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FINAL SCORE: Vermont 14, Hartford 11 | Box Score | CatamounTV Highlights
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Sophomore
Ian MacKay and junior
James Barlow combined for nine points to power Vermont to a 14-11 victory over Hartford on Senior Day in Burlington on Saturday.
The Catamounts improved to 5-9 overall and 3-2 in America East, and moved into third place in the conference standings in the process. With a victory in the regular season finale next Saturday at Binghamton, Vermont would clinch a spot in the America East playoffs.
Prior to the contest, UVM honored
Calder Billings,
Andrew Buckanavage,
Dan DiStefano and
Dyson White with a ceremony as part of Senior Day. The four seniors have combined to play in 130 games during their careers at Vermont.
Eight different Catamounts tallied at least one goal in the contest, led by MacKay and Barlow, who registered three apiece. White and
Michael Clarke added two goals each, and four other players chipped in with a goal to round out the balanced the attack.
Kevin O'Shea was Hartford's leading scorer with five points on three goals and a pair of assists, while Jaedon Henderson and Griffin Feiner picked up two goals each.
Vermont junior
Justin Rosenberg made 11 saves to register his second consecutive win in net for the Catamounts. His counterpart, Ryan Vanderford stopped 10 shots in the losing effort for Hartford.
Hartford (7-6, 3-2 AE) jumped out to a 3-1 advantage in the opening period before Vermont took over in the second, outscoring the Hawks 7-3 in the quarter. The Catamounts received goals from seven different players as they took an 8-6 advantage into the break.
MacKay netted his third goal of the contest early in the third period to widen UVM's lead to three scores, but O'Shea responded for the Hawks minutes later with his third tally of the game as well.
After trading goals in the ensuing four-plus minutes, White registered the final goal of the stanza with 2:40 remaining off a feed from
Matt Gudas to extend the Catamounts' lead to 11-8 with one period to play.
Vermont scored the first two goals of the final quarter to open its biggest lead of the contest, 13-8. Alec Brown and Henderson answered for the Hawks with back-to-back goals near the two-minute mark, and brought Hartford within three scores, 13-10.
Barlow sealed the Vermont win with an insurance tally with just 46 second remaining for his third goal of the tilt. Brendan Gates added a goal in the final seconds, but Vermont went on for the 14-11 victory
The Catamounts close out the regular season with a tilt at Binghamton on Saturday (April 25) at 1 p.m. Links to live coverage of the contest are available at UVMathletics.com.
