SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Union College women's ice hockey head coach
Tony Maci announced the team's leadership group for the 2026-27 season on Wednesday, naming six alternate captains. Seniors
Maddie Leaney and
Megan Ognibene, juniors
Jill Willis, Klara Kenttälä and
Karianne Engelbert, and sophomore
Kaitlyn Toner will all wear the "A" for the Garnet Chargers this season.
Maddie Leaney, a senior from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, enters the season with 112 career games played and a program-leading 74 career points. She scored the first goal in M&T Bank Center history on Sept. 26 against Franklin Pierce.
Megan Ognibene, a senior from West Berlin, Vt., returns for her third season wearing an "A." During her time as an alternate captain, she has appeared in 38 games and continued to contribute to the team's leadership. Ognibene recorded a career-high two points and her first career multi-point game with two assists against Delaware on Nov. 28.
Jill Willis, a junior from South Glens Falls, N.Y., has recorded 27 career points over three seasons and appeared in all 36 games during the 2025-26 campaign. As a sophomore, she tallied career highs of seven goals and eight assists for 15 points.
Klara Kenttälä, a junior from Stockholm, Sweden, earned the Women's Hockey Garnet Award in 2025-26. The award recognizes a student-athlete who inspires positive change, brings out the best in others, and consistently supports and empowers her teammates.
Karianne Engelbert, a junior from Whitby, Ontario, led Union 31 points ranked third in program history for a single season, while her 15 goals ranked fourth. She earned the Female Sophomore Athletic Prize in 2025-26. Presented by the Union College Department of Athletics, the award recognizes sophomore female student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional attitude, ability, participation, and achievement in intercollegiate athletics.
Kaitlyn Toner, a sophomore from Aurora, Ontario, rounds out the leadership group after an impressive first collegiate season. She appeared in 35 games, recorded her first collegiate point with an assist against Saint Anselm on Oct. 17. Toner also earned the Women's Hockey Most Improved Award in 2025-26 in recognition of her development, hard work, and growth throughout the season.
The six alternate captains will debut their new "A" patches on Friday, Oct. 16, as Union travel to the University of Delaware for a 6 p.m. matchup to open the weekend.
