AT HOME: Women's Hockey returns home this weekend, hosting Brown University on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. for Hockey Fights Cancer Night, followed by a matchup against #10 Yale University on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day at M&T Bank Center.
LAST WEEKEND: Women's Hockey secured their second straight Mayors' Cup victory Saturday afternoon against cross-town rival Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Sophomore
Jill Willis opened the scoring with an assist from classmate
Peyton O'Neill. O'Neill then notched her first collegiate goal, assisted by junior
Maddie Leaney and first-year
Megan Duplantie. Junior
Mikayla Blomquist added a goal with help from sophomore
Hayley Kelleher. Sophomore
Karianne Engelbert capped the scoring with the eventual game-winning goal on the power play, assisted by senior captain
Stephanie Bourque. Junior goaltender
Monja Wagner stopped 22 shots in the victory.
ABOUT THE BEARS: The Bears concluded its 2025-26 season non-conference play against Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon, falling 4-0. Junior goaltender Rory Edwards stopped 17 saves shots in goal for the Bears.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: Yale concluded its 2025–26 non-conference schedule on Monday, Jan. 19, hosting Providence College at Ingalls Rink and earning a 4–2 victory. First-year Hannah Weyerhaeuser recorded the first hat trick of her career, while Jordan Ray added another goal for the Bulldogs. In net, first-year goaltender Samson Frey made 15 saves in the win.
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.
SECOND STRAIGHT
On Saturday, the Union College Women's Hockey team captured its second consecutive Mayors' Cup trophy with a 4-3 victory at MVP Arena in Albany. Union's four goals marked the most scored by any team in the history of the Women's Mayors' Cup, while the seven combined goals were the most in the event's history. Sophomore Jill WIllis opened the scoring 2:40 into the first period, with an assist from classmate
Peyton O'Neill. O'Neill then notched her first collegiate goal, assisted by junior
Maddie Leaney and first-year
Megan Duplantie to close out the first period. In the second period, junior
Mikayla Blomquist added a goal with help from sophomore
Hayley Kelleher. Sophomore
Karianne Engelbert capped the scoring with 31 seconds left in the middle frame with the eventual game winning goal on the power play, assisted by senior captain
Stephanie Bourque. Junior goaltender
Monja Wagner stopped 22 shots in the win. The win marked Union's third all-time Mayors' Cup win, having also secured the trophy on January 25, 2020, in a 2-0 victory.
BOURQUE'S BRILLANCE
With an assist on Saturday's Mayors' Cup win, Bourque tied the program's all-time points record (68 points), a record that has been held for 16 years by Elise Nichols '07. Bourque is producing one of her best single season campaigns this season. Bourque open the second half of the season tallying Union's lone goal against Brown University on Jan. 3, in the second back.
Bourque ended the first half of the season, assistiing on Jill Willi's goal on Friday, Dec. 5, against Harvard to continue a streak of recording seven points in three consecutive games. On Friday, Nov. 28, Bouruqe scored her first goal of the season, and recorded the primary asist on Union's final four goals in a 7-0 win against the University of Delaware. Her five-point performance tied the program's Division I single-game points record, while her four assists matched the second-highest single game total. She added her sixth point of the weekend, assisting on
Maddie Leaney's goals in Saturday's 3-0 win against the Blue Hens on Nov. 29.
Due to her strong performance against Delaware, Bourque earned ECAC Defender of the Week honors on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Through 133 career games palyed, Bourque has tallied 16 goals and 52 points for 68 career points.
TRIPLE THREAT
Senior captain
Stephanie Bourque, junior
Maddie Leaney, and sophomore
Karianne Engelbert have each recorded at least one point in each of the last two Mayors' Cups. In the 2024–25 season Mayors' Cup 3-2 win, Bourque assisted on sophomore
Klara Kenttäla's game opnening goal before scoring one of her own, while Engelbert assisted on Leaney's game-winning goal. In Saturday's 4–3 Mayors' Cup victory, Leaney and Engelbert assisted on O'Neill's first collegiate goal, and Bourque assisted on Engelbert's game-winning tally.
THEMED WEEKEND
Women's Hockey is hosting its annual Pink the Rink/Hockey Fights Cancer game on Friday against Brown to raise awareness and support those affected by cancer, including family members and friends.
On Saturday afternoon against Yale, the Women's Hockey team will celebrate girls and women who participate in athletics, ahead of the annual observance in early February that honors the achievements of female athletes, recognizes the positive impact of sports on girls and women, and advocates for equality in sports. The concourse will feature activities and booths, and several Union women athletes will be in attendance, including honoring the highest-achieving women student-athletes at Union.
OLYMPIC BOUND
Junior goaltender
Monja Wagner was named to Switzerland's Olympic Team as announced by the Swiss Hockey Federation on Wednesday, January 7.
This marks Wagner's inaugural appearance on Switzerland's Olympic team, and the first Union women's hockey player named to an Olympic roster. She is one of only four NCAA women's hockey players representing Switzerland, alongside Alessa Baechler of Northeastern University, Naemi Herzig of the College of the Holy Cross, and Laura Zimmerman of St. Cloud State University.
Wagner, Baechler, Herzig, and Zimmermann will be teammates with notable figures including Alina Muller of the PWHL's Boston Fleet and Nicole Vallario of the PWHL's New York Sirens at the Olympic games set to take place from February 5–22. Switzerland is participating in Group A alongside the United States, Canada, Finland, and Czechia.
Wagner has previously represented Switzerland five times, including earning a spot on the National Team for the second consecutive season. She participated with Switzerland's National Team at the 2025 Lidl Hockey Games in Ängelholm, Sweden (November 5–8), and the Finnish Tournament in Lahti and Hämeenlinna, Finland (December 10–12), as part of the 2025 Women's Euro Hockey Tour. Wagner made her international debut in net at the Lidl Hockey Games, earning her first international win in a 2-1 shootout victory over Sweden and Player of the Game honors on November 7.
Wagner secured a spot on the National Team in the 2024–25 season and represented Switzerland at the 2025 IIHF Women's World Championships in České Budejovice, Czechia. She also competed internationally with Switzerland's Under-18 Team at the 2019 and 2020 IIHF U18 Women's World Championships in Obihiro, Japan, and Bratislava, Slovakia, respectively.
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 17 games for Union this season, posting a 5–9–3 record with a 2.96 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. Her wins came against Franklin Pierce (Sept. 26), Merrimack (Oct. 3), Saint Anselm (Oct. 17), #4 Cornell (Nov. 21), and Rensselaer (Jan. 24). Wagner also earned ties against Merrimack (Oct. 4), New Hampshire (Oct. 10), and Dartmouth (Dec. 6). Her losses came against #1 Wisconsin (Oct. 18), #9 Clarkson (Oct. 24), #7 Quinnipiac (Oct. 31), #13/12 Colgate (Nov. 22), Harvard (Dec. 5), #15/14 Yale (Jan. 2), #15 Brown (Jan. 3), #9 Princeton (Jan. 9), and St. Lawrence (Jan. 16).
Among Wagner's highlights was backstopping Union to an overtime upset victory against #4 Cornell on Nov. 21, stopping 43 shots. The performance came shortly after her return from the Lidl Hockey Games with Switzerland's National Team as part of the 2025 Euro Hockey Tour, held Nov. 5–8.
Wagner also recorded her second shutout of the season on Dec. 6, making 35 saves against Dartmouth. The shutout marked the third of her career and moved her into second place on Union's all-time shutout list. It also represented the fifth shutout of the season by Union goaltenders. Wagner and first-year
Emma Rhéaume combined for consecutive shutouts against Franklin Pierce on Sept. 26 and 27, becoming the first goaltending duo in program history to accomplish the feat. Later in the season, senior
Emily Evans and Rhéaume recorded back-to-back shutouts against Delaware on Nov. 28 and 29, marking the second time Union goaltenders achieved consecutive shutouts this season.
Rhéaume has appeared in 10 games this season, posting a 3–6–0 record with a 2.67 GAA and a .912 save percentage. She earned her first collegiate win and shutout in a 2–0 victory over Franklin Pierce on Sept. 27. Rhéaume picked up her second career win against cross-town rival Rensselaer on Nov. 1, stopping 22 shots in a 7–4 victory, and recorded her second shutout of the season and of her career against Delaware on Nov. 29. Her losses came against New Hampshire (Oct. 11), Saint Lawrence (Oct. 25), Princeton (Nov. 1), and Rensselaer (Nov. 7), #7 Quinnipiac (Jan. 10), and #11/12 Clarkson (Jan. 17). Rhéaume also appeared in relief against #7 Quinnipiac on Oct. 31 and Harvard on Dec. 6, making 18 and five saves, respectively.
Evans made her season debut in relief against #7 Quinnipiac on Oct. 31, playing 26 minutes and making 10 saves on 12 shots. She earned her first career start on Nov. 28 against Delaware, recording her first collegiate win and shutout.
GOING STREAKING
Senior
Stephanie Bourque (133 games) and junior
Maddie Leaney (99 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 has currently appeared in all 22 games in the 2025-26 season.
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.
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 Shortridge, and
Courtney Hall. Skelly, Shortridge, 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.
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 class represents two countries, three provinces, and three states, and features four forwards, three blueliners, and one goaltender.
