Yale Athletics
The Yale Men’s Hockey team will drop the puck on their 2024-25 season at Ingalls Rink on Friday night against defending national champions, No. 1 Denver University (6–0–0).
As the Bulldogs gear up for a tough weekend matchup, they look to improve their last year’s record.
“We had a bunch of games where the difference between winning and losing was one goal, so you come into the year realizing how vital every shift and battle is during a 60-minute game,” said senior forward and rising captain Will Dineen ’25.
Last year, the Elis finished with an overall record of 10–18–2 and were defeated by St. Lawrence in the first round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference playoffs. Now, with greater emphasis during the offseason on conditioning and goal-scoring, the Bulldogs look to jump up in the conference’s standings.
Leading the charge is Dineen, a New York native who has been a model of consistency on and off the ice over the past three years in New Haven.
“Will [Dineen] was selected captain by his teammates, and I believe they made an excellent choice,” said Head Coach Keith Allain. “Although he is a guy who leads mostly by example, he will certainly speak up when the situation dictates. Will is selfless, disciplined and passionate about Yale Hockey, [and] these traits combined with his work ethic make him a perfect leader for our team.”
Apart from Dineen, the Bulldogs are also bringing back to the ice some key players from last year. Top scorers David Chen ’26 and Briggs Gammill ’25 return for their junior and senior campaigns, respectively. With the team seeking improvements on last season’s scoring levels, both players will have an essential role in driving the Eli’s offense.
However, Allain is hoping the off-season focus on goal-scoring will contribute to more players — new and returning — getting on the board. For the team to really improve on its scoring levels, the entire roster will need to contribute to putting the puck in the back of the net.
“We need returning forwards to take a step forward, freshmen forwards to make real contributions here, and we are making a concerted push to get our defensemen more involved offensively,” Allain wrote to the News.
On the blueline, Connor Sullivan ’25 — last year’s John Poinier Award Winner for the best defensive player on the team — is back for his senior season. In net, Jack Stark ’28 is coming off a phenomenal rookie season and he is joined by senior tender Luke Pearson ’25 and Noah Pak ’28.
Turning to this weekend’s opener, Yale will host a Denver team firing on all cylinders. The Pioneers come into Ingalls undefeated thus far, with reigning Hobey Baker finalist Jack Devine and junior standout Aidan Thompson playing some of their best collegiate hockey.
“Those two, they are offensively so gifted,” Denver captain Carter King told DU Athletics about the pair. “They play with their eyes up the entire time, looking for each other and helping each other. I am able to do what I can to support them but they’ve got a lot of talent.”
Yet, Dineen, Allain and the entire Bulldog crew are embracing both the opportunity and challenge of playing such a tough opponent right out of the gate.
“It’s a great opportunity to stand face-to-face with the number one team in the nation and the defending national champs,” said Dineen. “Everyone needs to prepare to play their best game and compete their absolute hardest for a full 60 minutes. The most important thing for us is having a mindset of believing we will win these two games. It’s amazing what can happen when you do.”
Game time is set for 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday in the two-game homestand versus the Denver Pioneers.