No. 10 Vermont at UConn | Nov. 21, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
Video ($) | Audio | Live Stats | Game Notes (.pdf)
No. 10 Vermont at UMass Amherst | Nov. 22, 2014, 7 p.m.
Video ($) | Audio | Live Stats
VERMONT MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK | CatamounTV Preview The 10th-ranked Vermont men's hockey team (7-2-1, 5-2-1 HEA) closes out a four-game road swing this weekend with trips to UConn on Friday (Nov. 21) at 5:30 p.m. and UMass Amherst on Saturday (Nov. 22) at 7 p.m. A live pay-per-view video stream is available for both games (links above). All the action can also be heard on WVMT 620-AM and
SportsJuice.com as pre-game radio coverage begins 30 minutes prior to faceoff each night with
Alastair Ingram on the call.
SETTING THE SCENEVermont begins a busy stretch of five games in nine days with its first trip to the XL Center in Hartford on Friday. UVM sits atop the Hockey East standings through eight games with 11 points, two ahead of UMass Lowell and Boston University. The Catamounts remain 10th in this week's USA Today/USA Hockey Poll and dropped one spot to 11th in the USCHO.com Poll. Vermont has won three of its last four contests overall.
WEEKEND SPLIT AT PROVIDENCEJon Gillies posted a 27-save shutout on Friday night as the Friars blanked Vermont 3-0 to open the series at Schneider Arena. On Saturday,
Malcolm McKinney scored his first career goal and
Mike Santaguida stopped 32 shots as UVM rebounded with a 2-1 victory.
Mario Puskarich's tally with 1:22 left in the first period held up for his ninth career game-winner and fourth goal of the season. Freshman defenseman
Mitch Ferguson assisted on McKinney's goal at the 11:46 mark of the opening period for his first career helper. Vermont finished the weekend 9-for-10 on the penalty kill.
SCOUTING THE HUSKIESUConn sits at 2-5-4 (1-2-1 HEA) during its first season as the 12th member of Hockey East this year. Shawn Pauly leads the team with five assists and seven points, while Trevor Gerling has tallied a team-high four goals. Rob Nichols has started all 11 games in net this year with a 2-5-4 record, 2.02 goals against average, and .936 save percentage. Former Boston College assistant Mike Cavanaugh begins his second season as the head coach at UConn.
SERIES AGAINST UCONNFriday marks the 20th all-time meeting in series history but just the second since 2003, which was
Kevin Sneddon's first year as head coach. UVM beat UConn 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 20, 2003 for Sneddon's first victory. The Catamounts lead the series 17-1-1 and are 10-0-1 in the last 11 meetings. The teams first met in 1963, Vermont's inaugural season of men's hockey.
FIRST MEETING: VERMONT 2, UCONN 1 | HighlightsThen No. 17 Vermont won a tight 2-1 contest at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Saturday, Oct. 25 in the schools' first-ever Hockey East meeting. Defenseman
Alexx Privitera scored his first goal in a UVM jersey on the power play in the second period, and sophomore
Mike Stenerson added an insurance goal in the third for the eventual game-winner. Gerling got the Huskies on the board with seven minutes left in regulation, but UVM held on to extend its unbeaten start (4-0-0).
Brody Hoffman stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced for the win.
SCOUTING THE MINUTEMENMassachusetts enters the weekend at 3-5-0 (1-4-0 HEA) and hosts Boston College on Friday night before the Catamounts arrive. Steven Iacobellis leads the team with six assists and nine points, while Dennis Kravchenko and Zack LaRue are tied for the team lead with four goals apiece. Freshman Henry Dill has started five of eight games in net with a 3-2-0 record, 3.41 goals against average, and .893 save percentage. Former Vermont assistant John Micheletto is in his third year as the head coach of UMass.
SERIES AGAINST UMASSSaturday marks the 64th meeting of the all-time series, which is led by Vermont 38-19-6. The Catamounts are riding a four-game winning streak against UMass, including a 2-1 Hockey East First Round playoff victory over the Minutemen at Gutterson last March. UVM is 13-10-3 all-time on the road against the Minutemen and earned a 3-2 league victory at the Mullins Center last November.
SANTAGUIDA EARNS DEFENSIVE HONORSMike Santaguida was named the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following his performance at No. 16 Providence last weekend. Santaguida stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced for a .976 save percentage in two appearances. The sophomore made 32 saves in the 2-1 victory on Saturday, including 14 in the third period to preserve two points for the Catamounts. He currently ranks third in the nation in goals against average (1.15) and fourth in save percentage (.957).
WHO'S NEXT | ScheduleVermont returns home next Tuesday (Nov. 25) to host UMass Amherst at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Military Appreciation Night at 7:05 p.m. The game will be televised live on NESN in New England and TSN2 in Canada. Tickets can be purchased online at
UVMathletics.com/Tickets, in person at the UVM Athletic Ticket Office in Patrick Gym, or over the phone by calling 802-656-4410. A special rate of $10 per ticket will be available for military members and their families.
MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHTVermont will be wearing special camouflage jerseys on Tuesday against UMass, and the team will host a pre-game puck drop ceremony with Vermont Adjutant General Steven Cray. The camouflage jerseys are currently being auctioned off at
auction.uvmathletics.com, and the auction will end on Wednesday (Nov. 26) at 12 p.m. Windows and Doors by Brownell, Green Mountain Suites, and The National Guard will have tables in the main lobby.
