Union women's hockey reflects on playing its final game at Messa Rink

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The next time the Union women's hockey team plays a home game, it will not be at Messa Rink. The Garnet Chargers have taken the ice for the final time at the place they've called home since the program's inception in 1999.

Union played its last home game of the regular season Saturday afternoon, and lost a tight, 2-1 battle to Cornell, the fourth-ranked team in the country.

The Garnet Chargers won't be eligible for a postseason home game. With the loss, they fell out of contention for the No. 8 spot in the ECAC standings - the last spot that allows for home ice in the conference tournament.

Union will be moving over to the Mohawk Harbor Event Center in Schenectady next season, which is currently under construction.

Despite the loss, it was still a special day at Messa Rink Saturday. The team had its Senior Day, and senior captain Maren Friday was named the winner of the Mandi Schwartz Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award - a memorable way to conclude this chapter of Union women's hockey.

Across a brilliant, four-year career, Friday has a lot of fond memories of the Messa Rink.

"I love...just how, like, energetic it can get in here because of being a smaller arena," said Friday. "I love that feel to it. I love the wood work; I think it allows kind of a greater energy to be in the building than some of the other arenas."

Union head coach Tony Maci is in his first season at the helm of the program. But he knows the significance of Messa Rink, even going back to his college days.

"I remember playing here when I was at St. Lawrence University; on the men's side, they used to kick and stomp pretty good on these wood bleachers, and get it rowdy," said Maci. "That's what I remember of it (Messa Rink). It's been really good to be here, and in the last year, we were able to get a lot of alumni back to kinda give Messa one last go. We've got some pretty iconic rinks in our league...this is one of 'em."

The Garnet Chargers will close out the regular season next weekend with road trips to Princeton on Friday and Quinnipiac Saturday. The opening round of the 2025 ECAC Women's Hockey Championship is set for the following weekend.