On February 29, 2024, the college announced that the Men’s and Women’s Division 1 hockey teams will play in a new rink beginning in fall 2025. The rink will be located off campus at Mohawk Harbor, approximately 0.5 miles and a 10 minute walk from College Park Hall. Construction of the rink began on April 9.
The current rink on campus, Messa Rink at Achilles Center, opened on December 5, 1975, and has hosted thousands of men’s and women’s hockey games, practices, open skating events, and other events since then. The rink was built when both varsity hockey teams competed at the Division 3 level; the men’s team has competed at the Division 1 level since 1991. The women’s team was established as a Division 3 team in 1999, and began competing in the Division 1 level in 2003. The rink was meant to hold a single Division 2 or 3 team when it was originally built, and it holds 2,051 people at capacity.
College officials made this decision because the current rink is in need of significant renovations. They weighed the option of renovating the current rink, but decided to enter into a partnership with Maxon Alco Holdings, LLC, the developer, New York state and Schenectady County government, and donors, in part because of shared expenses. The college will pay $20 million over the course of 25 years to pay for the rink. The rink will hold 2,200 people for hockey games and up to 3,600 people for other sporting events. For the 2023-2024 season, about
2,000 people attended each men’s home game and 500 people attended each women’s game.
The current rink will still operate for the 2024-2025 academic year. But at the conclusion of the year, the rink will be converted to an indoor athletic facility so members of other sports teams can use it for indoor practices.
Hockey players are reacting positively to the new rink. “I think the rink’s a big deal for Union,” Men’s #21 John Prokop ‘26 said. “We are the only D1 team on campus, so I think it’s big for not only the people that are here, but recruiting wise too. It’ll bring us more people and develop a better hockey team for the future.”
“I’m very excited to play there and have a new rink,” Women’s #22 Greta Kropp ‘26 remarked. “It’ll be really nice to have a new rink.”
Other students had some mixed opinions about the rink. “I don’t like that they’re building it off campus. It’s going to be more inconvenient to go to the games.” Ryan Lemberger ‘27, a frequent attendee of the games, said. “I think it’s pretty cool. The rink seems like a new addition to our athletics department, especially to the hockey team,” Idalis Fuentes ‘26, a Men’s Hockey photographer, remarked. “So, I think it’ll be a great benefit for them, too.”
The women’s hockey team will begin the 2024-2025 season in late September 2024, and the men’s team will follow in early October 2024. Weekday home games typically begin at 6 p.m. for the women’s team, and 7 p.m. for the men’s, with weekend games starting at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively. Fans can purchase season tickets later this year, or purchase them at the door of the rink before games.
