Union Signs Landmark Deal to Play in Capital Region’s Mohawk Harbor Arena

The future of the Union College hockey programs is extremely bright, and it got even brighter on Monday morning.

Union Athletics announced on their website that, beginning in 2025-26, both the men's and women's hockey programs at Union will play their home games at the yet-to-be-built hockey arena at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady.

Per the site developer, they will break ground on the arena in the spring, and it will be completed in time for puck drop in 2025.

Plans for the arena were announced in the spring of 2022. The 100,000-square-foot facility will seat 2,200 spectators for hockey games, and will cost approximately $50 million to construct.

Union College will be the primary tenant in the building, per an agreement with the developer, Maxon Alco Holdings, LLC. They will contribute $20 million over 25 years to host the men's and women's hockey programs, according to the press release.

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With the move to Mohawk Harbor, it will bring to an end Union's half-century run at Messa Rink at the Achilles Center, which is located on Union's campus. Union played its first game at the arena on Dec. 5, 1975.

As noted by Union in their press release, at the time, the facility was designed to host a single Division II/III team. Union's men's hockey program transitioned to Division I in 2001, with the women's program following suit in 2003.

Both programs appear to be headed toward bright futures under coaches Josh Hauge and Josh Sciba, and clearly, the institution wants a hockey facility that matches those trajectories.

In addition to playing all games at Mohawk Harbor, both Garnet Chargers teams will also practice at the new arena, and have upgraded locker rooms and training facilities available for use.

The Achilles Center, meanwhile, will be used for other athletic uses and community events beginning in 2025.