First game between Union and Army in Schenectady

Two college hockey teams located within the state of New York debuted in the winter of 1903: Union and Army. Only a little more than 100 miles separate West Point from Schenectady, yet it took more than 73 years for the in-state teams to play a game against one another at Union’s home rink. And it wasn’t even on the schedule at the beginning of the season.

Army fielded a varsity hockey program at its onset while hockey at Union didn’t gain varsity status until 1919. It’s doubtful that played a part in why the teams didn’t play one another for the first time until 1924, but it’s worth noting. It’s also worth noting that Union suspended hockey operations three times in the first 17 years of the program; something that likely contributed more to the delay than varsity status considering colleges often played local club and high school teams at the time. The first game between the two programs was February 13, 1924, and was played outdoors at Stuart Rink on the United States Military Academy campus behind the gymnasium. The teams played a total of 10 times at West Point before the Cadets would travel up north for a game at Union. Army won 9 of these 10 games with Union snapping the nine-game win streak in 1941. Thirty-five years later, Union finally hosted Army on March 6, 1976.

The game took place the first season the Union program was reinstated after nearly thirty years without hockey. The Dutchmen, as they were known as at the time, joined ECAC 2 in Division II. Army was an original member of ECAC 2 since 1973 when the NCAA split the College Division into Divisions II and III. The 1975-76 season saw Union dominate competition – a feat that was unexpected for a new program. The Dutchmen had a 16-game win streak heading into the ECAC 2 quarterfinals. Army, on the other hand, owned a 17-8 overall record by the end of the regular season. This would mean the Cadets would head to Schenectady, New York, for the first time.

During the regular season, Union’s all-freshmen team shocked ECAC 2 with the best record in the division. However, the team was seeded 4th in the ECAC 2 tournament due to the competition it scheduled throughout its first season back. In this playoff game, the older, experienced and more physical Army team upset the Dutchmen 3-2 in front of a shocked crowd at Achilles Rink. Army played Merrimack in the conference semifinals the following week and lost 8-2 to finish the season.

The Union men’s hockey team will host Army this upcoming Saturday on October 4, 2025. The Black Knights will have the privilege of being the very first team to play against Union in its inaugural game at M&T Bank Center. With 101 years of hockey history between them, it’s only fitting that these two teams will break in the ice at this new arena.

Photo Credit: Union College Concordiensis, Vol. 105, No. 17. April 7, 1976.