MEN’S HOCKEY: Bulldogs ready for Connecticut college ice hockey tournament
After wins over RPI and Union last weekend, the Yale men’s ice hockey team is set to take on the University of Connecticut in the first round of the Connecticut Ice Collegiate Hockey Tournament.
Amelie Bass
Staff reporter
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The Elis are scheduled to face the University of Connecticut (11–10–0, 8–6–0 ET) in the first round of Connecticut’s second annual ice hockey tournament this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Yale will next play against Sacred. Heart (9–11–3, 7–8–2–2 AHA) or No. 2 Quinnipiac (18–2–3, 9–1–1 ECAC) on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. for the championship game or at 1 p.m. . for a consolation match at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.
After going undefeated in their last three games – a 2–2 shootout win over Colgate (8–13–2, 3–6–2 ECAC), a 5–3 win over RPI (11–14–3, 6 –7– 0 CEAC) and a 3–2 victory in overtime against Union (7–12–3, 5–7–1 CEAC) — the Yale men’s hockey team (5–10–1, 4–7– 1) is ready to continue her winning streak.
“Last weekend was huge for our team,” said forward Ian Carpentier (24). “Coming off a road trip with two wins is a huge confidence booster for us, and we’re just moving forward from here.”
In their last game, the Bulldogs managed to claim victory in the dying minutes of overtime, courtesy of a Dutch pass intercepted by forward Teddy Wooding ’24.
The last time the Yale team played the Huskies was on January 26, 2020, where the Elis beat UConn in a decisive 3-2 victory. Despite being outscored 44-24, Yale forward Curtis Hall ’23, forward Luke Stevens ’20 and forward Justin Pearson ’22 scored to give the Elis the win. Bulldog goalie Corbin Kaczperski ’20 made a season-high 42 saves in the game. With their first meeting in the 1971-72 season, the Bulldogs currently lead the series 14-1.
“Connecticut has always had a rich and deep hockey history,” ’80s head coach Keith Allain said during a Connecticut ice coaches media call on Tuesday. “And I think what’s happened over the years, just in the short time I’ve been at Yale, is [that] the depth of talent comes through.
Currently in seventh place in the Hockey East standings, UConn started its season Oct. 2 with a 6-3 win over Sacred Heart, followed by wins over 10th-placed Boston University, 20th-placed Northeastern, Maine, 15th-placed UMass Lowell. , Colgate, No. 18 Boston College, New Hampshire and No. 19 Merrimack. This season, Yale and UConn won against Dartmouth – Yale winning 3–2 and UConn 4–1 – and fell to Harvard – 5-–3 and 6–3, respectively.
In its final game, UConn won 3–2 against Merrimack. In the fight, the Huskies scored three goals in less than two minutes during the third period to secure the victory. Yale’s game with Merrimack, scheduled for Jan. 1, has been canceled.
“Our team has played at our identity in recent games, a hard worker [and] fast-paced team, which led to our success,” said defenseman Ryan Conroy ’24. “As a team, we have remained committed to our development [and] everyone is really excited for the next Connecticut Ice tournament. All the teams share rivalries, which will bring an exciting edge to the upcoming games.
Following their game against UConn, the Bulldogs will face either Sacred Heart or Quinnipiac in the second round of the tournament.
The Elis fell 3-1 in their exhibition game against Sacred Heart this season. In the game, forward William Dineen ’25 scored on a pass from Justin Pearson. Goaltender Luke Pearson, who earned his first college victory in front of a goal against Union last Saturday, kept the first two periods against the Pioneers scoreless.
In recent history, the Elis are 6-2 against Sacred Heart, with their longest four-game winning streak from 2013-2019.
“We look forward to continuing [our] dynamic through a week of intense training and in the Connecticut Ice this weekend,” said Wooding.
The Bulldogs last faced Quinnipiac in their home season opener on Nov. 5, 2021, where they fell 3-0 to the Bobcats. It was the first college hockey game for goaltender Nathan Reid ’24, who blocked 34 shots.
Quinnipiac enters the game after a 2-1 loss to No. 8 Cornell in overtime. Previously, the Bobcats had wins over ECAC teams Brown, Clarkson, St. Lawrence, RPI, Union, No. 18 Harvard, Dartmouth, Princeton and Colgate. On January 19, the Bobcats shut out Princeton with a score of 9-0.
Despite Quinnipiac’s current high ECAC rating and their opponents’ strong starts, the Bulldogs are ready to defend their winning streak and add another win to their season.
“We’re all excited for the Connecticut Ice Tournament this weekend,” Carpentier said. “It’s a great opportunity to show how much our team has already grown this year, but nothing changes after a big weekend. We will continue to prepare in the same way, every day, ready for our next task.
Sacred Heart won the championship match against Quinnipiac 4-1 at the 2020 Connecticut Ice Tournament.
INFERIOR AMELIE
Amelia Lower covers women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse and men’s ice hockey. She is a sophomore at Jonathan Edwards College and is originally from Rye, New York.