Yale Bulldog Women's Hockey 2024-25

[BowWowWow]

In 2024-25, the Yale Bulldogs will have a large senior class of 11. This includes several leaders/top players on offense like Anna Bargman, on defense Vita Poniatovskaia and Emma DeCorby, and in net Pia Dukaric.

Elle Hartje graduates this year with 168 points. She is Yale's all-time leading scorer. Overall, Yale loses the scoring of 41 out of 204 total points recorded this season (20.1%), including 13 of 80 goals. The previous season, a higher percent of players and point production of players graduated, out of a higher total of points, and scoring declined overall. Let's hope that this time there are plenty of skaters to step into the breach!

Bargman and Jordan Ray ended the year on the first line with Hartje. Stephanie Stainton, a rising sophomore, has also been a good center.

According to Elite Prospects, Neutral Zone, and College Commitments, the following players are recruits for the fall:
F: Mackenzie Allen (Burlington Barracudas), Avery Peters (Burlington Barracudas), Emma McGowan (Mid-Fairfield, CT)
D: Alexis Fields (Florida Alliance), Sophia Levering (Boston Jr Eagles), Isabella Paolucci (Belle Tire, MI)
G: Naomi Baechler (Las Vegas Thunderbirds juniors'), Natalie Frey Perusse (Long Island Gulls boys')

That's 8 potential first-years. Go Bulldogs! : )

[ARM]

The previous season, a higher percent of players and point production of players graduated, out of a higher total of points, and scoring declined overall.

You're right; Yale had generational players overlap with Hartje, Dalton, Welch, and Seitz. To have the latter three all leave at the same time understandably left a bit of a void.

[tedlasso]

It'll be interesting to see how Yale recovers from the losses of the last few seasons. This past season, Hartje had almost 20% of her team's total points. That is the highest percentage in the NCAA this year. Similar situations/players, Fillier and Daniel, were right around 18%, but no one had quite the load and impact that Hartje had. And I believe Hartje was also in the top two or three in the NCAA for faceoff win percentage. Despite the personnel losses from 2022-2023, the biggest difference between this season and the last ended up being the play of Dukaric. She absolutely stole some games back in 2022-2023.

Next season, the skill on the team will be more evenly disbursed and the players will be a year older. So hopefully they can overcome the loss of these "generational players". But ultimately, whether the team can continue to be nationally ranked probably depends on goaltending.

[BowWowWow]

Division I B Worlds wrapped up on Saturday. Pia Dukaric is named best goaltender in Division I B Worlds for the 2nd straight year, with Slovenia, by the directorate awards, with a .951 save % on more shots than minutes played. Proud of the Yale Bulldog!

[BowWowWow]

Here are my guesses for how the 2024-25 schedule is looking based on the ECAC site and other teams' websites:

(blue = home)
Exhibition Oct
Non-conference Oct
vs St Anselm Tue Oct 22
vs Princeton Fri Oct 25 (ECAC)
vs Quinnipiac Sat Oct 26 (ECAC)
at Harvard Fri Nov 1 (ECAC)
at Dartmouth Sat Nov 2 (ECAC)
vs Cornell Fri Nov 8 (ECAC)
vs Colgate Sat Nov 9 (ECAC)
vs Brown Fri Nov 15 (ECAC)
at Brown Sat Nov 16 (ECAC)
vs St Lawrence Fri Nov 22 (ECAC)
vs Clarkson Sat Nov 23 (ECAC)
Non-conference Fri Nov 29
Non-conference Sat Nov 30
at Union Fri Dec 6 (ECAC)
at RPI Sat Dec 7 (ECAC)
at Robert Morris 7PM Fri Jan 3
at Robert Morris 3PM Sat Jan 4
at Northeastern Tue Jan 7
at Clarkson Fri Jan 17 (ECAC)
at St Lawrence Sat Jan 18 (ECAC)
at Quinnipiac Fri Jan 24 (ECAC)
at Princeton Sat Jan 25 (ECAC)
vs RPI Fri Jan 31 (ECAC)
vs Union Sat Feb 1 (ECAC)
vs Dartmouth Fri Feb 7 (ECAC)
vs Harvard Sat Feb 8 (ECAC)
at Colgate Fri Feb 14 (ECAC)
at Cornell Sat Feb 15 (ECAC)

Yale and Robert Morris last met in fall 2012. In 2 games (the other was in fall 2011), Yale has yet to score a point against them. Should be interesting to return to playing them.

Will the Nutmeg tournament happen again this season (right after Thanksgiving)? I've yet to see/hear anything. Last season it was hosts Yale along with Sacred Heart, UConn, and Quinnipiac.

Much of the schedule is similar to last year's ECAC play, with home and away reversed. The November and December slates are a little different as the two-game series with travel partners Brown is coming earlier this season.

Anna Bargman will be the captain! From the article: "I am extremely honored to have this opportunity to captain such a driven group of players. We have a very deep senior class so it's a privilege to be able to lead the team with them," Bargman said. "It's very exciting to be able to have almost the entire team returning, and to be able to be a leader for the group of new players that will join us soon as well."

Let's go, Bulldogs!

[Hockeybuckeye]

I wouldn't mind a non conference series between Ohio State and Yale or maybe Princeton.

[BowWowWow]

I wouldn't mind a non conference series between Ohio State and Yale or maybe Princeton.

Yes, a non-conference series between Ohio State and Yale would be great. For whatever reason, though, Yale tends to schedule nearby non-conference opponents. The exceptions recently have been various series with Minnesota and participating once in the Vegas tournament (Henderson Collegiate Hockey Showcase).

Princeton has participated in the series in Belfast. Maybe some more teams can get in on that!

[vicb]

Yes, a non-conference series between Ohio State and Yale would be great. For whatever reason, though, Yale tends to schedule nearby non-conference opponents.....

Less travel expense.

[Hockeybuckeye]

Less travel expense.

I'd have a hard time believing budget constraints at an Ivy League school.

[Skate79]

I'd have a hard time believing budget constraints at an Ivy League school.

Believe it. Women's hockey at the Ivies is a money-losing proposition so the idea of traveling to the Midwest for a two-game series is not ideal. I'm surprised that the Harvard men's team is going to Belfast this year. Most likely, they got donations from alumni to make it happen. That's how the men's basketball program funds Tommy Amaker's West Coast recruiting trips.

[BowWowWow]

Here is Yale's schedule for the 2024 Nutmeg Classic:
vs UConn (at Sacred Heart, Fairfield, CT) Fri Nov 29
vs Quinnipiac/Sacred Heart (at Sacred Heart, Fairfield, CT) Sat Nov 30

[BowWowWow]

2024-25 schedule from Yale's and other teams' websites:
blue = home
vs St Anselm Tue Oct 22 7PM
vs Princeton Fri Oct 25 6PM (ECAC)
vs Quinnipiac Sat Oct 26 3PM (ECAC)
at Harvard Fri Nov 1 3PM (ECAC)
at Dartmouth Sat Nov 2 3PM (ECAC)
vs Cornell Fri Nov 8 6PM (ECAC)
vs Colgate Sat Nov 9 3PM (ECAC)
vs Brown Sat Nov 16 (ECAC)
at Brown Sun Nov 17 3PM (ECAC)
vs St Lawrence Fri Nov 22 6PM (ECAC)
vs Clarkson Sat Nov 23 3PM (ECAC)
Nutmeg Classic - UConn (at Fairfield) Fri Nov 29 6PM
Nutmeg Classic - Sacred Heart or Quinnipiac (at Fairfield) Sat Nov 30 3PM or 6PM
at Union Fri Dec 6 6PM (ECAC)
at RPI Sat Dec 7 3PM (ECAC)
at Robert Morris Fri Jan 3
at Robert Morris Sat Jan 4 3PM
at Northeastern Tue Jan 7 6PM
vs Princeton Sat Jan 11 3PM
at Clarkson Fri Jan 17 6PM (ECAC)
at St Lawrence Sat Jan 18 3PM (ECAC)
at Quinnipiac Fri Jan 24 6PM (ECAC)
at Princeton Sat Jan 25 3PM (ECAC)
vs RPI Fri Jan 31 6PM (ECAC)
vs Union Sat Feb 1 3PM (ECAC)
vs Dartmouth Fri Feb 7 6PM (ECAC)
vs Harvard Sat Feb 8 3PM (ECAC)
at Colgate Fri Feb 14 6PM (ECAC)
at Cornell Sat Feb 15 3PM (ECAC)

[BowWowWow]

Will Yale do a goalie tandem this year, as many schools have done recently especially this past season? A lot was asked of Dukaric being the one main goalie last season. Two years before that, she shifted off with Gianna Meloni.

According to Yale women's hockey instagram, there are seven incoming first-years; there are six players now added to the roster: Mackenzie Allen, Cami Bell, Alexis Fields, Sophia Levering, Emma McGowan, and Avery Peters; now the roster also lists Naomi Baechler for 7 total.

The first outing is a home exhibition, informal/not on the schedule, vs McGill on Sat Oct 12. Maybe for the best that it's not on the schedule, as last year the exhibition was incorrectly added to various statistics. The Bulldogs have a non-conference game on Tue Oct 22 vs St. Anselm, the home opener, before the ECAC schedule.

Also, per twitter, we have a new assistant coach, Laura Brennan!

Sadly for Yale, Mackenzie Bruch is now an assistant coach at MN State Mankato (hired in April according to their site).

[BowWowWow]

A fun game to watch last night though lopsided. Yale seemed to become energized and further pick up the pace after going up 3-0. Good to see all 4 lines and the 3 goalies who dressed playing!

There were some nice moments for Cami Bell even though she didn't get a goal; first-year D Alexis Fields did.

[BowWowWow]

Yale got a good win against Princeton tonight, 3-1, with 2 goals by first-year Cami Bell. (She almost made it a hat trick on the empty net!) Anna Bargman had the 3rd Yale goal. Per the box score on the Yale athletics site, Yale didn't give up any shots on goal on their three penalty kills, which was a good sign. Princeton had a wraparound goal shortly after the Bulldogs' first goal. Yale had a great effort and has improved on passing, stringing together nice movements up the ice.

On to the Mandi Schwartz Whiteout Game against Quinnipiac!