In Friday’s rivalry game against Harvard, the Elis scored the game’s first goal when first-year forward Iisai Pesonen ’27 notched his fifth of the year by deflecting a point shot from Ryan Conroy ’24 on the powerplay with twelve minutes remaining in the second period. 

However, just six minutes later, Harvard found the equalizer when another first-year forward, Ryan Fine, found the back of the net. Fine fired a shot pass into traffic and it bounced off a Bulldog D-man’s skate and slipped past goalie Jack Stark ’27. Sixty minutes was not enough to decide the outcome of this back-and-forth game, but the Crimson found the back of the net in overtime.

In the end, Harvard secured the extra point with the overtime win, but the game could have easily gone either way. Both netminders, Stark and Harvard’s Aku Koskenvuo, were impressive as they combined for 55 saves in between the pipes and came up with clutch stops all night long for both teams. 

On Saturday, Yale traveled up to Hanover, New Hampshire, to take on Dartmouth in both teams’ final regular season game of the 2023-24 season. Dartmouth came in on a five-game winning streak, and they showed no signs of slowing down.

Although the Bulldogs once again jumped out to an early lead, on a beautiful one-time goal from Ian Carpentier ’24, Dartmouth bounced right back with a power play equalizer. They then added one in the second, one more in the third, and an empty net goal in the waning minutes to secure a 4–1 home victory.

As the Bulldogs head into the postseason, they will need an offensive spark in order to extend their season past this Friday’s matchup against St. Lawrence. After all, the Bulldogs only managed one goal each in their last four regular-season games and registered the second-fewest total goals scored in ECAC conference play all year. That being said, there are some clear positives heading into the postseason.

In ECAC conference play, the Bulldogs only allowed 57 goals against in 25 games played – the third lowest in the ECAC, behind only nationally top-ranked No. 7 Quinnipiac and No. 13 Cornell.  

Furthermore, with Stark in the net, the Bulldogs have shown that they can compete with any team in the country, as the first year has been phenomenal all year. With him in between the pipes, the Elis know that they will always get solid goaltending.

When the Bulldogs lace up the skates against SLU on Friday night, their season will be on the line. If they win, they will advance to the league quarterfinals and face one of the top four seeds in a best-of-three-game series. If they lose, they will be packing their stalls at Ingalls the next day.

This season, the Bulldogs cruised to a 5–0 victory in their November home matchup against St. Lawrence, but fell 4–2 in the January game at Canton. The Bulldogs are 13–6–3 all-time against the Saints at home, but only 6–9–2 in games played at St. Lawrence.

With the two losses this weekend, the Bulldogs ended the regular season in the same place they did last year in the conference.

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Although the Bulldogs outshot the Tigers in every single period, it was special teams and the Elis’ struggle to capitalize on their opportunities that were the two deciding factors.

“The reasons we struggled were twofold, our lack of discipline and our inefficient offensive game,” head coach Keith Allain told the News. “We took three major penalties against a team that has the number two power play in the nation. That is not a recipe for success.”

Allain added that the Bulldogs “created some chances” offensively but stand to improve on “working early to get inside the game” — and the team plans to work on that this week as they head into the playoffs. 

For the Bulldogs, senior Nathan Reid ’24 got the start in net and he was solid all night long, putting together a 16-save performance. In the first period, the Bulldogs held Princeton scoreless and even killed off a five-minute major penalty.

In the second, the Bulldogs also carried the pace of play, but a sloppy turnover behind their defensive led to a wide-open one-time opportunity for Tiger forward Ian Murphy in the slot, and he capitalized to put Princeton up 1–0. However, Allain had only positive takeaways from the first two frames.

“I think the big positive of our game on Friday is that we played exactly the way we needed to the first two periods,” said Allain. “Although we were down 0–1 going into the third, I felt that we were the better team and if we continued on that path, we would have won the game.”

In the third, the Bulldogs were called for another five-minute major, but this time the top-ranked Tiger power play capitalized. Ian Murphy notched his second of the game just three seconds into the man advantage on a one-time slap shot from the top of the circle. 

Later in the period, the Tigers added two more tallies with a beautiful tic-tac-toe three on two goals, and then another Ian Murphy bury off a rebound in front of the net. Yale got one back late in the third when first-year Iisai Pesonen scored his fourth of the season late in the third but it was too little too late.

The Bulldogs will finish out the regular season with two away games this upcoming weekend. They will face Harvard (5–10–5, 5–17–5 ECAC) on Friday, March 1, and then they will travel to Hanover, New Hampshire to face Dartmouth (9–9–9, 7–6–7 ECAC). Harvard comes into the weekend with only one regulation victory in their last eight games played while a streaking Dartmouth team is unbeaten in their last four.

Currently, Harvard sits on 25 points in the ECAC, one more than Yale. The Bulldogs sit in tenth place in the conference, but only five points behind the sixth-place Union Garnet Chargers.

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“I cannot say enough about what this class has meant to our program overall,” head coach Keith Allain said to the News. “They stayed with us after the program was shut down their freshman year, battled through a sophomore season filled with COVID-19 pauses and depleted lineups in many of our games. They persevered and found a way to improve our team each season they have been with us. They truly leave Yale with the team in a better place than it was when they entered. Future Yale Hockey players owe them a world of gratitude.”

This group has battled through thick and thin together — through both success and failure. To their coach, they embody the values that he preaches to players every year.

“As men, they all have high character, a strong work ethic and a mental toughness that will ensure their success in any endeavor they are passionate about in the future,” Allain said. “They have developed a bond through shared success and failure that will last throughout their lifetimes. They make me proud every day.”

This season, the Elis’ emphasis on continual improvement and perseverance in the face of adversity has led to tangible results. Entering into the tilt on Friday, the Bulldogs come in with their highest winning percentage in the last four years. 

For senior and captain Reilly Connors ’24, one aspect of the team’s success this season has been especially noteworthy.

“My proudest moments have to be our come-from-behind wins this year,” Connors said.  “It rarely happened in the past during our career, yet this year we were able to battle back in games like LIU, Union, Sacred Heart and RPI that resulted in wins. It showed our resilience in tough situations and will pay dividends as we close out this year and enter playoffs.”

The Bulldogs’ team character and grit were on full display in their matchup last weekend against a 12th-ranked Cornell squad when they took the Big Red to a shootout at a packed Lynah Rink.

When they lace up the boots at the Whale on Friday, the Bulldogs will look to play with a similar sense of urgency, aggression and team spirit as they did in front of a sold-out crowd in Ithaca.

Ultimately, the class of 2024 has bonded through the ups and downs of the last four years, and they have come together as a group as much off the ice as they have while on it.  Sometimes, the off-ice moments can be ones that are the most cherished.

“My funniest memory has to be witnessing Nate Reid’s [’24] rendition of Roxanne by the Police during a team meal our sophomore year,” Reilly Connors said.  “During team meals we have a tradition where a player will recite a song of their choice, and Nate knocked this performance out of the park. Every team meal has a ton of laughs and great banter. I can speak for everyone in my class that team meals will be a huge aspect of being on this team we will miss.”

When asked his proudest memory with his teammates over his Yale career, Nik Allain ’24 told the News, “It hasn’t happened yet.” A win against Princeton on senior night and a jump in the ECAC leaderboard going into playoffs would certainly add to the tally.

The Bulldogs currently sit in eighth place in the ECAC with three games total remaining in the 2023-24 regular season. 

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“We definitely have a chip on our shoulder going into Friday because of the result from the last time we played Colgate,” said senior captain Reilly Connors ’24.  “It’s going to come down to executing our game plan, outworking them and being relentless no matter what they throw at us; which I know our group is capable of.”

This past weekend, the Bulldogs completed a season sweep versus Brown – notching a 3-1 victory against the Bears at Ingalls Rink. It was Connors who got the scoring started for Yale as he potted his first tally of the season ten minutes into the game. For him, the goal was definitely special, but the fact that it played such a big role in the team’s success was even more important. 

“It felt great, yet the win setting in after the final horn felt even better,” Connors told the News. “We knew how big those three points were Friday night, so just happy we could come away with them.”

Sophomore forward  David Chen ’26 netted one in the second period – his team-leading ninth goal of the season – and senior Will Dineen ’25 closed out the game with an empty net goal in the final minutes. Once again, goalie Jack Stark ’27 played lights out, helping him secure ECAC Rookie of the Week. This is the third time the first-year Eli has received the honor.

When Yale suits up against the Raiders this Friday, they will need both Stark and the offense to have another solid performance. After all, Colgate has won six of their last eight games, and they are coming off a shootout win over RPI this past Saturday night.

The Raiders are led by junior forward Ryan McGuire and senior Ross Mitton. Both have 24 points on the year and both scored against Yale in the November matchup.

After taking on Colgate this Friday, the Bulldogs will travel to Ithaca and suit up against a 12th-ranked Cornell (15–4–4, 10–4–2 ECAC) squad at 7 p.m. Yale played the Big Red tight at home in the Bulldogs’ home debut but fell 3–1 in a thriller.

While Colgate comes into this weekend hot, so too does Cornell — they have secured the win in nine of their last 10 games. The Bulldogs will need to shut down senior forward Gabriel Seger who is averaging well over a point a game, and they will need to put a couple past Cornell’s outstanding netminder Ian Shane.

A weekend road trip to upstate New York is always tough, and facing two streaking teams will make it no easier. However, Yale has found their stride in the last month, and they will look to keep that momentum going this weekend with a heavy forecheck, sound defensive play and steady net-minding.

“We are finding ways to win close games which is huge,” said Connors. “Our forecheck can be incredibly effective, and it showed in long stretches over the past few games.”

The Elis currently sit tied for sixth in ECAC standings, but they are just five points behind a Colgate squad in third place.

The Yale men’s hockey team (10–13–1, 7–9–1 ECAC) will look to push their unbeaten streak to five when they square off against Colgate (11–13–4, 8–6–2 ECAC) on Friday night in Hamilton, NY. With the Bulldogs having dropped the first matchup against the Raiders 7–1 in early November, the team is using that as added motivation in a game already crucial for playoff standings.

“We definitely have a chip on our shoulder going into Friday because of the result from the last time we played Colgate,” said senior captain Reilly Connors ’24.  “It’s going to come down to executing our game plan, outworking them and being relentless no matter what they throw at us; which I know our group is capable of.”

This past weekend, the Bulldogs completed a season sweep versus Brown – notching a 3-1 victory against the Bears at Ingalls Rink. It was Connors who got the scoring started for Yale as he potted his first tally of the season ten minutes into the game. For him, the goal was definitely special, but the fact that it played such a big role in the team’s success was even more important. 

“It felt great, yet the win setting in after the final horn felt even better,” Connors told the News. “We knew how big those three points were Friday night, so just happy we could come away with them.”

Sophomore forward  David Chen ’26 netted one in the second period – his team-leading ninth goal of the season – and senior Will Dineen ’25 closed out the game with an empty net goal in the final minutes. Once again, goalie Jack Stark ’27 played lights out, helping him secure ECAC Rookie of the Week. This is the third time the first-year Eli has received the honor.

When Yale suits up against the Raiders this Friday, they will need both Stark and the offense to have another solid performance. After all, Colgate has won six of their last eight games, and they are coming off a shootout win over RPI this past Saturday night.

The Raiders are led by junior forward Ryan McGuire and senior Ross Mitton. Both have 24 points on the year and both scored against Yale in the November matchup.

After taking on Colgate this Friday, the Bulldogs will travel to Ithaca and suit up against a 12th-ranked Cornell (15–4–4, 10–4–2 ECAC) squad at 7 p.m. Yale played the Big Red tight at home in the Bulldogs’ home debut but fell 3–1 in a thriller.

While Colgate comes into this weekend hot, so too does Cornell — they have secured the win in nine of their last 10 games. The Bulldogs will need to shut down senior forward Gabriel Seger who is averaging well over a point a game, and they will need to put a couple past Cornell’s outstanding netminder Ian Shane.

A weekend road trip to upstate New York is always tough, and facing two streaking teams will make it no easier. However, Yale has found their stride in the last month, and they will look to keep that momentum going this weekend with a heavy forecheck, sound defensive play and steady net-minding.

“We are finding ways to win close games which is huge,” said Connors. “Our forecheck can be incredibly effective, and it showed in long stretches over the past few games.”

The Elis currently sit tied for sixth in ECAC standings, but they are just five points behind a Colgate squad in third place.

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“What I liked about our team’s resiliency and grit was really shown in the way we played the third period of each game this weekend,” Head Coach Keith Allain told the News. “On Friday we had the lead and came out in the third and added another goal and completely shut them down with an aggressive defensive structure. On Saturday we were behind going into the third, again came out with an attack mindset scored the tying goal and had them on their heels for most of the period.”

In the game on Friday night, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 1–0 lead with a stellar short-handed goal from senior forward Will Dineen ’25. To pot his second shorty of the season and fifth goal of the season, Dineen swiped the puck from a Union defender and flew in on a breakaway. Showcasing his explosiveness and quick feet, Dineen raced in on net and fired a shot past the goalie low blocker side.

Then it was Kalen Szeto’s ’26 turn early in the third period, when he crashed the net hard and received a beautiful back-door pass from Henry Wagner ’24. For Allain, both Wagner and Szeto have established themselves as dependable two-way forwards. They may be key players to watch as the postseason approaches.

“It was great that Kalen scored after Henry blocked a shot and made a nice play. Their line has done a really good job for us since the new year,” said Allain. “They are responsible defensively, are very good on the fore-check and create offensive opportunities every night. They have become valuable contributors to our team.”

While Union got one back later in the period, an Ian Carpentier ’24 power-play snipe sealed a 3–1 Eli win in a game that was fought tooth and nail. Once again, first-year Jack Stark ’27 was rock solid in net as he stopped 30 of 31 shots against the Garnet Chargers.  

On Saturday, the Bulldogs fell behind 1–0 eight minutes into the game. However, Dineen came up big again with a goal early in the third period as time expired on a powerplay — his fourth goal in his last six games.

“I was hurt for about a month at the beginning of the year, but I’ve started to find my game over the past three weekends,” Dineen told the News. 

Allain has certainly come to rely upon the senior forward for offensive production, and Dineen has more than stepped up to the challenge.

“Will is playing at a high level, he is mentally engaged, using his size and speed to his advantage, winning 1-v-1 battles and just competing on both side of the puck,” Allain said.

RPI and Yale remained tied at 1-1 through three periods and overtime, but the Elis pulled out the extra point with a shootout victory when Briggs Gammill ’25, the fourth Eli shooter, came down and buried the puck five-hole on a nifty shot. Stark then closed the door on RPI forward Ryan Brushett to cement the win.

Great save by Stark for the DUB! pic.twitter.com/puHgkNA6i2

— Yale Men's Hockey (@YaleMHockey) February 4, 2024

Stark not only stopped all four RPI players in the shootout, but he also put on another thirty-save performance during regulation. With Stark in net, the Bulldogs seem to play with an extra boost knowing that their netminder is always there to come up with a big save.

“Starky has been rock solid for us all year, but he has taken his game to another level within the past month,” Dineen said. “He’s very level-headed and mature for his age. When you have someone with his calm demeanor in the net, it rubs off on the whole group and gives all of us confidence out there. Off the ice, he’s a great guy, very humble, and always has a smile on his face.”

For his strong performances on the week, Stark earned ECAC Goaltender of the Week Honors with a .962 save percentage in the two games. The rookie goalie was also recently named to the Tim Taylor Rookie of the Year Watchlist, an award given to the best first-year in all of Division 1 men’s hockey. 

Stark and the Bulldogs will lace up the skates next against Brown on Friday, Feb. 9 at Ingalls Rink as they look to push their undefeated streak past four.

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“Our team is better defensively than we were earlier in the year, as a result we are spending less time in our zone, allowing fewer scoring chances against and as a result we have the puck a little more so that we can be a threat offensively,” Allain told the News. “The team commitment to defense will make us harder to play against as we head into the playoffs.”

In the Friday tilt against Quinnipiac, the Bobcats were looking to get back on track after dropping two ECAC away games last weekend. They came out flying and got on the board with seven minutes to go in the first period on a goal by first-year forward Mason Marcellus. However, their high-flying offense was shut out for the rest of the night by red-hot first-year netminder Jack Stark ’27. The Bulldog goalie’s 35-save performance kept the game tight for sixty minutes, a sharp contrast from Yale’s last matchup with Quinnipiac earlier in the year. When Yale squared off against the Bobcats just over two months ago, they lost 5–2.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” said forward Jojo Tanaka-Campbell ’26. “We’ve closed the gap quite a lot compared to the beginning of the year and it’s a testament to all the hard work everyone puts in every single day. Collectively, we put in so much work into shaping our team and it’s really nice to see it paying off little by little. That being said, we still have a lot more to do and we will most definitely continue to develop into the best versions of ourselves to give us the best chance towards the end of the season.” 

Another clear positive was the Bulldogs’ ability to limit a high-powered Quinnipiac power play. Although the Bobcats had four-man advantages, they weren’t able to cash in on a single one of them.

The following night, the Bulldogs squared off against a Sacred Heart team that fell to UConn in the other semi-final matchup. Although the Pioneers jumped out to a 1–0 lead, David Andreychuk’s ’27 third tuck of the year evened the score at the tail end of the first period. Just twenty-two seconds into the second period, Briggs Gammill ’25 put the Elis ahead when he capitalized on a defensive turnover by the Pioneers and fired a shot that trickled past their netminder.

Later, with just over thirteen minutes to go in the third, Tanaka-Campbell scored an absolute beauty. Not only did it turn out to be the game-winner, but it was also the sophomore forward’s first collegiate goal. He picked up the puck in the neutral zone, skated down the wing, took one step to the middle and fired a laser through the SHU D-man that zipped right past their goaltender. For Tanaka-Campbell, this was a very special moment in his young NCAA career.

“Like every first goal, it’s something that you only live through once and this time around, it couldn’t have come at a better time,” he said. “You only get to play so many games in a Yale jersey, which means every game is extremely important. To be able to help our team to a win is one of the best feelings.”

However, in his correspondence with the News, Tanaka-Campbell revealed that this goal was much more meaningful than just a first collegiate tally.

“It was a milestone, of course, but I also took it as a way to thank all of my teammates and close people in my life for supporting me throughout my time at Yale,” he said. “I have been battling a lot of mental health issues and continue to do so today, and sometimes the road has been extremely tough to get through. The only thing I can say is that it’s thanks to everyone, especially my family and teammates, for being incredibly supportive of me that I am where I am today, and this goal meant a lot for me as a way to express my gratitude to them.”

In the Saturday victory over Sacred Heart, Jack Stark also played a critical role, once again standing on his head. After coming off of a 35-save performance against the Bobcats, Stark stopped another 35 against the Pioneers. With Coach Allain increasingly leaning on the young goaltender, mindset and preparation have proven to be pivotal.  

“Playing back-to-back is definitely tough, but I try to approach it as an opportunity and a challenge to better myself as a goalie,” said Stark. “It also helps going into games knowing how hardworking and defensively sound our team is. As far as adjusting to the NCAA schedule our strength coach Alex Mowatt-Larssen has been invaluable to helping me and our other freshmen adjust smoothly to college hockey.”

Stark, Tanaka-Campbell and the Bulldogs will return to Ingalls for two home games this weekend. They will square off against the Union Garnet Chargers on Friday and then RPI on Saturday. 

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“The real positive here is that the games have been very close with both tied going into the third period,” head coach Keith Allain told the News. “It’s tough to win on the road in our league but we had a real opportunity to win both games right up until the final whistle. We are a good team when we play with confidence and consistency in our structure, whenever we stray from that we reduce our chances for success.”

The Elis came into their matchup in Potsdam against Clarkson one point behind the Golden Knights in the ECAC standings. Nathan Reid ’24 started in net for Yale and was tested early on by a Clarkson team revved on by a passionate fan base.  

The Bulldogs potted the first tally of the game on a textbook three-on-two offensive rush. Nik Allain ’24 picked up the puck in the center of the ice, head-manned it to Briggs Gammill ’25 who then kicked it back to Allain on the wing. Allain found the back of the net under the glove of the Clarkson goalie.

Clarkson tied up the game in the second period on a powerplay and then made it 2–1 when Yale gave up a shorthanded goal. Yet, the Elis countered with their own shortie at the midway point of the second period when Will Dineen ’25 found the twine after intercepting a dangerous pass by the Clarkson netminder.

Since his return from injury, Dineen has provided some much needed secondary scoring. He has notched four goals in ten games played this season.

“Will missed time early in the season due to injury but is now starting to hit his stride,” said Allain. “He is a big-body who can play with pace and has a high compete level. He is a guy that we trust in all situations and is really the anchor on his line.”

The game was tied 2–2 going into the third period, but just two minutes in, Ryan Conroy ’24 had trouble with sticky ice behind his own net and Clarkson was able to capitalize on an unlucky turnover. In a scrapy third period, the Golden Knights went up 4–2 on a tally by Michigan State transfer Jesse Tucker.

But the Bulldogs stayed in the hunt and Dineen potted a second goal when he redirected a point shot from Conroy late in the third. Unable to find the back of the net the rest of the game, the Bulldogs fell 4–2 after giving up an empty netter.

 With the lack of offensive production a key reason for the Bulldogs’ loss against Clarkson, Allain told the News what he believes can help generate more scoring.

 “I believe the best way for our group to sustain more offensive zone time is to break out of our end more cleanly and navigate the neutral zone with more authority,” he said. “Right now, we are turning pucks over in those two zones and that not only limits our offense, but it helps the offense of our opposition.”

The following night, the Bulldogs took the ice against St. Lawrence, a team who came into the game 4–1 in their last five ECAC home games.

Both teams came out skating hard, and junior Saints forward Tomas Mazura scored the game’s first goal when he buried his own rebound behind first-year Bulldog goalie Jack Stark ’27. 

In a scary moment later in the first period, first-year defender Rhys Bentham ’27 appeared to skate off injured after a high hit by SLU captain Josh Boyer. Bentham has had a terrific first-year campaign so far, and is one of the Bulldogs’ most offensively minded D-men.

Yale evened the scoring at one apiece on a David Andreychuck ’27 wrister under the glove of Saint goalie Ben Kraws. SLU then countered with a tally in six-on-five play with the goalie pulled due to a delayed penalty. However, David Chen ’26, the Bulldogs top scorer of the season, evened the game at two just minutes later.

In the third, Yale came out all over the Saints but were unable to beat Kraws. The Saints scored a third goal after a scramble in front of Stark and then finished with an empty-netter to make it 4–2.

For the second night in a row, the Bulldogs struggled to produce goals and high quality chances against a very solid defensive team. Nevertheless, with Chen’s line as a consistent goal threat, and Dineen finding success as well, Yale should be poised to ramp up the offense. One forward that has been playing well but has been snake-bitten in the last three games is senior forward Ian Carpentier ’24. 

“Carp is a big driver for our offense, and I believe he is due for a big scoring outbreak,” said Dineen, Carpentier’s linemate. “He is an elite skater. As a center man, when you play with a skilled winger like Carp, you always want to try and get him the puck in space as much as possible to give him room to make plays and allow him to use the great release he has on his shot.” 

Carpentier and the Bulldogs will look to get back on track when Yale faces off against Quinnipiac in the opening game of the CT Ice at the XL Center on Friday, Jan. 26.

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“I think there are several reasons for the turnaround; chief among them is that our practices have been very good,” head coach Keith Allain told the News. “The guys have been engaged, focused and the work ethic and attention to detail has been solid. This will be the foundation for any success that we may have moving forward.”

In the win over McGill, first-year goalie Jack Stark ’27 allowed only one goal on 35 shots and proved that he is more than capable of anchoring this team on the back end. That game has sparked an outstanding run of form for the netminder, and he has been key for much of the Elis’ January success.

“Jack has been very good during this stretch, when your goaltending is solid it gives the group confidence to play their game knowing that every mistake doesn’t end up in the back of your net,” said Allain. “We are fortunate in that both Jack and Nate Reid [’24] have the ability to be difference makers back there for us.”

In the first game of the new year, Yale took on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (7–13–1, 4–6–0 ECAC) and prevailed with a 2–1 victory in a back-and-forth affair. The Yale tallies came from sophomore star David Chen ’26 and senior d-man Ryan Conroy ’24, while Stark stood solid in net with a 20-save performance. 

The Chen goal was particularly impressive as he wove through four RPI players, displaying great puck protection and poise, and finished with a wrist shot off his back foot that snuck under the blocker of the opposing goalie. Conroy also notched a highlight-worthy goal as he walked the blue line and fired a laser glove-side high.

Yale then traveled to Schenectady the following night to complete the second half of their New York road trip.  In a tight game against the Union Garnet Chargers (9–11–1, 4–5–1 ECAC), the Bulldogs once again prevailed with a 4–2 victory. Goals came from four different skaters, including a power play snipe from Chen as well as another tally from his centerman Nik Allain ’24. Senior Teddy Wooding ’24 also capped off an outstanding weekend with a goal and two assists, helping him win ECAC Forward of the Week for the first week of January.

Stark also received some much-deserved recognition after another strong game against Union, and he was tabbed as ECAC Rookie of the Week. Over the course of the two games, he posted a .940 save percentage and made 47 saves.

For Stark, the Bulldogs have found recent success because they have been more focused on consistently improving rather than on just the wins and losses.

“Early on we weren’t getting the results we wanted, but as a group, we have stayed committed to coming to the rink with the mindset of getting better every day to put us in the best position come playoffs at the end of the year,” Stark told the News.

While the team’s long-term mentality and Stark’s hot play have both been crucial aspects of the team’s victories, the sound defensive structure that Allain has focused on implementing has certainly been paying dividends as well. Throughout the four games so far this month, the Bulldogs are averaging one goal against per game – a recipe for success no matter the competition.

“We have been stingy on defense for a variety of reasons,” Allain said. “Jack has been excellent in goal, we made some adjustments to our team defensive structure, and everyone in our lineup has made a real commitment to being good defensive players.”

The stingy team defense was on full display in the third Bulldog victory this January, a 5–0 shutout against Dartmouth (4–6–6, 2–3–4 ECAC) at Ingalls Rink. Five different Bulldogs found the back of the net in their return to The Whale. Nik Allain scored a potential goal-of-the-year candidate with his goal in the second period. Allain picked up a loose puck in the defensive zone, banked a pass to himself off the boards, flew past four Dartmouth skaters and buried it five-hole on the Dartmouth goaltender.

Allain’s linemate and Yale’s top point producer this year, David Chen, also scored. So far this year, the Yale coaching staff have consistently turned to the line of Chen, Allain, and junior forward Briggs Gammill ’25 when the Bulldogs need to get on the board. However, for Coach Allain, every line and every forward has a significant role to play.

“The line of Briggs, Nik and David have been able to consistently produce offense for us and it has been important to the success of the group,” Allain told the News. “They play well together and find ways to create offense while still being reliable defensively. The other key is that each of our other lines have contributed as well and we need everyone to win on a regular basis.”

The following night, on Saturday, Jan. 13, the Bulldogs fell 1–0 to rivals Harvard (2–10–3, 0–3–1 ECAC). Both teams were held scoreless during even-strength play, but the Crimson tallied a powerplay goal at the 8:09 mark of the first period. Stark made 29 saves, and subsequently earned his second-straight Rookie of the Week honor.

The strong start to 2024 has put the Bulldogs in a strong position to challenge for a spot in the four-team ECAC Tournament. Currently, Yale sits tied for fourth place in the standings with only seven points separating the teams in second and last place in the conference. 

The Bulldogs will return to the ice this Friday, Jan. 19 when they travel to Potsdam, New York for a conference matchup against Clarkson.

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Freshman Jack Stark ’27 got the nod in net and played tremendously all night. Head Coach Keith Allain said he could not have asked for a better performance in net from the young goalie.

In the first period, Long Island University, a team with several graduate student transfers, showed their physicality and experience. They were able to stifle much of the Elis transition offense with active sticks and physical play. Yale was also up to the task defensively, limiting LIU’s fast break opportunities.

It was clear right from the jump that the Bulldogs had good energy and that the team was determined to bounce back after a tough couple of games in Colorado, where they dropped two games to a top-ranked Denver University squad. 

Junior Will Dineen ’25 got off to a particularly impressive start in his season debut. He centered freshman David Andreychuk ’27 and senior Ian Carpentier ’24. This line proved to be Yale’s best group in the entire game. 

In a scoreless first period, Yale registered four shots on goal compared to LIU’s nine.

In the second period, Yale’s first line of Nik Allain ’24, David Chen ’26 and Briggs Gammill ’25 also found their stride and put together a string of good shifts. However, LIU was able to pot the first goal of the night after a fortuitous bounce. Sophomore forward Isaiah Fox rimmed the puck into Yale’s offensive zone, and it careened off of the end boards right in front of the Blue and White net. With Stark out of the crease, senior Shark Noah Kane was able to easily tap the bouncing puck in. 

Yet, as they have done so many times this season, Yale bounced right back. Just 25 seconds after LIU’s tally, Carpentier flew past an LIU defenseman on a transition play and fed a beautiful saucer pass to a streaking Andreychuk for a back-door goal. 

It was Andreychuk’s first collegiate goal, and it was certainly well deserved. He has been playing with confidence and poise since his debut in the first game of this year’s season against Brown. 

The second period was also filled with back-and-forth play between the two evenly matched teams. With two minutes left in the second period, Stark made the save of the game after darting across the crease to make a sprawling save to deny Kane. 

In the third period, the Bulldogs were able to carry the pace of play, and LIU’s goaltender had to bail his team out on a few separate occasions. Nevertheless, with a little under 12 minutes remaining in the third period, LIU took a 2–1 lead. A point shot by Peter Muzyka led to a rebound that popped right out for Zachary Nazzarett. The undersized LIU forward showed outstanding patience as he danced around Stark and put it behind him.

In the remaining half of the third period, the Bulldogs generated some good offensive opportunities but failed to capitalize. The Sharks registered a third goal with just over a minute remaining after the Bulldogs pulled Stark in a last-ditch effort to even up the score.

For LIU, this 3–1 victory not only capped off a three-game week on a high note, but it also came during their 100th game in program history. While the Bulldogs failed to pull out the result they wanted, their overall performance was positive, and they will need to carry that into the rest of this month’s games.

The Blue and White will be back in action this weekend with two home games at The Whale. They play Merrimack College (6–8–1, 2–6–1 Hockey East) on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and LIU in a rematch on Sunday at 6:00 p.m.

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“Fiddler on the Roof” kicked off with a nearly full audience at the University Theatre. The production was chosen as the Dramat’s fall mainstage, which is typically a musical theater production — and this show was no exception. This version of the musical, directed by Drewe Goldstein and produced by Matthew Siff ’25, stands out from many previous renditions with unique choreography, set choices and performances.

“This is not your grandma’s Fiddler,” said musical director Isaac Yu ’24, who is also a former managing editor of the News. “We’ve worked so hard at telling Fiddler in a really interesting and innovative way, and I hope people see that and enjoy that aspect.” 

“Fiddler on the Roof” tells the story of a man named Tevye, husband and father of five daughters. Tevye and his family live in a Shtetl, a small Jewish community, in imperial Russia during the early 1900s. 

The production follows Tevye as he tries to protect his daughters and instill them with traditional values in the face of changing social morals.

“There are elements of the traditional staging,” said Mia Kohn ’27, who plays Tevye’s daughter Chava. “Our director Drewe was absolutely brilliant, and she has added layers to the story that just deepen the connection to the story that many people feel.”

The show took a few creative liberties on the classic Broadway rendition, including directorial changes and moments of audience interaction. Police officers never appear directly on stage, and their robotic vocals are accompanied by a bright spotlight from offstage. In this way, the lighting takes on a character of its own.

The stage consisted of two levels: a raised platform made of wooden planks, and the main stage.

The primary actions took place on the raised platform, but in this rendition the actors are on stage for the entire show, seated in rows of chairs on stage left. Because of their constant presence, they always remain in character. 

Additionally, a partition was lifted to reveal the band at the beginning of Act 1, and they stayed visible to the audience and in relevant costumes throughout the remainder of the performance. These features, in addition to the main characters occasionally breaking the 4th wall — the protagonists would often talk directly to the audience members ta— added a unique meta element to the production. 

Fiddler features some Broadway classic songs, such as “Tradition,” “If I were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker.” As musical director, Yu was responsible for teaching the cast their harmonies and conducting the 16-piece orchestra. 

Some songs featured complicated harmonies, which required all members of the ensemble to be skilled vocalists. 

“Everybody in the ensemble is a fantastic singer, and they’re really carrying the show,” Yu said. 

Along with intricate vocals, actors also had to be skilled dancers in order to execute the elaborate dance sequences, choreographed by Isabel Menon ’24. The dance sequences were energetic and sometimes solemn, and they were dispersed throughout the entire show, not just the big musical numbers.  

The costumes, designed by Skyler Glaser and Daphne Raskin ’25, were also distinct for each character and accurate to the time period. 

“I thought the costumes and set were good,” said audience member Bella Le ’27. “[They] created an atmosphere that invited the audience into the story’s universe.”

Through song, dance and dialogue, “Fiddler on the Roof” tells the story of the strength of family through thick and thin. 

“I think the cast and the plot, honestly, do a really great job at establishing a sense of community,” Menon said. “I hope that the audience comes away from the show with a bit more togetherness.”

Jerry Bock – composer of Fiddler on the Roof – was born in New Haven.

Correction, Nov. 27: A previous version of this article spelled director Drewe Goldstein’s name incorrectly. The article has been updated with the correct spelling.

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