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

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Saturday night's loss in Game 2 of the ECAC Men's Hockey Championship quarterfinals didn't just mean the end of the season for Union; it marked the closing of a major chapter in the program's history.

With Union set to move to the Mohawk Harbor Arena next season, Saturday's game played at Messa Rink was the final one ever for the Garnet Chargers in that building.

Messa Rink has been home to Union for 50 years; four years to a group of seniors that took one final lap around the rink following their disappointing, 7-2 loss against Dartmouth.

"I wouldn't want to play anywhere else in college," said senior captain Cullen Ferguson. "[We] just wanted to pay [our] respects to the fans who've been so supportive and have made my four years here so unbelievable. They're what make Messa so great."

"They (the fans) stuck with us from the time we got here," added senior forward and alternate captain Caden Villegas. "Over the four years we've been here, it's only grown. Of course, you have those fans that are always loyal no matter what the outcomes are. So, that lap I thought was huge. It shows how far the program's come. I'm sure they're (the team) gonna have a hell of year in that new rink, but it was good to send it off that way with that lap, and just thanking the fans."

It wasn't the way Union wanted the last game at Messa Rink to go, but the result doesn't take away from the countless memories that have been made on that ice.

"My kids...they're growing up here," said Union head coach Josh Hauge. "They get to be a part of this building, and so many people in the community and the players that have played here before have grown here. It's a special place. It truly is special, like, how loud it gets when you score a goal and the building's shaking. Friday, for the starting lineup, that was amazing; just how loud it was. It's definitely gonna be missed. Obviously, we're excited to go to the new building, but [I'm] really lucky to have been a coach [in this building] for three seasons."

Just how iconic is Messa Rink? It garners reverence even from the opposition.

"I've had unbelievable experiences here," said Dartmouth head coach Reid Cashman, who played at Quinnipiac and was an assistant coach for the Bobcats from 2011-2016. "That five-year run when [Union] won a national championship and we (Quinnipiac) went to two Frozen Fours, it was some of the best hockey I've been a part of in this league. The thing about the ECAC that's awesome is the history, and the buildings tell a story. This building has a story to be told."

Union finished the year 19-14-3 with a 9-9-2 record at home.