Union women’s hockey coach Tony Maci prepares for Clarkson homecoming — Opening Faceoff | sports
Maci will return to Potsdam this weekend for an emotional reunion. The Garnet Chargers face No. 6 Clarkson, Maci’s former team, at Cheel Arena on Friday at 6 p.m.
The Union College women’s hockey team visits Clarkson on Friday at 6 p.m. That means first-year Union head coach Tony Maci, a former assistant/associate coach at Clarkson, returns to Cheel Arena. Ken Schott talks to Maci about the reunion.
Maci spent eight seasons as an assistant/assistant coach to Matt Desrosiers on the Clarkson girls hockey team. They helped the Golden Knights win back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. In total, they have made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament and four appearances in the Frozen Four.
Maci was named head coach of the Union on July 31, replacing Josh Sciba, who stepped down a month earlier to become an assistant coach with the PWHL’s New York Sirens. Due to delays in hiring, Maci’s family remains in Potsdam. His wife is a state police officer and is hoping to transfer to the Capital Region.
“I think it’s something you’re looking forward to,” Maci said. “They know me. I know them. So it’s important to fix the problem early and then get right into the game and focus on (that).”
Maci knows she has to do her best to keep her emotions in check.
The Union College women’s hockey team faces No. 6 Clarkson and No. 8 St. Louis this weekend. We were on the road again for the Lawrence game. Maren Friday, Emma Hebert and Stephanie Bourque preview the game and look back on last weekend’s win at Cornell and near-win at Colgate.
“That’s just part of the whole show, right?” Marcy said. “You have to make sure you don’t take things too far. “You don’t expect more than you have to, you just have to prepare for the game in front of you.”
The Desrosiers are looking forward to Maci’s return.
“I think there will be a lot of excitement surrounding Friday’s game,” Desrosiers wrote in an email. “Not only has Tony been a part of so many great moments in our program’s history, but his team is playing really well right now, so our players and staff will be looking forward to another competitive ECAC game.”
Union men’s coach Josh Hauge had a similar experience when he returned to Cheel two years ago. There, like Maci, he served as an assistant/associate coach under Casey Jones. During an appearance on “The Parting Schotts Podcast” on Wednesday, Hauge talked about what Maci will be going through.
The Union men’s hockey team, ranked 20th in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live college hockey poll after last weekend’s bye, hosts Alaska Fairbanks for two games this weekend. Garnet Chargers head coach Josh Hauge talks about it.
“It’s going to be emotional for him,” Hauge said. “It’s a difficult thing to achieve. But for him it was really a return home. His family is still there. They haven’t made the switch yet. I am confident he will focus on the game and have fun with his family.”
During Monday’s media day, senior defender and co-captain Maren Friday said the team has not discussed the implications of Maci returning to Clarkson.
“Our strategy will be the same. We will play to our game.” Friday said. “Don’t let the opponent control how we play. “If we keep the pace, follow the system and trust each other, I think that’s all we can ask for.”
The Union men’s hockey team, ranked 20th in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live college hockey poll after last weekend’s bye, hosts Alaska Fairbanks for two games this weekend. Garnet Chargers defensemen John Prokop and Nick Young discuss.
The Garnet Chargers want a win not only for Maci, but for themselves. They made some noise last weekend. They defeated No. 9 Cornell 3-2 last Friday for their first-ever win at Lynah Rink. And they almost got their first win last Saturday at Colgate. Union led 3-2 until the third quarter, but 6th place Colgate pulled together and won 4-3.
“This is where our head space is going to be,” said Emma Hebert, Union senior defender and co-captain. “We will do that to continue to prove not only to Tony, but to everyone else and ourselves, that this is the new Union and who we are.”
Union faces eighth-ranked St. Lawrence on Saturday at Appleton Arena at 3 p.m.
road warrior
I am amazed at how the Alaska Fairbanks men’s hockey team remains competitive.
The Union men’s hockey team, ranked 20th in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live college hockey poll after last weekend’s bye, hosts Alaska Fairbanks for two games this weekend. Garnet Chargers forward Josh Nixon talks about it.
The Nanooks play 25 road games this season. All but three are played outside the state of Alaska.
It’s almost like having a professional schedule. They played two games in Clarkson last weekend, winning one and tying the other. They then took a bus from Canton, where they were staying, and drove to their hotel in Albany. I arrived at Messa Rink late Monday afternoon toward the end of Nanooks’ practice and interviewed head coach Erik Largen.
“There are some positives and some negatives to (the road schedule),” Largen said. “Obviously you want to be in Fairbanks, sleep in your own bed, play in front of fans and let the other team handle the travel battles. But at the same time, we experience various things. (Visit) We plan to go to Lake Placid, Cooperstown (and visit the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. And the guys eat really well when we’re on the road, and we really travel when we do. We still show up. ) , and they are ready for a hockey game.”
The Alaska Fairbanks men’s hockey team visits Mesa Rink this weekend for a two-game series against Union. Fairbanks, Alaska coach Erik Largen discusses this issue and his friendship with Union coach Josh Hauge.
The Nanooks play independently along with rival Alaska Anchorage. Nanooks has played in the WCHA and CCHA. Largen would like to attend the meeting again.
“There’s really no product that’s right for us,” Largen said. “To be honest, I don’t know if that’s really the right move for us. I think NCHC is the perfect fit for us right now. But with the addition of Arizona State and all the changes with the NCAA, I think everyone is on hold unless they invite a big boy to the conference right now.”
The full interview with Largen can be found on my podcast and on The Daily Gazette’s YouTube page.
TV Games on SNY
Last Thursday, ECACH announced an agreement with SNY to broadcast the men’s and women’s matches. The package kicked off last Friday with the North Dakota-Cornell game.
SNY is best known as the television home of the New York Mets. We have broadcast some college hockey games in the past.
“We are thrilled to offer our alumni and fans the opportunity to follow their teams at SNY,” ECAC Hockey Commissioner Doug Christiansen said in a press release posted on the ECACH website. “ECAC hockey has had three of the last 11 national champions, both men’s and women’s, and we want to showcase talent throughout the league. This broadcast is designed to help recruits see our league and stadium and connect with fans throughout our footprint. Anecdotally, I like the idea of an alumnus in a New York City restaurant watching his school play and thinking about the great memories he had of going to games as a student.”
The full broadcast schedule will be released soon.