A Legacy on Ice: The History of Union College Hockey

Introduction

The Union Garnet Chargers ice hockey team, representing Union College, boasts a rich and storied history. As a member of ECAC Hockey and a participant in the NCAA Division I, the program has evolved from humble beginnings to capturing a national championship. Founded in 1904, it stands as the 7th oldest college program playing in NCAA Division I, providing the school with a long and colorful history in the sport.

Early Years and Formation

Union's hockey journey commenced on February 3, 1904, with a triumphant victory over the Union Classical Institute. The team played three other games that inaugural season including a 1-4 loss to rival Rensselaer. In its initial season, lacking its own rink, the team played all games on the opponent's home ice. Students attempted to create an on-campus outdoor rink in 1905, hiring a plow and scraper to level an area with earthen banks near what is now Memorial Chapel. The club team's record in known games during those early years was 6-7-1. Due to financial constraints, with players unable to afford travel and opponent guarantee fees, no collegiate games were played in the 1910 or 1911 seasons.

Emergence to Division I

NOVEMBER 1, 1991 Union played the first game in the program's Division I history, falling 9-6 to Merrimack in front of 2,198 fans at Achilles Rink. JANUARY 17, 1992 Craig Ferrero '92 scored with 10 seconds left in overtime to give the Dutchmen a 2-1 victory over Dartmouth, their first ECAC victory. MARCH 4, 1994 Union rallied to defeat visiting Colgate, 7-6, to clinch sixth place in the conference and its first berth in the ECAC Hockey Tournament. JULY 4, 1996 Union announced the hiring of Stan Moore as head coach of the men's hockey team. FEBRUARY 14-15, 1997 Trevor Koenig '98 posted Union's first back-to-back shutouts by beating Vermont and Dartmouth by the same 2-0 score at Achilles Rink. MARCH 19, 1997 Trevor Koenig '98 earned the Ken Dryden Award as ECAC Hockey's top goaltender and is the first Union player named to the All-ECAC Hockey first team. OCTOBER 18, 2003 A newly renovated Frank L.

Landmark Moments and Achievements

Several key moments punctuate the program's timeline:

NOVEMBER 5, 2004 Union edges No. 13 St.
NOVEMBER 18, 2005 The Dutchmen beat No.
MARCH 4, 2006 The Dutchmen host Yale in the third-longest game in NCAA history, a five-overtime affair that lasts 141:35.
DECEMBER 7, 2009 Union cracks the top-20 in the USCHO.com poll for the first time in nine years, coming in at No.
FEBRUARY 5, 2010 Union defeats Clarkson 11-2, setting a school record for goals in a game.
FEBRUARY 19, 2010 Mario Valery-Trabucco '10, who would end the year with 45 points, sets the school record for points in a season with a goal against Princeton.
MARCH 12, 2010 Union and Quinnipiac play the second-longest game in NCAA history, spanning 150:22 - three periods and five overtimes. The Dutchmen set a school record with 75 shots in the contest.
MARCH 19, 2010 Union advances to the ECAC Hockey championship game for the first time in school history with a 3-1 victory over St.
OCTOBER 9, 2010 Kelly Zajac '12 becomes the first Union player to score four goals in a game in a 7-3 win over Sacred Heart.
JANUARY 28, 2011 In front of a standing-room-only crowd at Messa Rink, Union defeats No. 1 Yale, 3-2, for its first-ever win against a No.
MARCH 20, 2011 Union earns a No.
MARCH 23, 2012 Union earns the No. 1 seed in the East Regional in Bridgeport, Conn., defeating Michigan State, 3-1, in its opening round game.
APRIL 7, 2012 Two days after finishing his collegiate career, Jeremy Welsh '12 makes his NHL debut with the Carolina Hurricanes.
DECEMBER 13, 2013 The Garnet and White earn their second win over a top-ranked team, toppling No. 1 St. Cloud State, 4-1.
FEBRUARY 22, 2014 Union clinches the Cleary Cup outright (and its third in four seasons) with a 6-2 win over St.
MARCH 24, 2014 Union earns its first No.
APRIL 10, 2014 Union reaches the national championship game for the first time in the Division I era with a 5-4 victory over No. 3 Boston College in the national semifinals.

The 2014 National Championship

The pinnacle of Union College hockey history arrived in the 2013-2014 season. The team achieved a remarkable 32-6-4 record, propelled by a 12-game winning streak, culminating in the 2014 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament victory. On April 12, 2014, Union reached the pinnacle of college hockey, defeating #2 Minnesota, 7-4, to win the program's first Division I national championship at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

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Individual Accolades

Individual brilliance has also marked Union's hockey legacy. In 2017, senior Mike Vecchione was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Vecchione concluded his collegiate career with a school-record 175 points and 104 assists, leading in all-time assists.

Recent Seasons

The team continues to demonstrate its prowess. In the 2023-24 season, the team had the second-best penalty kill in college hockey, at 87.9%.

Memorable Games and Records

The program's history is filled with memorable games and impressive records:

Most goals in a game: 11 vs. D. J. St. St. Sault Ste.
Most goals allowed in a game: 10 vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Most goals combined in a game: 15 vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Most shots taken in a game: 75 vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Most shots allowed in a game: 63 vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Fewest shots taken in a game: 13 (5x) last time vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Fewest shots allowed in a game: 9 vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Most penalties in a game: 27 vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Most penalty minutes in a game: 116 vs. H. A. H. L. Arthur C.
Longest game: 150:22 in 5 OTs lasting 5 hrs., 56 minutes vs. Quinnipiac.

Additional Highlights

FEBRUARY 11, 2017 Mike Vecchione '17 registers an assist in an 8-3 win at Dartmouth for his 51st point of the season, surpassing the previous record of 50.
FEBRUARY 25, 2017 Union clinches a share of its fourth Cleary Cup in seven seasons with a 3-3 tie at No. 9 Cornell.
OCTOBER 6, 2018 Union unveils a brand-new video scoreboard at Messa Rink before the team's season-opening 4-1 win over Army West Point.
NOVEMBER 24, 2018 Union wins the Friendship Four title with a 2-1 victory over Boston University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
JANUARY 4, 2019 Union dominates No. 1 St. Cloud State in a 7-2 victory at the Three Rivers Classic, marking the Dutchmen's third victory over a top-ranked team.

Season-by-Season Records

This is a season-by-season list of records compiled by Union in men's ice hockey. Lost First round series, 0-2 (St. Lost First round series, 0-2 (St. Won Quarterfinal series, 2-1 (Quinnipiac)Won Semifinal, 3-1 (St.

Nickname Change

In August 2023, Union College changed the nickname of its sports teams from the Dutchmen to the Garnet Chargers.

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