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The Bulldogs will play two conference games at home this weekend, the first against Dartmouth (2–6–0, 2–3–0 ECAC) on Friday night at 7 p.m. and the second against No. 17 Harvard (5–3–1, 4–1–1 ECAC) at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

After winning its first game last week, a 4–2 victory over the University of Vermont (1–9–1, 1–4–1 HEA), the Yale men’s hockey team (1–6–0, 0–5–0 ECAC) is hungry for its first conference win. 

“We have two quality opponents visiting us this weekend,” head coach Keith Allain ’80 said. “Our men have worked extremely hard in preparation for these upcoming games.”

In their first five conference games, the Bulldogs had trouble adding a win to their record, most recently playing Cornell on Nov. 20, where the squad lost 3–0. 

The Bulldogs have faced the Big Green 225 times, currently leading the series 114–97–14 and 18–10–2 in their last 30 meetings. In its most recent game on Feb. 15, 2020, Yale conquered Dartmouth 4–3. The Elis were faced with 1–0 and 2–1 deficits but made a three-goal comeback, with the first and the last goals scored by forward Justin Pearson ’22. 

“The keys to success for us are first and foremost sticking to our systems and playing a disciplined 60 minutes each and every game,” goalie Nate Reid ’24 said. “Resilience is key for us going forward as well, as we need to make sure our energy levels are consistent no matter the score.”

Dartmouth kicked off its season with a 4–0 loss to Harvard in an exhibition match on Oct. 16, which was followed by a 9–3 loss to Harvard in its first official conference game. Dartmouth then faced losses against UConn, Cornell, Clarkson, No. 14 Providence and the University of Vermont, while defeating Colgate and St. Lawrence. 

In their most recent game, it was close, but unyielding of a result for the Big Green against Vermont, where Dartmouth lost 3–2 but led 27–19 in shots. Big Green goalie Justin Ferguson made a total of 16 saves. 

After their game against Dartmouth, the Bulldogs will shift their focus towards their next opponent, Harvard, on Saturday.

“The Harvard matchups are always a big one,” defenseman Graham Lillibridge ’22 said. “There’s such a history in that rivalry, and I think it means something more to us and to them. Our schools are very similar and most of us were probably recruited by both schools, so there’s a little bit of added energy to it.”

Since their first meeting in 1900, the Elis and the Crimson have taken the ice a total of 263 times. The Crimson lead the all-time series 148–92–23. In their most recent game on Feb. 14, 2020, the squads came to a 4–4 draw.

Harvard will enter the rivalry coming off a game against Brown on Dec. 3, and most recently lost to the University of New Hampshire 1–0. In the ECAC conference, Harvard has defeated Dartmouth, No. 14 Cornell, Colgate and Brown, tied St. Lawrence and lost to Clarkson in a 6–2 game on Nov. 12. 

The Bulldogs plan on bringing their first conference win to Ingalls Rink this weekend and are looking towards tallying their second win of the season. 

“We know that success will require a disciplined team effort,” Allain said. “I am sure that each guy is excited to make their contribution towards that effort.”

During the Saturday game against the Crimson, the Elis are hosting their annual Toys for Tots Teddy Bear Toss. Fans are encouraged to bring a stuffed toy to the game and throw it onto the ice during the break between the second and third periods.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. at Ingalls for both Friday and Saturday’s matchups. The games can be watched via ESPN+.