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19TH ANNUAL SHERATON/TD BANK CATAMOUNT CUP
Video | Audio | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014
UMass Amherst vs. No. 16 Providence | 4 p.m.
No. 9 Vermont vs. Air Force | 7:05 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 29, 2014
UMass Amherst vs. Air Force | 4 p.m.
No. 9 Vermont vs. No. 16 Providence | 7:05 p.m.

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VERMONT MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The ninth-ranked Vermont men's hockey team (13-3-1, 7-3-1 HEA) opens the second half of the season on Sunday (Dec. 28) and Monday (Dec. 29) as it hosts the 19th annual Sheraton/TD Bank Catamount Cup at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Catamounts face Air Force on Sunday and No. 16 Providence on Monday in non-league games at 7:05 p.m., while UMass Amherst plays the early game at 4 p.m. each day.

COVERAGE
All four games of the tournament will be streamed live online for free in high definition via CatamounTV.com. Radio coverage for the UVM games begins at 6:30 p.m. each night on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com with Alastair Ingram on the call.

TICKETS
General admission tickets are still available for both days of the tournament. Tickets can be purchased online at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or in person on gameday at the Gutterson box office starting at 3 p.m. Please note that the UVM Athletic Ticket Office in Patrick Gym will be closed from Dec. 24-Jan. 2 for the holiday break.

TEDDY BEAR TOSS
Fans will have an opportunity to donate new teddy bears on Monday (Dec. 29) against Providence during the 11th annual Teddy Bear Toss, presented by the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Fans are asked to bring a bear to toss onto the ice during the second intermission. All bears will be donated to patients at the UVM Medical Center Children's Hospital by members of the men's and women's hockey teams. 

SHERATON HOTEL RATE | Website
The Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference Center will be offering a special rate of $99 per night for fans who are attending the Sheraton/TD Bank Catamount Cup. Fans can book rooms by calling the hotel at (802) 865-6600.

SETTING THE SCENE
Vermont is off to its best start 17-game start in the last 27 years with a 13-3-1 record. The Catamounts are riding a six-game winning streak to match the longest unbeaten stretch in the country with Harvard. UVM is out-scoring its opponents 28-7 during the winning streak and has won nine of its last 11 games overall. Vermont is ranked ninth in the latest USA Today/USA Hockey poll and remains 10th in the USCHO.com poll.

SCOUTING AIR FORCE | 5-10-2 (4-5-1 AHA)
Air Force enters the Catamount Cup with a 2-4-0 record over its last six contests. Sunday will mark the teams' first meeting since the dramatic 2009 NCAA East Regional Final, a 3-2 double overtime win to send UVM to the Frozen Four. Senior Cole Gunner leads the team with 12 assists and 18 points, while fellow senior Scott Holm has scored a team-high seven goals. Sophomore Chris Truehl has started all 17 games in net with a 5-10-2 record, 3.15 goals against average, and .896 save percentage.

SCOUTING PROVIDENCE | 9-6-1 (6-4-0 HEA)
Providence has won five of its last six games and ranks 16th in the USCHO.com poll. Junior Trevor Mingoia leads the team with 16 points on nine goals and seven assists, while Mark Jankowski has added seven assists on the year. Junior goalie Jon Gillies is 8-6-1 in 15 starts between the pipes with a 1.90 goals against average and .938 save percentage. The Friars and Catamounts split a weekend series in mid-November at Schneider Arena in Hockey East play.

SCOUTING UMASS AMHERST | 4-12-0 (1-9-0 HEA)
UMass has lost four straight and seven of its last eight games entering the weekend. The Minutemen are led by sophomore Frank Vatrano with nine goals and 14 points, while fellow sophomores Steven Iacobellis and Ray Pigozzi are tied for the team-lead with nine assists each. Rookie Henry Dill has started 11 games in net with a 4-6-0 record, 4.29 goals against average, and .865 save percentage.

CATS SWEEP FORMER ECAC RIVALS
Vermont ran its winning streak to six with a home-and-home sweep of longtime rival St. Lawrence to close the first half on Dec. 12-13. Brody Hoffman stopped 22 of the 23 shots he faced and UVM held on late for a 2-1 win in the series opener. Mike Stenerson and Anthony Petruzzelli scored 2:17 apart in the first period at Gutterson. Mike Santaguida registered a 35-save shutout the following night at Appleton Arena, while Kevin Irwin scored his first career game-winning goal in the 2-0 win.

HISTORIC START
Vermont has matched its most successful start to a season since the 1987-88 campaign when U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer John LeClair '91 was a freshman. The only UVM team with a better 17-game start was the 1973-74 Division II squad, which began the season by going 14-3-0. This year also marks the best start in program history against Division I opponents. UVM is a perfect 6-0-0 in non-conference play and sits 6-0-0 at home for the first time since the 1987-88 team won its first eight at Gutterson.

CUP STAYS IN BURLINGTON
Vermont beat No. 9 Clarkson and Canisius last year to capture the Catamount Cup title for the fourth time in the last six seasons and the fifth time overall. The Catamounts have earned two straight titles, and each one has featured an upset win over a ranked opponent. UVM has a 15-4-1 overall record in the Catamount Cup under Kevin Sneddon for a .775 winning percentage. New Hampshire (4) and Boston College (1) are the only other Hockey East schools to claim tournament titles in the event's 18-year history.

ONE AWAY FROM 750
A Vermont win over Air Force on Sunday night would be the 750th victory in program history. UVM is 749-746-114 during its 51 years as a men's hockey program and owns a record of 403-301-59 at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Catamounts notched their 400th win at Gutterson on Friday, Nov. 7 with a come-from-behind 4-3 overtime triumph against Maine.

WHO'S NEXT | Schedule
Vermont returns to action after New Year's with a road game at Yale on Saturday (Jan. 3) at 7:30 p.m. Pre-game radio coverage begins at 7 p.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com, and live video is available via YaleBulldogs.com.

YALE PRE-GAME RECEPTION | Register
The UVM Alumni Association and Vermont Athletics invites all Vermont fans to join us for a family friendly pre-game reception at Anna Liffey's Irish Pub & Restaurant from 5-6:30 p.m. before our Catamounts take on the Yale Bulldogs on Saturday, Jan. 3 in New Haven, Connecticut. To register for the event, or for more information, please click here.