ON THE ROAD: The Union College Women's Hockey team opens the second half of the season traveling to ECAC Hockey foes #15/14 Yale University and #15 Brown University for a weekend series. Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm against the Bulldogs in New Haven on Friday and 3:00 pm against the Bears in Providence on Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT: Union fell 4–2 at Harvard University on Friday, Dec. 5, before skating to a 0–0 tie and shootout win at Dartmouth on Saturday, Dec. 6. Against Harvard, junior
Emma Fulawka and sophomore
Jill Willis tallied the goals for Union, while junior
Maddie Leaney, first-year
Megan Duplantie, senior
Stephanie Bourque, and sophomore
Klara Kenttälä each recorded an assist. Junior
Monja Wagner and first-year
Emma Rhéaume split time in net, with Wagner stopping 17 shots and Rhéaume making five saves in relief. On Saturday at Dartmouth, Wagner was stellar between the pipes, turning aside 35 shots in regulation and overtime. Kenttälä and first-year
Reanna Loberg converted in the shootout, sophomore
Lauren Johnson buried the game-winner, and Wagner stopped two attempts to secure the shootout victory.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: #15/14 Yale University split the weekend with #15 Brown University on Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7. In Saturday's 4–2 loss, Carina DiAntonio scored while Stephanie Stainton added the Bulldogs' second goal, and Anna Phillips made 18 saves. In Sunday's 3–2 win, Hannah Weyerhaeuser, DiAntonio, and Stainton scored, while Naomi Baechler turned aside 21 shots to secure the victory.
ABOUT THE BEARS: #15 Brown University fell 3–2 to Hockey East foe the University of Maine for a Tuesday night tilt at the Cross Insurance Center in Portland, Maine to begin the second half. India McDadi and Jade Ignila tallied power play goals, while Rory Edwards stopped nine shots and Anya Zupkofska made 17 saves in relief.
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.
BROWN BROUGHT DOWN
In the 2024–25 season, Union upset Brown University at Meehan Auditorium for the program's first-ever postseason victory, completing a season sweep of the Bears.
Karianne Engelbert scored both goals in the 2–0 playoff win, with senior captain
Stephanie Bourque recording an assist on one of Engelbert's goals. Engelbert also tallied an assist in Union's 4–1 victory over Brown at Messa Rink on Dec. 7. Senior
Amanda Quan added goals in both the Dec. 7 win and Union's 2–1 victory over the Bears on Jan. 31, while Bourque recorded assists in both regular season contents.
WONDERFUL WILLIS
Sophomore
Jill Willis has made an immediate impact on Union's second line this season, recording five goals and six assists for 11 points in 20 games. Willis has nearly doubled her production from her rookie campaign, when she totaled six points (4G, 2A). She has found the back of the net against St. Lawrence, #9 Princeton, Rensselaer, Delaware, and Harvard, while logging assists versus Franklin Pierce, Merrimack (2), Rensselaer (2), and Colgate. Willis is also the only sophomore to have appeared in every game since arriving at Union, playing in all 57 contests of her collegiate career.
SEVEN-POINT SURGE
Junior
Emma Fulawka has also made an immediate impact on the second line, tying a career-best seven points with four goals and three assists through 18 games played so far this season. Fulawka's goals have come against Merrimack, Saint Anselm, #9 Princeton, and Harvard, while her assists were recorded against Merrimack, Rensselaer, and #10/11 Cornell. Fulawka has skated in 68 career games, tallying 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points.
BOURQUE'S BRILLANCE
Senior
Stephanie Bourque recorded seven points in three consecutive games including a six-point weekend against the University of Delaware. On Friday, Nov. 29, Bourque tallied her first goal of the season and went on to earn the primary assist on Union's final four tallies. Her five-point performance tied the program's Division I single- game points record, and her four assists matched the second-highest total in a single game. Bourque added her sixth point of the weekend with an assist on one of
Maddie Leaney's goals in Saturday's 3-0 win over Delaware. Bourque added her seventh point in three games against Harvard with an assist on Willis's goal on Friday, Dec. 5.
Through 126 career games played, Bourque has tallied 15 goals and 49 assists for 64 points. Her assists rank first all-time and her points rank second all time. Bourque, last season, broke the single season goals and points record by a defender tallying eight goals and 22 points. Bourque is on pace to break the all-time points record of 68, currently held by Elise Nichols '07.
STONEWALL SHUTOUTS
Junior goaltender
Monja Wagner posted her second shutout of the season tallying 35 saves against the Dartmouth Big Green on Dec. 6. The shutout is Wagner's third of her career, and now ranks second all-time on the shutout list. Wagner's shutout also marks the fifth shutout of the year for Union's goaltenders. Senior goaltender
Emily Evans and first-year Emma Rhéaume recorded back-to-back shutouts against Delaware Nov. 28 and 29, marking the second time this season that Union's goaltenders have done so. Wagner and Rhéaume previously combined for consecutive shutouts against Franklin Pierce University on Sept. 26 and 27, becoming the first goaltending duo in program history to accomplish the feat. Evans' win and shutout against Delaware were also the firsts of her career.
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 twelve games for Union posting a 4-5-3 record with a 2.82 GAA and a .912 save percentage. Wagner earned wins against Franklin Pierce (Sept. 26), Merrimack (Oct. 3), Saint Anselm (Oct. 17), and #4 Cornell (Nov. 21) earned ties against Merrimack (Oct. 4), New Hampshire (Oct. 10), Dartmouth (Dec. 6) and the five losses came against #1 Wisconsin (Oct. 18), #9 Clarkson on (Oct. 24), #7 Quinnipiac (Oct. 31), #13/12 Colgate (Nov. 22), and Harvard (Dec. 5).
Rhéaume has appeared in eight games for Union this season posting a 3-4-0 record with a 2.17 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. 1 tallying 22 saves in a commanding 7-4 victory, and posted her second shutout of the season and her career against Delaware on Nov. 29. Rhéaume's losses came against New Hampshire (Oct. 11), Saint Lawrence (Oct. 25), Princeton (Nov. 1) and Rensselaer (Nov. 7). Rhéaume also made appearances against #7 Quinnipiac on Oct. 31 and Harvard University on Dec. 6, posting 18 and five saves in relief, respectively.
Evans made her first season debut on against #7 Quinnipiac on Oct. 31 playing 26 minutes of relief, tallying 10 saves on 12 shots. Evans made her first start of the season against Delaware on Nov. 28, posting her first win and shutout victory of her career.
GOING STREAKING
Senior
Stephanie Bourque (126 games) and junior
Maddie Leaney (92 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.
