ON THE ROAD: Women's Hockey will travel to the North Country to face #12 Clarkson in the opening round of the ECAC Hockey Playoffs on Friday afternoon, marking Union's third postseason appearance in program history. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m.
LAST WEEKEND: Union split the weekend, earning a 1–0 win over Dartmouth on Friday afternoon before falling, 2–1, to Harvard on Saturday. On Friday,
Karianne Engelbert scored the lone goal for the Garnet Chargers on the power play, with
Megan Duplantie and
Stephanie Bourque earning assists.
Emma Rhéaume made 43 saves to secure the shutout victory. On Saturday against Harvard,
Klara Kenttälä netted Union's only goal, with Bourque and
Kaitlyn Toner recording assists.
Emily Evans made 25 saves in the loss.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Clarkson took a 4–3 overtime win over #14 Colgate University on Friday afternoon before falling 2–1 to #11 Cornell University on Saturday. In Friday's victory, Sena Catterall scored twice, while Morgan Walton added another goal and Kate Manness netted the game-winner. Goaltender Arianne Leblanc made 27 saves to secure the win. In Saturday's loss to the Big Red, Lara Beecher scored the lone goal for the Golden Knights, while Leblanc recorded 28 saves in net.
COUNTDOWN TO CLARKSON
Head Coach
Tony Maci returns to Clarkson to face off against the Golden Knights. This marks not only Union's first playoff meeting with Clarkson, but also Maci's first postseason game against his former team and his fifth all-time appearance versus the Golden Knights as Union's head coach.
Maci spent eight years at Clarkson University, serving as the top assistant on Matt Desrosiers' staff before earning a promotion to Associate Head Coach. During his time with the Golden Knights, he helped lead the team to back-to-back Division I national championships, reached the Frozen Four and the NCAA Tournament seven times. As the team's recruiting coordinator and skills coach, Maci recruited and developed two Patty Kazmaier Award winners, nine AHCA All-Americans, and 38 All-ECAC Hockey honorees.
BOURQUE'S BRILLANCE
With an assist against Dartmouth on Friday night, senior captain
Stephanie Bourque became the all-time points leader tallying her 69th career point. The record had previously stood for 19 years by Elise Nichols '07.
Bourque followed up with an assist against Harvard on Saturday, which marked a new career high for single-season points (23), surpassing her previous best of 22 — a total that set the single-season record for a Union defenseman last season.
She tallied an assist in the Mayors' Cup 4-3 victory on Saturday, January 24, to originally tie the all-time points record of 68 points set by Elise Nichols '07. The assist also broke the all-time single season assists record, a record that had been previously held for 11 years by Maddie Norton '14.
Bourque opened the second half of the season by tallying Union's lone goal against Brown University on Jan. 3, in the second game back.
She ended the first half of the season, assisting on
Jill Willis's goal on Friday, Dec. 5, against Harvard, to continue a streak of recording seven points in three consecutive games. On Friday, Nov. 28, Bourque scored her first goal of the season and recorded the primary assist on Union's final four goals in a 7-0 win against 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 Hockey Defender of the Week honors on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
With an assist against St. Lawrence on October 25, Bourque became the program's all-time assists leader among all skaters. The previous day, against Clarkson on October 24, she became the program's all-time points leader among defensemen with 52 career points. That assist also made her the program's all-time assists leader among defensemen.
Through 139 career games, Bourque has tallied 16 goals and 54 assists for 70 career points. Last season, Bourque also broke the single-season goals record by a defender, tallying eight goals.
ENGELBERT'S EXCELLENCE
With a goal against Dartmouth on Friday night, sophomore
Karianne Engelbert set the program's all-time single points record with 28 points, beating the previous best of 27 that was set by Riley Walsh in the 2023-24 season.
Engelbert previously tied the record at Colgate on Friday, February 6, netting a goal.
Engelbert has tallied 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points, this season. Seven of her 13 goals have come on the power play, which is tied for first all-time.
Engelbert previously set the rookie all-time single-season points record last year, finishing with 24 points after scoring two goals against Brown on February 22, 2025, at Meehan Auditorium in Union's first-ever playoff win in program history. Her excellence during her rookie campaign earned her a spot on the ECAC All-Rookie Team.
Through 68 career games, Engelbert has tallied 29 goals and 23 assists for 52 points.
REMARKABLE RHÉAUME
First-year goaltender
Emma Rhéaume tallied 43 saves against Dartmouth on Friday night to preserve a 1-0 shutout win over the Big Green. The shutout marks the third of Rhéaume's season, tying the single-season record and ranking second all-time. Thanks to her stellar performance, she earned ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
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 14 games this season, posting a 4–9–0 record with a 2.79 GAA and a .919 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. She extended her shutout streak to three, picking up a win against Dartmouth on Feb. 13. Her three shutouts this season are tied for first in the single-season record book and rank second all-time. Her losses came against New Hampshire (Oct. 11), Saint Lawrence (Oct. 25), Princeton (Nov. 1), and Rensselaer (Nov. 7), #7 Quinnipiac (Jan. 10), #11/12 Clarkson (Jan. 17), Yale (Jan. 31), Colgate (Feb. 6) and #12 Cornell (Feb. 7). Rhéaume also appeared in relief against #7 Quinnipiac on Oct. 31 and Harvard on Dec. 6, making 18 and five saves, respectively.
Evans has made four appearances in net this season. She made her season debut in relief against No. 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. Evans made her second start of the season against Brown on Friday, Jan. 30, tallying 22 saves in the loss. She then made her third start of the season against Harvard on Feb. 14, recording 25 saves in a narrow 2–1 loss. Through four games played this season, Evans has posted a .879 SV% and a 3.83 GAA.
GOING STREAKING
Senior
Stephanie Bourque (139 games) and junior
Maddie Leaney (105) are riding multi-year ironwoman streaks, having appeared in every game of their three- and two-year careers, respectively. Sophomore
Jill Willis has also played in every game since arriving at Union with 70 under her belt.
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 honorsince 2008 with first-year
Karianne Engelbert's All-Rookie Team nod.
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.
