VERMONT WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The University of Vermont women's hockey team continues Hockey East play this weekend as the Catamounts travel to face Connecticut and No. 5 Northeastern. Vermont faces UConn at 7 p.m. on Friday before taking on Northeastern at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. It will be the Catamounts first matchup with each team this season.
 
RELATED LINKS
Friday at UConn – Live Video ($) | Live Stats
Saturday at #5 Northeastern – Live Video | Live Stats
 
COLANG FINDING THE SCORESHEET IN LEAGUE PLAY
Senior forward Dayna Colang is the team's leading scorer with five goals and four assists for nine points. In Vermont's six league games she has eight points. In the Catamounts last three games she six points including three assists in Vermont's 4-3 win over Providence last Sunday. Last season against Connecticut Colang had two goals and an assist.
 
WILLARD NOTCHES FIRST CAREER GAME-WINNER AT OPPORTUNE TIME
Sophomore defenseman Taylor Willard scored her first career game-winning goal with four seconds left in regulation last Sunday as the Catamounts came back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to win their third league game of the season against Providence. Willard is second on the team in scoring this season with six points.
 
VERMONT FINISHING STRONG THIS SEASON
The third period has been the Catamounts so far this season. Nine of Vermont's 17 goals have come in the final frame. In the Catamounts three wins this year they have outscored its opponents 7-2 in the third period.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Connecticut: After starting the season 3-1-2 the Huskies are 1-5-0 in their last six games. Last weekend Connecticut was swept in a two-games series at No. 4 Clarkson by scores of 3-1 and 3-2.
 
Senior forward Brittany Berisoff leads the team in scoring with five goals and two assists for seven points. Berisoff scored the game-winning goal in UConn's only league win of the season against Merrimack.
 
2014-15 Hockey East Honorable Mention All-Star Elaine Chuli has seen the majority of action in the crease for the Huskies. In eight games this season she has a 2.36 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage. She tied a program record with 55 saves against Vermont in a 5-1 win on January 10.
 
Vermont is 7-21-2 all-time against the Huskies. Over the last three seasons under Coach Plumer the Catamounts are 6-3-0 against UConn.
 
A shutout in this series is almost a certainty. Six of the last eight games in the UConn/Vermont series have been shutout wins for one team or the other. Going back even further 10 of the last 15 games in the series have involved a shutout. The last shutout in the series came on November 2, 2014 as Madison Litchfield made 19 saves in a 6-0 Vermont win at Gutterson Fieldhouse.
 
#5 Northeastern: Northeastern has won eight straight games and with a record of 10-1-1 are off to their best 12-game start since 2001-02. The Huskies No. 5 spot in the polls represents the high-water mark for the program since 2002. On Friday night the Huskies will face No. 2 Boston College in a battle of the last two undefeated teams in Hockey East play this season.
 
Former Olympian and senior Kendall Coyne leads the Huskies offensive attack which ranks second in the NCAA averaging 5.25 goals per game. Coyne is second in the NCAA with 30 points in 11 games this season including 18 goals and 12 assists. In six career games against the Catamounts Coyne has scored 10 goals and added eight assists.
 
Saturday will mark the first time the Catamounts will have faced the Huskies standout freshman goaltender, Brittany Bugalski. Bugalski has posted a 9-1-1 record with a .929 save percentage and 1.84 goals-against average.
 
The Huskies lead the all-time series against Vermont 30-5-4. The Catamounts last win against Northeastern came in a 3-2 decision at Gutterson Fieldhouse on November 23, 2013.
 
VERMONT HOSTS INAUGURAL WINDJAMMER CLASSIC NEXT WEEKEND
Following Thanksgiving the Catamounts will welcome Boston University, Cornell, and Ohio State to Gutterson Fieldhouse for the inaugural Windjammer Classic. The action gets under way on Saturday November 28 as Cornell faces Boston University at 1 p.m. before the Catamounts take on Ohio State at 4 p.m. On Sunday November 29 the Terriers take on Ohio State at 1 p.m. and the Catamounts close out the tournament with a 4 p.m. tilt against Cornell.
 
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. The Gutterson Ticket Office opens one hour prior to the early game.
 
KAYLA KRUK JOINS WOMEN'S HOCKEY THROUGH TEAM IMPACT
The women's hockey team officially drafted seven-year-old Shelburne, Vt. native Kayla Kruk through Team IMPACT. Kayla celebrated her draft day with the Catamounts last Saturday in a ceremony facilitated by the 501(c)(3) non-profit, Team IMPACT, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses through the power of team. Click here to read more about Kayla and Team IMPACT.
 
TEAM LEADERS
Senior Gina Repaci and junior Sarah Kelly will serve as co-captains for the University of Vermont women's hockey team this season.
 
ALL ACROSS THE MAP
The Catamounts have players from 10 different states (Alaska, California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Vermont), two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Ontario) and two other countries (Czech Republic and Finland). Vermont has four players from Ontario more than any other state or province.
 
3RD ANNUAL PACK THE GUT CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY THE WINDJAMMER
The Vermont women's hockey team will host the third annual "Pack the Gut Challenge Presented by The Windjammer" on Friday January 29 as they face Connecticut.
 
The goal this is to break the single game Hockey East attendance record of 2,028 fans, set by Vermont in 2013, and support the local Meals on Wheels organization. 
 
The 2015-16 Vermont women's hockey campaign is brought to you by the Windjammer Restaurant and Inn.