WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY: In opening exhibition game, Bulldogs freeze out McGill in 5-1 win

Claire Nam

9:10 pm, Oct 13, 2024

Contributing Reporter

Yale Athletics

The Yale women’s ice hockey team is back on the ice with a 5-1 shutout against McGill in their first game of the season. 

On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs hosted the Martlets in a preseason exhibition match at Ingalls Rink. By the end of the first period, Vita Poniatovskaia ’25 and Carina DiAntonio ’26 had each scored a goal for Yale. At the end of the game, rookie Cami Bell ’28 scored her first two collegiate goals, and captain Anna Bargman ’25 clinched the final goal. The win marks a promising start to the season for the Bulldogs. 

“The team always sets goals at the beginning of the season,” said Jordan Ray ’26. “This year, our goal is to win the Ivy League and the ECAC championship, then move on to represent Yale at the national level and bring home a national championship.” 

These goals follow a year in which the Elis “fell short,” according to Ray, in the playoffs. Now, two years after making it to the Frozen Four, the team is gearing up more intensely than ever for a successful comeback. 

In addition to practicing six days a week on the ice, the team trains off the ice up to five days a week in cardio, power training, agility work and shooting development. These drills are coupled with regular team bonding exercises, including service shifts at the Yale Community Kitchen. 

“We want to be a hard team to play against, and the team no one wants to see on their schedule. We know that the league is going to be extremely competitive, so bringing our best to every game is crucial,” Bargman, the team’s captain, wrote to the News. “With…