Tweet #VCats Follow @UVMmhockey
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont head men's hockey coach Kevin Sneddon officially announced his recruiting class for the 2015-16 campaign on Wednesday. The Catamounts add nine players to the roster in the Class of 2019, including six forwards, two defensemen, and one goaltender. UVM returns 66-percent of its scoring and 76-percent of its goal scoring for the upcoming season.

"On behalf of the men's hockey program, I am pleased to introduce to our fans, Victory Club members, alums, and friends, the newest members of our hockey family," said Sneddon. "Associate head coaches Kevin Patrick and Kyle Wallack deserve a ton of credit for assembling this group of great student-athletes. We look forward to their arrival this Fall, and combined with our returning student-athletes, we are excited to compete for a Hockey East and National Championship."
 
Drew Best
Forward • 5'9 • 168
Plymouth, Mich. • Omaha (USHL)
 
Best comes to Vermont after two seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Green Bay Gamblers and Omaha Lancers. He skated in 47 games each season and posted a total of 51 points in the USHL. In 2012-13, Best ranked fourth on the Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with 46 points and was a teammate of current Catamounts Mike Santaguida, Brady Shaw, and Mike Stenerson. He collected six assists in the postseason as the Eagles won the BCHL Championship and Western Canada Cup before falling in the semifinal of the 2013 RBC Cup.

Sneddon: "Drew battled through some injuries this past season and was not 100-percent throughout the year. He has been working hard to rehabilitate and prepare for the upcoming season. Drew offers speed and skill to our lineup."
 
Brian Bowen
Forward • 6'0 • 221
Littleton, Mass. • Dubuque (USHL)
 
After notching 30 points in 35 regular season games for Green Bay in the USHL last year, Bowen was acquired by the Dubuque Fighting Saints and posted six goals and six assists in 21 games. In 2013-14, he was better than a point-per-game performer for the Boston Jr. Bruins in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), collecting 27 goals and 23 assists in 47 contests. Bowen also compiled 51 penalty minutes that season.

Sneddon: "One area we addressed in the recruiting process was adding some power forwards to the mix. Brian can score and is very tough down low in the offensive zone. We expect Brian to make a quick transition to the college game and become an integral part of this year's roster."
 
Liam Coughlin
Forward • 6'3 • 209
South Boston, Mass. • Vernon (BCHL)
 
Coughlin will attend UVM after two standout offensive seasons with the Vernon Vipers in the BCHL. A native of South Boston, Massachusetts, he led the Vipers with 60 points last season and ranked ninth in the BCHL with 40 assists. Coughlin added a team-leading 10 points in 11 playoff games. The previous season, he posted 58 points in 72 contests and helped Vernon reach the BCHL Finals. Coughlin was drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, who traded his rights to the Chicago Blackhawks last month.

Sneddon: "Liam is a high profile prospect for us having been drafted by the Edmonton Oilers and recently traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. Similar to Brian Bowen, Liam adds size to the wing position, skates very well for his size, and can add offense as he has proven during his junior career. We believe Liam will be an impact player right away."
 
Tyler Gernhofer
Forward • 5'10 • 232
Grapevine, Texas • Cedar Rapids (USHL)
 
Gernhofer scored nine goals in 44 games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders last season in the USHL after an 11-game stint with the Bloomington Thunder. He previously spent two seasons with the Amarillo Bulls in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and posted a plus-47 rating during that span. In the 2013-14 campaign, Gernhofer registered a team-high 31 goals and ranked second on the team with 53 points.

Sneddon: "Tyler is a strong forward who can shoot the puck better than most. He adds a particular skill set to our forward lineup, and although he may need some time to adjust to the speed of college hockey, we think that skill set could really help us."
 
Jacob Kearley
Defenseman • 6'3 • 239
Newmarket, Ontario • Langley (BCHL)
 
Kearley has spent the last two years on the blueline in the BCHL, posting 57 points in 109 contests. Last season, he led the Langley Rivermen in defensive scoring with eight goals and 23 assists and ranked second on the squad with 73 penalty minutes. In 2013-14, Kearley helped the Victoria Grizzlies win the Island Division after ranking second on the team in defensive scoring with 26 points.

Sneddon: "Jake is a physical presence on the blueline at 6'3, 239. He can also add offense as he moves well for his size and can make plays. With the losses of Mike Paliotta and Nick Luukko, Jake will be relied on to contribute this season."
 
Mike Lee
Defenseman • 6'0 • 181
Hamden, Conn. • Penticton (BCHL)
 
Lee led the BCHL Fred Page Cup champion Penticton Vees with 34 assists last season and was a member of the top defensive unit in the league. He added two goals and 22 penalty minutes during the regular season and skated in 21 playoff contests during the team's title run. Lee spent the previous two seasons at Gunnery Prep in Washington, Connecticut where he collected seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points in a total of 54 games.

Sneddon: "Mike is a very gifted and skilled defenseman. Though he will have to learn what it takes to defend at this level, his skills are elite, and they will allow him to be a great player for us as a freshman."
 
Patrick Munson
Goalie • 6'3 • 193
Hugo, Minn. • Fairbanks (NAHL)
 
Munson comes to Vermont after two seasons with the NAHL's Fairbanks Ice Dogs. He posted a record of 24-8-2 last year in 35 games with a 2.43 goals against average and .910 save percentage. Munson also saw action in five playoff games, finishing with a 2.01 GAA and .925 SV%. During his first season with Fairbanks in 2013-14, the Hugo, Minnesota native went 13-4-0 in 17 games with a 2.18 GAA and .912 SV%.

Sneddon: "Patrick had a very good year in the NAHL last season. When Brody Hoffman signed a NHL contract with Minnesota, we needed to add some depth to our goaltender position. At 6'3, he replaces some size in the net and will compete with Mike Santaguida and Pat Feeley for playing time this year."
 
Conor O'Neil
Forward • 5'11 • 203
Hummelstown, Pa. • Jersey (USPHL)
 
O'Neil ranked third overall in the USPHL in goals (30), assists (46), and points (76) last season for the Jersey Hitmen. He then averaged two points per game in six playoff contests with four goals and eight assists. The Hummelstown, Pennsylvania native notched 20 goals and 36 points in 37 games during his first season with the Hitmen in 2013-14. The year before, O'Neil collected 21 goals and 39 points in 41 games for the NAHL's Wichita Falls Wildcats.

Sneddon: "Another power forward with speed and skill, Conor is a great addition to our forward lineup. He's been well coached and is ready to make an immediate impact on our roster this year." 

Craig Puffer
Forward • 5'9 • 170
New Canaan, Conn. • Chilliwack (BCHL)

Puffer tallied a point per game last season to lead the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs in both goals and points. He finished the regular season with 29 goals and 29 assists in 58 contests, and added seven goals and 16 points in 13 playoff games. Before his season in Chilliwack, Puffer spent three years at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts and registered 49 goals and 56 assists for 105 points in 87 career games.

Sneddon: "Craig has always found a way to score because of his skill, competitiveness, and hockey intelligence. He had a great year in Chilliwack and will help us down the middle this season."

Vermont registered 22 wins last season and reached the semifinal round of the Hockey East Tournament for the first time since 2010. The Catamounts have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1995-96 and 1996-97 campaigns.

UVM opens the 2015-16 season with an exhibition game against Acadia University on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The regular season begins on Saturday, Oct. 10 with a trip to Mariucci Arena to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Hall of Fame Game.