AT HOME: The Union College women's hockey team hosts ECAC foes this weekend, welcoming #4/5 Cornell University on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and #13/12 Colgate University on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at M&T Bank Center.
LAST TIME OUT: Union split its weekend series with cross-town rival Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on November 7–8. The Garnet Chargers fell, 2-1, in overtime on Friday afternoon at Houston Field House before rebounding with a commanding 7-4 victory on Saturday at M&T Bank Center. Junior
Maddie Leaney scored Union's lone goal on Friday, while first-year
Emma Rhéaume made 28 saves in net. On Saturday, six different Garnet Chargers scored (first-year
Megan Duplantie, sophomores
Klara Kenttälä,
Karianne Engelbert, and
Jill Willis, and juniors
Maddie Leaney and
Quinn Dunkle) to power Union to the 7-4 win.
ABOUT THE BIG RED: #4/5 Cornell split its weekend series with rival #13/12 Colgate. The Raiders shut out the Big Red, 3–0, on Friday night despite a 40-save effort from Cornell goaltender Annelies Bergmann. On Saturday afternoon, #4/5 Cornell rallied for a 4–3 overtime win. Avi Adam scored twice, Piper Grober added a goal, and Karel Prefontaine netted the game-winner in overtime, while Bergmann made 28 saves to secure the victory.
ABOUT THE RAIDERS: #13/12 Colgate split its weekend series with rival #4/5 Cornell last weekend. In Friday night's 3-0 win, Alexis Petford, Alexia Aubin, and Emma Beauchamp tallied the goals, while Brooke Davis recorded 20 saves. On Saturday afternoon, #4/5 Cornell rallied to defeat #13/12 Colgate in overtime. Aubin, Avery Pickering, and Emma Pais tallied the goals for Colgate, and Davis made 27 saves.
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.
BREAKING THE BIG RED STREAK
The Garnet Chargers snapped the Big Red's 20-season winning streak last season, upsetting Cornell with a 3–2 victory on November 1, 2024. Before the win, Union's previous victory over Cornell came on February 28, 2004—a 3–1 decision. Two current returners, sophomores
Karianne Engelbert and
Jill Willis, scored two of Union's three goals in last year's win. Engelbert also assisted on
Paige Greco '25's goal.
Union faced the Big Red in the best of three quarterfinal series after winning its first first round playoff in program history against Brown University on February 28, 2025. Union was 1:09 from forcing #3 Cornell to the third game of the series, until the Big Red tallied the game tying goal and the game winning goal 27 seconds later. Returner junior
Maddie Leaney tallied the game equalizer in the second period while
Maren Friday '25 netted the go-ahead goal a minute to go in second period.
LEANEY'S LEAD
Junior
Maddie Leaney recorded a four-point weekend (3G, 1A) against Rensselaer on November 7–8. She scored the lone goal in Union's 2–1 overtime loss on Friday, then delivered a dominant performance in Saturday's rematch, netting two goals—one as part of Union's explosive five-goal first period and another in the third—while also adding an assist in the Garnet Chargers' 7–4 victory. Leaney's standout weekend earned her ECAC Hockey Forward of the Week presented by Bluebird Hotels. It marks the third honor of her career, having previously been named ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week on October 10, 2023, and ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Month for September/October 2023. Leaney's 27 career goals rank third all-time, her 27 assists rank eighth, and her 54 career points sit fourth in program history.
ENGELBERT'S EXCEPTIONALISM
Sophomore
Karianne Engelbert also produced a four-point weekend with one goal and three assists. She tallied an assist on Leaney's goal Friday and followed with a goal and two assists on Saturday for three points against the Engineers. Engelbert is currently on a three-game point streak, having also recorded an assist at Princeton on November 1. She is tied for second on the team in scoring with 10 points (4G, 6A) through 12 games this season.
WONDERFUL WILLIS
Sophomore
Jill Willis is currently riding a three-game point streak, recording two goals and two assists for four points. Willis opened the streak with a goal at Princeton on Nov. 1, added an assist on
Maddie Leaney's tally at Rensselaer on Nov. 7, and followed up with a goal and an assist in Union's dominant 7–4 victory over the Engineers on Nov. 8.
RETURNING ROSTER
The team is comprised of 18 returners, including nine forwards (sophomores
Mikayla Blomquist,
Karianne Engelbert,
Klara Kenttälä, and
Jill Willis; juniors
Emma Fulawka and
Maddie Leaney; and seniors
Amanda Quan,
Greta Kropp, and
Mallory Mauracher), six blueliners (sophomores
Lauren Johnson and
Giavanna Mancy; juniors
Quinn Dunkle,
Brigitte McGuire, and
Megan Ognibene and senior
Stephanie Bourque), and three goaltenders (sophomore
Sara Da Silva, junior
Monja Wagner, and senior
Emily Evans).
NEW BLOOD
Union welcomes six first-year players— forwards
Natalie Andelova,
Megan Duplantie, and
Reanna Loberg; blueliners
Isabel Powers and
Kaitlyn Toner; and goaltender
Emma Rhéaume—along with two transfers, forward
Hayley Kelleher and blueliner
Peyton O'Neill, to the program for the 2025-26 season. The incoming class represents two countries, three provinces, and three states, and features four forwards, three blueliners, and one goaltender, each eager to make an immediate impact.
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 record for single season points by a defenseman 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 seven games for Union posting a 3-3-2 record with a 2.99 GAA and a .900 save percentage. Wagner earned wins against Franklin Pierce (Sept. 26), Merrimack (Oct. 3), and Saint Anselm (Oct. 17), earned ties against Merrimack (Oct. 4), and New Hampshire (Oct. 10), and the three losses came against #1 Wisconsin (Oct. 18), #9 Clarkson on (Oct. 24), and #7 Quinnipiac (Oct.
31).
Rhéaume has appeared in six games for Union this season posting a 2-4-0 record with a 2.61 GAA and a .923 SV%. Rhéaume earned her first collegiate shutout and win in the 2–0 victory over Franklin Pierce on Sept. 27 and tallied her second win of her career against cross-town rival Rensselaer on Nov. 8 tallying 22 saves in a commanding 7-4 victory. Rhéaume's losses came against New Hampshire (Oct. 11), Saint Lawrence (Oct. 25), Princeton (Nov. 1) and Rensselaer (Nov. 7).
Evans made her first season debut on against #7 Quinnipiac on Oct. 31 playing 26 minutes of relief, tallying 10 saves on 12 shots.
GOING STREAKING
Senior
Stephanie Bourque (120 games) and junior
Maddie Leaney (86 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 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 his 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. Playing a total of 19 games against nationally ranked foes, eight losses came by a single goal and Union was less than 70 seconds away from taking eventual conference champion and national semifinalist #3 Cornell to a third game in their ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series. 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.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Union will look to surprise the ECAC Hockey landscape under the leadership of second year head coach
Tony Maci, as the Garnet Chargers were picked to finish 9th in the ECAC Hockey Preseason Poll out of 12 teams. The team received 56 points, finishing three points behind Brown University in 8th place and 14 points ahead of Harvard University in 10th place, 25 points ahead of Dartmouth in 11th place, and 27 points ahead of Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute.
