The Union Garnet Chargers ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I men's college ice hockey program that represents Union College. The Garnet Chargers are a member of ECAC Hockey. They play at the new M&T Bank Center on the Mohawk River in Schenectady, New York. The Garnet Chargers (known as the Dutchmen at the time) won the 2014 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament by defeating the Minnesota Golden Gophers 7–4.
Program history The hockey team was founded in 1904 making it the 7th oldest college program playing in NCAA Division I and provides the school with a long and colorful history in the sport. Men at Union have played hockey in four distinct periods: club hockey from 1904 to 1911, varsity hockey from 1919 to 1949 (from 1943 to 1948 there was a hiatus from play due to WW II), NCAA Division III hockey from 1975 to 1990 and NCAA Division I hockey from 1991–present.
Early history 1904–1911 Union's first game, played on February 3, 1904, was a victory over the Union Classical Institute. Three other games were played that inaugural season including a 1–4 loss to rival Rensselaer. Lacking a rink of its own during that inaugural season, all games were played on the opponent's home ice. The first attempt at creating an on-campus outdoor rink was made by students in 1905 when a plow and scaper was hired to form a level 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. No collegiate games were played in the 1910 or 1911 seasons because Union's players couldn't afford the costs of travel and opponent game guarantee fees. The club team subsequently disbanded bringing a close to the earliest era of hockey at Union.
Varsity era 1919–1949
Division III era 1975–1990
Division I era 1991–present
In 2012, the team made the school's first NCAA men's ice hockey championship Frozen Four appearance, losing to Ferris State University.
In the 2013–2014 season, the team won the 2014 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament, the first in school history. The team had an overall 32-6-4 record with 12 consecutive wins leading up to the national title win. Junior Shayne Gostisbehere won the Most Outstanding Player of the 2014 Frozen Four, and signed his NHL entry level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers 3 days after the championship.
In 2017, senior Mike Vecchione was named as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Vecchione finished his collegiate career with a school record of 175 points, along with the leading number of all-time assists at 104. He led the D1 league with 21 multiple point games, 17 goals, 4 short handed goals, 4 game winning goals, and a 60.4% faceoff win percentage.
In 2023, the college changed the school's athletic nickname from "Dutchmen" and "Dutchwomen" to "Garnet Chargers" as part of a branding update. Garnet has been the school's official color for 150 years, and the name "chargers" is a reference to "Schenectady's legacy as a leader in electrical technologies."
In the 2023-24 season, the team had the second-best penalty kill in college hockey, at 87.9%.
Season-by-season results
Championships
NCAA National Championships YearChampionScoreRunner-upCityArenaCoachMOP2014Union7–4MinnesotaPhiladelphia, PAWells Fargo CenterRick BennettShayne Gostisbehere
ECAC Hockey Tournament championships (Whitelaw Cup) YearChampionScoreRunner-upCityArenaCoachMOPNotes2012Union3–1HarvardAtlantic City, NJBoardwalk HallRick BennettJeremy WelshLost to Ferris State in NCAA Semifinal2013Union3–1BrownAtlantic City, NJBoardwalk HallRick BennettTroy GrosenickLost to Quinnipiac in NCAA East Regional2014Union4–2ColgateLake Placid, NYHerb Brooks ArenaRick BennettDaniel CarrDefeated Minnesota in NCAA Championship Runners-up in 2010
ECAC Hockey Regular season Championships (Cleary Cup) Year Conference record Overall record Coach 2010–11 17–3–2 26–10–4 Nate Leaman 2011–12 14–4–4 26–8–7 Rick Bennett 2013–14 18–3–1 32–6–4 Rick Bennett 2016–17† 16–4–2 25–10–3 Rick Bennett † Shared with Harvard
Players
Current roster As of August 10, 2025.
Awards & honors As of April 2017
Hobey Baker Memorial Award Mike Vecchione - Hat Trick Finalist, F: 2017 Troy Grosenick - Top 10 Finalist, G: 2012 Shayne Gostisbehere - Top 10 Finalist, D: 2014 Daniel Ciampini - Top 10 Finalist, F: 2015 Spencer Foo - Top 10 Finalist, F: 2017
Spencer Penrose Award - AHCA Coach of the Year Nate Leaman: 2011 Rick Bennett: 2014
USCHO Coach of the Year Rick Bennett: 2014
College Hockey News Coach of the Year Rick Bennett: 2014
NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player Shayne Gostisbehere, D: 2014
NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team Matt Bodie, D: 2014 Daniel Ciampini, F: 2014 Shayne Gostisbehere, D: 2014 Colin Stevens, G: 2014
NCAA East Regional Most Outstanding Player Max Novak, F: 2014 Jeremy Welsh, F: 2014
Tim Taylor Award - ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year Bruce Delventhal: 1994 Stan Moore: 1997 Nate Leaman: 2010, 2011 Rick Bennett: 2012, 2017
ECAC Hockey Player of the Year Shayne Gostisbehere, D: 2013 (co-recipient) Mike Vecchione, F: 2017
Ken Dryden Award - ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year Trevor Koenig, G: 1997 Keith Kinkaid, G: 2011 Troy Grosenick, G: 2012 Colin Stevens, G: 2014
ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman Andrew Will, D: 1997 (co-recipient) Brock Matheson, D: 2011 Shayne Gostisbehere, D: 2014
ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Forward Adam Presizniuk, F: 2011 Kelly Zajac, F: 2012
ECAC Hockey Student Athlete of the Year Oliver Bouchard: 2007 Matt Cook: 2009 Stephane Boileau: 2011 Josh Kosack: 2022
ECAC Hockey Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jeremy Welsh, F: 2012 Troy Grosenick, G: 2013 Daniel Carr, F: 2014
ECAC Hockey All-Tournament Team Mike Schreiber, D: 2010 Daniel Carr, F: 2012, 2013, 2014 Shayne Gostisbehere, D: 2012 Troy Grosenick, G: 2012, 2013 Jeremy Welsh, F: 2012 Greg Coburn, D: 2013 Max Novak, F: 2013 Matt Bodie, D: 2014 Shayne Gostisbehere, D: 2014 Colin Stevens, G: 2014 Mike Vecchione, F: 2014
AHCA First Team All-Americans (DI) - East 1995-96: Trevor Koenig, G 2010-11: Keith Kinkaid, G 2011-12: Troy Grosenick, G 2013-14: Matt Bodie, D; Shayne Gostisbehere, D 2014-15: Daniel Ciampini, F 2016-17: Mike Vecchione, F; Spencer Foo, F
AHCA Second Team All-Americans (DI) - East 2011-12: Matt Bodie, D; Jeremy Welsh, F 2012-13: Shayne Gostisbehere, D 2013-14: Daniel Carr, F; Colin Stevens, G
AHCA Second Team All-Americans (DIII) - East 1985-86: Wayne McDougall, G 1999-89: Ron Kinghorn, G 1989-90: Terry Campbell, F
Academic All-American Second Team 2009-10: Stephane Boileau 2013-14: Cole Ikkala
Academic All-American Third Team 2011-12: Troy Grosenick 2012-13: Troy Grosenick 2013-14: Matt Bodie 2016-17: Mike Vecchione
Union College Athletics Hall of Fame Wayne McDougall, G: 2005 Steve Baker, G: 2007 Gil Egan, F: 2008 Craig Ferrero, F: 2009 Tod Fobare, F: 2010 Terry Campbell, F: 2015 Charlie Morrison, Head Coach: 2015 1983-84 Men's Hockey Team: 2015 Dalton Menhall: 2017 Jack Rankin: 2019
Historic records
Records vs. Current ECAC Hockey Teams As of the completion of the 2023–24 season School Team Away Arena Overall record Win % Last Result 25–28–15 6-0 W 30–40–5 5-1 W 33–49–4 3-4 L 23–49–10 3-2 W 36–31–7 2-4 L 20–39–6 6-2 W 43–27–9 2-2 SOL 17–26–5 2-6 L 47–56–12 5-3 W 36–40–5 2-2 SOW 29–35–7 1-3 L
In-season tournaments As of April 2017 Event name Host city Season All-Time Record Badger Showdown Madison, WI 2003–04 0–2 Capital District Mayor's Cup Albany, NY 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17 3–2 Brice Alaska Goal Rush Fairbanks, AK 2010–11 1–1 Catamount Cup Burlington, VT 2012–13 1–1 Concordia Invitational Montreal, QE 1993–94 2–0 Dodge Holiday Classic Providence, RI 2005–06 1–1 Dunkin Donuts Coffee Pot Providence, RI 2004–05 0–1–1 Frozen Holiday Classic Bridgeport, CT 2014–15 1–1 Governor's Cup Albany, NY 2008–09, 2007–08, 2006–07 1–4–1 Ice Breaker Cup Denver, CO 1999–00 0–2 Icebreaker Invitational Colorado Springs, CO 2005–06 1–1 J.C. Penney Classic Orono, ME 1996–97, 1998–99 2–2 Ledyard Bank Classic Hanover, NH 2015–16 2–0 Mariucci Classic Minneapolis, MN 2000–01, 2005–06, 2010–11 2–3–1 Omaha Stampede Omaha, NE 2008–09 1–1 Pete Kelly Cup Fredericton, NB 2007–08 1–1 Rensselaer Invitational Troy, NY 1991–92, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2009–10 2–6 Shillelagh tournament Notre Dame, IN 2008–09, 2014–15 2–2 Sheraton/TD Banknorth Tournament Burlington, VT 2006–07 1–1 UConn Classic Storrs, CT 2009–10 1–1
Program records
Individual – career Most goals in a career: Gil Egan, 83, (1981–85) Most points in a career: Mike Vecchione, 176, (2013–17) Most assists in a career: Terry Campbell, 119, (1987–91) Most power play goals in a career: Daniel Carr, 34, (2010–14) Most game winning goals in a career: Wayne Simpson, 16, (2009–13) Most shots in a career: Wayne Simpson, 447, (2009–13) Most wins in a career: Kris Mayotte, 46, (2002–06) Best goals-against-average in a career: Troy Grosenick, 1.89, (2010–13) Most saves in a career: Brandon Snee, 3,085, (1998–02) Best save percentage in a career: Troy Grosenick, .930, (2010–13)
Individual – season Most goals in a season: Mike Vecchione, 29, (2016–17) Most points in a season: Mike Vecchione, 63, (2016–17) Most assists in a season: Spencer Foo, 36, (2016–17) Most power play goals in a season: Daniel Carr, 12, (2010–11) Most game winning goals in a season: Max Novak, 8, (2013–14) Most shots in a season: Shayne Gostisbehere, 159, (2013–14) Most wins in a season: Colin Stevens, 28, (2013–14) Best goals-against-average in a season: Troy Grosenick, 1.65, (2011–12) Most saves in a career: Kris Mayotte, 987, (2005–06) Best save percentage in a career: Troy Grosenick, .936, (2011–12)
Team – game Most goals in a game: 11 vs. Clarkson (2/5/10) Most goals allowed in a game: 10 vs. Penn State (3/25/17) Most goals combined in a game: 15 vs. Clarkson (11/13/93) & Merrimack (11/1/91) Most shots taken in a game: 75 vs. Quinnipiac (3/12/10) Most shots allowed in a game: 63 vs. Bemidji State (10/26/02) Fewest shots taken in a game: 13 (5x) last time vs. Cornell (11/18/05) Fewest shots allowed in a game: 9 vs. Cornell (2/11/11) Most penalties in a game: 27 vs. Cornell (12/4/98) Most penalty minutes in a game: 116 vs. Cornell (12/4/98) Longest game: 150:22 in 5 OTs lasting 5 hrs., 56 minutes vs. Quinnipiac (3/12/10)
Team – season Most wins in a season: 32 (2013–14) Most conference wins in a season: 18 (2013–14) ECAC Hockey Most consecutive wins in a season: 12 (2013–14) Longest unbeaten streak in a season: 17 (2013–14)
Head coaches
All-time coaching records As of completion of the 2023–24 season Tenure Coach Years Record Pct. 1903–1904, 1905–1911 No Coach 7 6–7–1 1919–1924 Ambrose Clark 4 7–10–0 .412 1924–1925 Henry Gardner 1 1–3–0 .250 1925–1930 H. A. Larabee 5 9–14–3 1930–1933 William Harkness 3 4–8–1 .346 1933–1935 H. L. Achilles 2 4–7–0 1935–1936, 1939–1942, 1947–1949 Arthur C. Lawrence 6 10–30–2 1936–1939 Duke Nelson 3 3–11–2 1975–1977 Ned Harkness 3† 45–8–2 1978 Bob Driscoll 1† 0–13–0 .000 1978–1988 Charles Morrison 10 123–147–9 1988–1996 Bruce Delventhal 8 89–111–21 1996–1998 Stan Moore 2 24–35–7 1998–2003 Kevin Sneddon 5 50–99–18 2003–2011 Nate Leaman 8 138–127–35 2011–2022 Rick Bennett 10‡ 192–133–45 2022 John Ronan 1‡ 8–8–1 2022–Present Josh Hauge 3 49–51–8 Totals 17 coaches 83 Seasons 762–822–154 † Bob Driscoll coached the final 13 games of the 1977–78 season after Ned Harkness resigned. ‡ Rick Bennett was suspended on January 19, 2022 and John Ronan coached the final 17 games of the season.
Garnet Chargers in the NHL
As of July 1, 2025. = NHL All-Star team= NHL All-StarPlayers are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career. = NHL All-Star and NHL All-Star team= Hall of Famers