Yale vs. Saint Anselm
Tuesday, October 22 – 7 PM
Ingalls Rink
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Yale vs. Princeton
Friday, October 25 – 6 PM
Ingalls Rink
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Yale vs. Quinnipiac
Saturday, October 26 – 3 PM
Ingalls Rink
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NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The Yale women's ice hockey team kicks off the 2024-25 season with a trio of home contests beginning on Tuesday and leading into the weekend. The Bulldogs will compete in their home opener against non-conference foe Saint Anselm before taking on ECAC rivals Princeton and Quinnipiac on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Looking Back
Yale is coming off a 2023-24 season in which the team finished with an overall record of 16-15-1, the Bulldogs fourth consecutive winning season. The Elis locked up the No. 6 seed in the ECAC tournament downing Union in the opening round before falling to Saint Lawrence in the quarterfinals. Yale also remained in the top-15 nationally throughout the duration of the season. 

The Bulldogs graduated a pair of seniors, including Elle Hartje, the program's all-time leader in points and assists. Although the Elis will miss their first line center and captain, the team returns a strong core of experienced players.

Moving Forward
With the departure of Hartje, the Bulldogs will rely on several offensive weapons to step up in key moments. Captain Anna Bargman returns as an impact player, scoring 77 points over the past three seasons. Junior Jordan Ray will also factor in as a first line forward after leading the team with 13 goals last season. Classmate Carina DiAntonio was just shy of her second consecutive 20-point season, tallying eight goals and 11 assists. Sophomore Stephanie Stainton will look to build on her impressive first year. 

Defensively, the Bulldogs return every player from a unit that only allowed two goals per game last season. Vita Poniatovskaia, a two-time All-ECAC selection, will anchor the first line defense. Fellow seniors Emma DeCorby, Olivia Muhn, and Tijana Miskovic will also be key players protecting the net. Goaltender Pia Dukaric, the program's all-time leader in shutouts, will return for her final season and looks to remain as one of the top netminders in the nation.

Yale begins the season ranked No. 15 in the country and are picked to finished sixth in the conference pre-season poll.

New Faces
The Bulldogs welcome seven newcomers to the squad: Cami Bell, Sophia Levering, Alexis Fields, Avery Peters, Mackenzie Allen, Emma McGowan and Naomi Baechler.

Last Time Out
Yale has faced Saint Anselm twice over the course of the past three seasons, outscoring the Hawks 14-0 in those two contests. Saint Anselm enters the game with a 3-3-0 record so far this season. 

The Bulldogs played Quinnipiac three times last season, winning the last contest in overtime. Quinnipiac has already played eight games, sporting a 6-2-0 record. Yale recorded a 1-0-1 record against Princeton last season, defeating the Tigers on the road to open the year. Princeton is 2-0 so far this season. Both Quinnipiac and Princeton are nationally ranked. 

From Coach Bolding
"We are excited to get the year going officially with St. Anselm coming to Ingalls, then a big opening weekend series with rivals Princeton and Quinnipiac," said Mark Bolding, Susan Cavanaugh Head Coach of Women's Hockey. "The team has worked hard to get ready for the season and, with 11 seniors on our roster we are very optimistic for this group to get back to the upper half of the ECAC and hopefully a run later in the year to the NCAA's. Our new captain, Anna Bargman has done a nice job thus far getting the team connected and focused for the season."

The Bulldogs begin the 2024-25 season on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at Ingalls Rink against Saint Anselm.