NEW HAVEN, Conn. – First-year forward Elle Hartje and Susan Cavanagh Head Coach Mark Bolding had big nights to begin their careers at Yale. Hartje had a hat trick while Bolding's women's hockey team rolled to an opening night 9-2 win over Long Island University.
 
"It was a great team win," said Bolding. "It's nice to get the offense you always dream about. We got out early and left them in our tail lights. We have to clean up some things, but this was a very satisfying win."
 
Yale outshot LIU 47-8 but scored just one of its goals with an advantage against a squad that returns to Ingalls Rink on Saturday for a 3 p.m. rematch.
 
Sophomore forward Maya Kerfoot got things started just 59 seconds into the opening faceoff with a wrister from the point that found its way through traffic. The Bulldogs made it 2-0 less than a minute later when junior blueliner Lauren Moriyama poked home a rebound.
 
After the visitors got on the board to cut the lead in half, sophomore center Charlotte Welch's wrister from the right circle went inside the far post (one of her two goals), and then a Hartje snap shot from the low slot at 9:07 bumped the lead to 4-1. Hartje, who scored in each frame, saved the best for last with a shoulder fake on LIU's backup goalie that provided a big opening for her backhand deposit in the third period.
 
Describing what her first game felt like, Hartje said, "I waited for four years to come here, so to finally be here and playing is just so surreal."
 
Sophomore wing Rebecca Vanstone put the finishing touches on an explosive frame by scoring with 8.6 seconds left on the way to Yale's most offensive night in three seasons. Another Bulldog with a big night was Claire Dalton, who assisted on four goals.
 
Tera Hofmann, the Bulldogs' senior goalie, needed just seven saves to earn the win before rookie Courtney DeNaut came in for the last six minutes.