WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont Catamounts (5-12-3, 3-8-2 HEA) host eighth-ranked Providence College Friars (12-5-4, 8-1-2 HEA) this weekend for a pair of Hockey East games at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The teams play at 4 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 6) followed by the series finale at 2 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 7).
 
RELATED LINKS
Saturday: Video | Live Stats
Sunday: Video | Live Stats
 
THERESA HUMES INVITATIONAL RECAP
Prior to the new year, UVM traveled to Montreal to take part in the Theresa Humes Invitational, hosted by Concordia University at Ed Meagher Arena. Vermont won all three exhibitions, taking down Ryerson, Guelph, and Concordia.
 
Vermont opened the weekend in Canada with an 8-2 victory over Toronto's Ryerson University. Mackenzie MacNeil stole the show with five points in the game. Kristina Shanahan returned to her native Québec in style, adding a goal and an assist in the win.
 
The Catamounts needed an overtime goal from Alyssa Gorecki to get by the Guelph Gryphons with a final score of 2-1 in the second game. Taylor Willard scored on the power play in the third period to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Closing out the tournament against host Concordia, UVM trailed 1-0 in the final period before Shanahan scored another game-tying goal off assists from Sammy Kolowrat and Taylor Flaherty. With just over seven minutes remaining in regulation, Kolowrat scored her first of the tournament to give Vermont a 2-1 lead and eventual victory.
 
Melissa Black, Sierra Natzke, and Sydney Scobee all saw time between the pipes in the games. The trio combined for a .923 save percentage and a 1.67 goals against average. 
 
SCOUTING PROVIDENCE
The Friars enter the weekend riding a three-game winning streak and hold a 6-2-1 record in their last nine games, with a pair of losses to then eighth-ranked Cornell. Most recently, Providence took the annual Mayor's Cup after defeating in-state rival Brown 3-1 last Tuesday (Jan. 2).
 
Providence has six players in the top-20 of Hockey East scoring, the most of any team. Cassidy MacPherson leads the team and is 10^th in the conference with 4 goals and 19 points. Freshman Maureen Murphy sits tied for 12^th in conference scoring with 17 points, and leads the Friars with 13 goals. She was recently named the Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month for December.
 
Madison Myers has played the majority of minutes between the pipes, and is second in Hockey East with a 2.03 goals against average and fifth with a .923 save percentage to go along with an 11-4-4 overall record.
 
As a team, PC ranks 10^th in the country in scoring (3.24 goals per game), 13^th in the NCAA in defense (2.14 goals against per game), and hold an 85.6% success rate on the penalty kill (77-90).
 
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Vermont opened the regular season with a trip to Providence on Sunday, Oct. 1. In the game, The Catamounts fell 6-2 at Schneider Arena, with Val Caldwell scoring her first career goal and Daria O'Neill adding the second UVM tally. Melissa Black made 45 saves for the Catamounts in the loss.
 
KIDS DAY SUNDAY – PRESENTED BY THE WINDJAMMER
All kids wearing a hockey jersey can get into the game for free! The first 100 fans to the third kid's day will receive a free exclusive Kids Day poster! Also, kids should stick around after the game for a post-game press conference. Head Coach Jim Plumer and four players will be available for a panel interview. Kids will receive a Vermont credential for this exclusive opportunity and be able to ask the players any question they have!
 
MACNEIL REIGNING HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Catamount senior Mackenzie MacNeil is the reigning Hockey East Player of the Week. She earned the honor following Vermont's weekend at the Theresa Humes Invitational, where she netted three goals and added two assists in an 8-2 win over Ryerson University.

MacNeil becomes the second Catamount to earn Hockey East honors, joining junior Alyssa Gorecki, who nabbed the award following Vermont's weekend against Clarkson in November.
 
PLUMER APPROACHES HISTORY
Head Coach Jim Plumer needs just one win to pass Dennis Miller (1996-2006) for most wins in program history. Plumer currently sits tied at the top with 70 wins. Since arriving to Burlington prior to the 2012-13 season, Plumer has broken the previous single-season wins total three times.
 
NEXT UP
Vermont travels to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a pair of games against the Minnesota Golden Gophers next weekend. The Gophers, currently ranked sixth in the nation, host the Catamounts at 7:07 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12 and at 5:07 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13.
 
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2017-18 women's hockey season