JANUARY 20 • 2022 | 29

from Hungary, Germany, 
Poland, Austria, Sweden and 
Kazakhstan.
She also played for the 
Slovakia national team 
in games against Austria, 
Germany and the Czech 
Republic after fulfilling a 
requirement set by Slovakian 
and international hockey 
organizations to establish 
residence in Slovakia by 
living in that country for at 
least eight months.
The 5-foot-5 forward 
received permission from 
USA Hockey to join the 
Slovakia national team. 
She’ll be eligible to rejoin 
the U.S. national team player 
pool following next month’s 
Winter Olympics.

LEARNING IN SLOVAKIA
Hartje’s adventure in 
Slovakia was worth it.

“I grew up there as a 
hockey player,” she said. “I 
had time to reflect. I became 
more thoughtful. I became 
more aware of my strengths 
and weaknesses.
“I also got faster and 
stronger and because the 
game there isn’t as physical 
as the game here, I had more 
time and space to make 
plays, and I improved those 
skills.
“I was lucky. I played 
hockey almost every day 
last season. Many women 
in the U.S. didn’t have that 
opportunity.”
Hartje also grew up as 
a person while she was in 
Slovakia. She had to. Despite 
her family’s connection 
to the country, she was a 
stranger in a foreign land.
After she arrived in 
Bratislava in August 2020, 

Sophomore slump? Not for Elle Hartje. She had six goals and 
18 assists in the Yale University women’s hockey team’s first 
14 games this season.

CREDIT: YALE UNIVERSITY

continued on page 30

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