The 34-game regular-season schedule was announced Tuesday, along with one exhibition game, which will be against Union's former men's hockey coach.
The Union will move to Mohawk Harbor Arena.
Towards the 2025-26 season.
“I am very excited about the schedule we have put together for our final season at Messa Rink,” Union head coach Josh Hauge said in a press release. “We have some great teams coming to Schenectady and we have some tough away opponents. I can't wait to get back on the ice with my team this fall.”
A Union spokesman said plans to celebrate their final season at Mesa will be announced soon.
The start time will be announced at a later date.
Here are the schedule details: The ECAC hockey schedule was released last week, with some start times listed but subject to change.
Lehman is back
Union will not play RPI in an exhibition game this season, instead old friends will take on the Garnet Chargers in an exhibition contest on October 5th.
Union will face Providence and its head coach, Nate Lehman, who served as Union's head coach from 2003-2011 and brought the school's program to national prominence. Under Lehman's guidance, Union won its first ECAC hockey regular season title in 2011 and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance at the Division I level that same year. Lehman also led Union to its first Division I postseason series win in 2009 and its first ECAC Hockey Tournament championship game appearance in 2010.
Lehman's final game as coach at Mesa came on March 13, 2011, and ended in heartbreak for Union, as No. 12 seed Colgate defeated Union, 4-3, in overtime in the third game of the ECACH Tournament quarterfinals.
A few weeks later, Lehman left Union to become the head coach at Providence. He was replaced by associate head coach Rick Bennett, who led Union to three straight ECACH Tournament titles, three regular season championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances, two Frozen Four appearances and a national title in 2014.
The following year, Lehman led Providence to the NCAA title.
Union and Providence have met twice since Lehman left. Union defeated Providence, 3-1, in the NCAA Tournament Eastern Regional Final on March 29, 2014. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in the second round of the Vermont Catamount Cup on Dec. 29, 2019.
Again the army
For the second consecutive year, Union will open the regular season against Army West Point, this time on Oct. 6 at Mesa.
Union won the match 6-0 at Tate Rink last year. In 2021-22, the teams met 2-2 at Tate Rink in Union's second match of the season.
RPI Games
Union will play RPI three times: the ECACH game will be at RPI on Oct. 25 and at Union on Oct. 26. The Capital District Mayor's Cup game will be at MVP Arena on Jan. 25.
Long time, no see
The Union will face three opponents they haven't faced in a long time, two of which are teams from Atlantic Hockey America (formerly the United States Hockey Association).
Mercyhurst will visit Mesa for a two-game series on Oct. 18 and 19. This will be the first time they have faced the Lakers since Oct. 29, 2004, when the Union won 3-2. The team's record against the Lakers is one win, one loss and one draw.
The Garnet Chargers travel to Niagara for a two-game series on Nov. 29 and 30. The teams last met on Oct. 21, 2017, with Union winning 5-1 on the road. Union has a career record of 7 wins, 0 losses and 2 ties against Niagara.
Finally, Alaska Fairbanks will make its Mesa debut on Nov. 8 and 9. Union last played the Nanooks in a 2-1 loss in Fairbanks on Oct. 16, 2010. The only other time the schools met was in the RPI Invitational, when Union, playing its final season in Division III, defeated Alaska Fairbanks 5-2 on Dec. 29, 1990.
Final Weekend
Union will play at home on the final weekend of the regular season, and it will be an emotional game.
It starts with Cornell visiting Mesa College on Friday, Feb. 28. Barring an ECACH Tournament matchup, this will be Cornell head coach Mike Schafer's final game at the rink. Schafer announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of this season. Schafer has 15 wins, 9 losses and 6 ties at Mesa College.
Then, Colgate will be Union's final regular-season opponent at Mesa on Saturday, March 1. The Garnet Chargers will relocate to Mohawk Harbor Arena for the 2025-26 season.
Union Men's Hockey Schedule
Home games (uppercase)
Represents the e-ECACH game
Times subject to change
October
5 — Providence (Exhibition), TBA. 6 — Army West Point, TBA. 11 — Stonehill, TBA. 12 — Boston University, 7. 18 — Mercyhurst, TBA. 19 — Mercyhurst, TBA. e-25 — RPI, 7. e-26 — RPI, TBA.
November
8 — Alaska Fairbanks, TBD; 9 — Alaska Fairbanks, TBD; e-15 — St. Lawrence, 7; e-16 — Clarkson, TBD; 29 — Niagara, TBD; 30 — Niagara, TBD.
December
e-6 — Princeton, 7; e-7 — Quinnipiac, 7; 13 — Vermont, TBD; 14 — Vermont, TBD.
January
e-3 — vs Brown, 7; e-4 — vs Yale, 7; e-10 — vs Clarkson, 7; e-11 — vs St. Lawrence, 7; e-17 — Dartmouth, 7; e-18 — Harvard, TBA; 25 — vs RPI in the Capital District Mayor's Cup at MVP Arena, 6; e-31 — Yale, 7.
February
e-1 — Brown University, 7; e-7 — Colgate University, 7; e-8 — Cornell University, 7; e-14 — Quinnipiac University, 7; e-15 — Princeton University, undecided; e-21 — Harvard University, 7; e-22 — Dartmouth College, 7; e-28 — Cornell University, 7.
march
e-1 — Colgate, TBA
