BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - Some college students are on campus this fall, some are taking classes online from home or other places and the rest are taking a break from study during the pandemic. Elle Hartje '23 is in the latter category but doing something unique for U.S. citizens who are college athletes.
 
Hartje, who made an immediate impact as a Yale newcomer last winter with 11 goals and 25 points and the team's top plus/minus rating, is living in the hometown her maternal grandmother and aunt were born while skating for a club team and the Slovakian National Team with hopes of competing at the World Championships.
 
"We had explored over the years what would be involved with playing for Slovakia in the Olympics, but Elle had always been part of the U.S. Hockey player pool," said her mom, Nicole Hartje.  "Obviously, she would want to represent the U.S. first and foremost."  
 
The Slovak Federation and the IIHF told the Hartje family Elle would have to establish residence in Slovakia for a minimum of eight months to represent them. Nobody thought there would be an opportunity.
 
Then came the pandemic.
 
"Elle had already elected to take a leave of absence from Yale, and we were thinking through some productive ways to spend her time away, both to grow as a person and as an athlete," said Nicole, who captained the Harvard Tennis Team during her undergraduate days.
 
Elle, who plans to be in Europe through April, including the World Championships in France, before returning to Slovakia for an August Olympic qualification tournament, got permission from USA Hockey to embark on this adventure. Once she is back in the states, after a waiting period, she can return to the U.S. player pool. 
 
As a Bulldog newcomer in 2019-20, the Detroit, Mich., native had a hat trick in her first collegiate game while earning ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors. She was sixth among NCAA Division I rookies with .89 points per game and helped Yale to a school-record 17 wins, but an injury kept Hartje out of the lineup for the last four games, including a wild playoff series at Harvard.
 
Hartje's club team HC SKP Bratislava competes in a league called the Elite Women's Hockey League against teams from Hungary, Germany (teammate Tabea Botthof '22 is on the roster), Poland, Austria, Sweden and Kazakhstan. Her club teammates, essentially the national team, hope to win some games at the Worlds before trying to help Slovakia qualify for its second ever Olympic Games.

Bratislava is a city of a half million people and the center hub is called Old Town. Elle's grandparents were married in Old Town.

 

"It is so beautiful. There is a castle on a hill and amazing restaurants. In my free time, I have done a lot of exploring of Old Town, and I really love it. The city is not too crowded and busy, yet there is always energy. Many areas are walking only which makes for peaceful walks," said Elle, who is the league's leading points and assists person for a first-place team. 

She's not the first person in the family to skate so far from home. Her father, Tod, who helped the Crimson win the 1989 NCAA Hockey Championship, skated in the Ukraine for a team in the Soviet Elite League. He played against the famous Red Army team and then spent a year training in Russia while writing the book, "From Behind the Red Line."
 
"Elle has a new-found respect for her dad because she can't imagine doing what she is doing without facetime and Netflix," said Nicole.

The young Bulldog with Slovakian citizenship enjoys living in a hotel with her team, which includes having a floor to itself.

"This allows for a lot of bonding. When we are not at training, we are together at the hotel. It expedited getting to know my teammates. We often just keep our doors open so that anyone can come and go and hang out. There are also many places within walking distance of the hotel, such as a mall, grocery stores, a lake, etc. We are free to explore in our free time." 

Top athletes are concerned about nutrition, so food is part of the consideration when they are spending a lot of time away from home. The club provides three meals a day; breakfast is at the hotel, while lunch and dinner are served in the restaurant above the rink.

 

"Chicken and potatoes are the most commonly served foods. For lunch, we always have soup with our meal, which I have learned is typical in Europe. My favorite is when we have traditional Slovakian meals, because my Grandma has been cooking them for me since I was little. Whenever we get something that she has made for me, I send her a photo. This has also made me closer with my grandparents since I am living in their hometown, and am able to FaceTime them often," said Elle, who has become obsessed with some snacks that can't be found in the States.

Parental respect and family tradition have their limits. The thoughts of following the collegiate footsteps of Nicole and Tod, not to mention her older brother, to Cambridge did not influence her final call.
 
"My parents never pressured me to go to their alma mater. They just wanted me to go somewhere where I would be academically challenged in conjunction with playing for a serious hockey program," said Elle, whose younger brother is also in school next to the Charles River. "When I came to [Yale] campus, I fell in love."
 
Yale is fortunate love can't be arranged.