney Hall. Skelly, Ciraulo, and Hall were all a part of a staff that made an immediate impact in their first season in Schenectady, leading the Garnet Chargers to the most wins in program history and earning the team's first-ever postseason victory. Union finished the season with a 13-23-1 record and won a program-record eight conference games as part of a very challenging ECAC Hockey slate, including the team's first-ever win over a top-10 opponent with a 3-2 win at #9 Cornell University in November. The squad also set new program records for most goals scored and fewest goals allowed in a season in the school's Division I era, while also earning the program's first ECAC postseason honor since 2008 with first-year
Karianne Engelbert's All-Rookie team nod.
