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The Yale men’s hockey team (10–14–2, 7–10–2 ECAC) will suit up this Friday at 7 p.m. to take on Princeton (8–14–3, 6–10–2–3 ECAC) in the final regular-season home game of the season. This matchup against the Tigers is a game with big implications for the congested ECAC standings, but it is also particularly significant for the Bulldogs’ class of 2024. After all, Friday’s tilt at Ingalls Rink will serve as Senior Night for this year’s graduating class.

“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.