Yale Athletics
The Yale women’s ice hockey team (5–4–0, 3–3–0 ECAC) will compete in the Nutmeg Classic on Nov. 29 against ECAC rival Quinnipiac at the People’s United Center.
After dropping both of their past two games, the Elis look to rebound next weekend. Last Friday, Yale traveled to Ithaca to take on Cornell but was sent off by the squad leading the ECAC standings. The following day, Colgate handed the Bulldogs their second shutout of the year despite Yale outshooting the Raiders 23–22.
“The team never quit and kept fighting and there were definitely some positives,” forward Elle Hartje ’23 said.
The Big Red thwarted all of Yale’s offensive pushes, holding them to just 15 shots on net and zero goals. On the other hand, everything seemed to be clicking for Cornell’s offense, which scored on six of its 31 shots on goal. Yale pulled goalie Tera Hofmann ’20 after Cornell scored three goals in just under six minutes of play. Fellow netminder Gianna Meloni ’21 took over between the pipes, and while she saved 25 shots with a save percentage of 89 percent, Yale’s offense failed to find the back of Cornell’s net. Despite four power-play opportunities, the Bulldogs simply could not capitalize.
Nevertheless, Hofmann was given the start again in Hamilton on Saturday, and saved 18 of 22 shots throughout the game against Colgate. Yale’s offense got some chances and put the puck on net more times than the Raiders, but failed to score. After all was said and done, the Raiders claimed a 4–0 win and handed Yale its fourth loss of the season, moving to fifth place in the ECAC and pushing Yale down to sixth.
This pair of losses also highlighted Yale’s troublesome away record. While the Bulldogs have comfortably won all four of their home games, they are currently 1–4 on the road.
“We obviously did not get the results we were hoping for this weekend,” defender Emma Seitz ’22 stated. “That being said, it is a long season and we are confident in our ability to continue moving forward as a team. The Nutmeg Classic is a great opportunity for us to play two competitive, playoff-like games. Hopefully, we can come out flying after having two weeks off and build positive momentum heading into our last league weekend of 2019.”
The Bulldogs will look to break a three-game losing streak against the UConn Huskies (7–4–1, 4–2–1) on Nov. 29. The Huskies have won three of their past four contests, with their game against UVM resulting in a tie. This matchup should be fairly even, as both teams have had similar results against the same teams.
Depending on the first day’s results, Yale will take on either the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs or the Quinnipiac Bobcats (5–6–2, 1–5–1). UMD would pose a nonconference matchup, as it belongs to the WCHA. Quinnipiac is a familiar sight, one which the Bulldogs should be able to handle. The Bobcats have won just one of seven in-conference matchups, with that one win against Rensselaer — currently the last team in the ECAC standings.
“The team has been working especially hard in practice these past few days in order to make sure we are prepared for our upcoming games in the Nutmeg Classic,” forward Lucy Burton ’21 said. “We have especially been focusing on improving our defensive zone coverage. I believe that if we focus on these aspects of our game, we will be more prepared to win our games in the Nutmeg tournament.”
The Bulldogs will be back in action next Friday, taking on the UConn Huskies at the Nutmeg Classic.
Akshar Agarwal | akshar.agarwal@yale.edu
Alessa Kim-Panero | alessa.kim-panero@yale.edu