Upstate New York’s northwest corner is where you will find Schenectady, a fun-to say but harder-to-spell town (pop. Union College (enrollment : 2,194) is the home of this small liberal arts school, which doubles as the oldest college in New York and the most selective in the nation.
Union’s Division III athletic teams are the most competitive and do not offer athletic scholarships. However, their hockey team competes in Division I. This past spring, they defeated Big Ten powerhouse Minnesota to win the national championship. You might be surprised to know that scholarships are not offered by the hockey team.
Union College Hockey
Union, like other Ivy League Vans Gol Shoes schools offers athletic scholarships and lucrative financial aid packages. The school’s tuition is less than $45,000 annually, which explains how it managed to attract and develop the top players for union college hockey.
Union has had its ups and downs. For the 1991-92 season, the school was promoted from Division III (where they were not successful), They went quickly 3-21-1. Bruce Delventhal was their first coach at this level. He won 37 games in just five years. Stan Moore was his replacement and Kevin Sneddon was their coach for five seasons.
Nate Leaman, a former Harvard assistant, was 31 years old when he succeeded Sneddon. His background in recruiting and developing players at an academically-oriented school laid the groundwork for him to become Union’s all-time winningest coach, and the school’s only Division I head coach to leave the school with a winning record. Union won the ECAC regular season championship in his last season.
Stay Competitive
We want to build a facility that meets our standards of excellence in union college hockey and athletics. This is also in line with our league rivals, which are some of the most selective academic institutions in America. It is crucial to maintain our nationally recognized Division I hockey teams by upgrading Achilles Center.
It’s Unlike Anything Else
Union hockey has been elevated to the national stage by its 2014 NCAA Men’s Championship win and expanding women’s program. We are attracted top talent and continue to build on our successes, but competition is fierce. Ten of the 12 ECAC Institutions have completed major arena renovations or are currently in the process.
Bottom line: Our beloved arena was built more than 40 years ago to house one Division III sports. Two Division I programs now call it home. Although outgrowing facilities is a good sign and we have made smart investments over time, it is now time to expand.
Get your 2021-22 Union College Hockey Season tickets now!
SCHENECTADY (N.Y.) – Although it might be mid-summer, Union Hockey games will soon be on the horizon! Order your Union College women’s and men’s 2021-22 season ticket packages now and reserve your place at Messa Rink for the Dutchmen or Dutchwomen returning to the ice this year!