NEW HAVEN, Conn. –
In unprecedented times, Yale University Athletics is rallying together as One Bulldog Nation. While the health and safety of everyone must be at the forefront of every decision, Yale Athletics celebrates the outstanding accomplishments that our winter postseason-qualifying teams and spring programs have made this season. Today we begin honoring the outstanding senior classes of our teams that had their seasons cut short. Here is men's hockey.
The nine members of the class of 2020 lost their opportunity to compete for a conference championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However, they did go out in style with a 2-1, double-overtime victory in the decisive game of their best-of-three, ECAC Hockey Tournament playoff series at Ingalls Rink against Union.
The veteran leadership helped the Bulldogs erase a 3-0 loss in the opening game of the series and 1-0 deficits in both game two and three to advance to a quarterfinal series that never came.
Here's a look at the class of 2020.
Robbie DeMontis, a forward from Kleinburg, Ont., when healthy, was a mainstay in the lineup while notching 41 points in 98 games. His most productive night was a two-goal, three-point effort in a 5-5 OT tie at New Hampshire in January of 2019. DeMontis is an Academic All-ECAC recipient and a political science major in Benjamin Franklin College.
Will D'Orsi, a forward from Sudbury, Mass., had his best season as a Bulldog this winter. That included a two-point night against Sacred Heart in the inaugural CT Ice Festival. D'Orsi, an American Hockey Coaches Association Scholar-All-American, is an economics major in Pauli Murray College.
Matt Foley, a Longmeadow, Mass., native, was a big contributor from the blueline. Foley, whose first collegiate goal was against RPI as a rookie, is an academic All-ECAC pick and political science major in Benjamin Franklin College.
Chandler Lindstrand, a defenseman from Medina, Minnesota, is an academic All-ECAC recipient, the team's 2018-19 conference scholar-athlete award winner and a political science major in Pauli Murray College. Lindstrand, a regular in the lineup for four seasons, recorded 22 points as a Bulldog. His first career tally was Yale's first goal of the 2016-17 campaign.
Corbin Kaczperski, a China Township, Mich., native, stopped 64 of 68 shots against Union in the 2020 ECAC Tournament to help Yale win the series in three games. He was a three-time conference goalie of the week and the ECAC Goalie of the Month for December this season. Kaczperski completed his career with a save percentage of .911 and a 2.53 goals against average after playing in 58 games. He is an economics and political science major in Pauli Murray College.
Evan Smith, the Stouffville, Ont., native who captained the 2019-20 squad, was a regular forward in the lineup since the start of his collegiate career. He tallied 51 points in 124 games, including a four-goal game against Princeton in February of 2018, while also earning academic All-ECAC honors. Smith is a mechanical engineering major in Benjamin Franklin College.
Mitchell Smith, the other half of the first twins in program history, has been on the line chart almost every game since coming to New Haven. The Stouffville, Ont., native tallied 31 points in his 120 games as a Bulldog, including a goal and an assist in a win over Colgate junior year. He is a mechanical engineering major in Benjamin Franklin College who has received academic All-ECAC honors.
Luke Stevens, from Duxbury, Mass., enjoyed his more productive year as a Bulldog this winter with seven goals and 12 points. The forward who was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes finished with 19 goals while playing in 101 games. Stevens, who scored the game-winning goal against No. 3 Harvard sophomore year, is a political science major in Pauli Murray College.
Billy Sweezey, a defenseman from Hanson, Mass., has the most career games played among the class of 2020 with 127. He is an ECAC All-Academic team member and was Yale's 2019-20 ECAC Scholar-Athlete Award recipient as a biomedical engineering major in Pauli Murray College.
The class of 2020 has helped build a foundation for a program that brings back its top five point producers from this season. The Bulldogs, who won five of their final eight games, return all-star sophomore forwards
Curtis Hall (All-ECAC, All-Ivy), a Boston Bruins' draft pick, and
Justin Pearson (All-Ivy), while the defense will include NHL draft picks junior
Phil Kemp (Edmonton) and sophomore
Jack St. Ivany (Philadelphia).
