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The Vermont Catamounts (5-8-1, 1-6-1 HEA) host a trio of teams in the 2018 Delta Hotel Burlington / TD Bank Catamount Cup, taking place Friday, Dec. 28 and Saturday, Dec. 29 at Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vermont.
 
Northeastern joins Vermont as the second Hockey East school in the tournament, and will take on the RPI Engineers in the first game at 4 p.m. Friday. Vermont then hosts the Alabama Huntsville Chargers in the nightcap at 7:05 p.m. On Saturday, the Huskies will square off against the Chargers at 4 p.m. before Vermont and RPI renew a long-standing rivalry at 7:05 p.m. in the tournament finale.
 
RELATED LINKS
Game Notes (.pdf)
RPI vs. Northeastern: Video | Audio | Live Stats
Alabama Huntsville vs. Vermont: Video | Audio | Live Stats
Alabama Huntsville vs. Northeastern: Video | Audio | Live Stats
RPI vs. Vermont: Video | Audio | Live Stats
 
TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for each day of the tournament by clicking here or by calling the UVM Athletic Ticket Office at 802-656-4410.
 
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
Alabama Huntsville enters Friday's matchup with a 3-15 overall record and 3-9 mark in WCHA conference play. The Chargers began the season with 10 consecutive losses before a 3-1 win over Alaska Fairbanks in mid-November. UAH has won two of its last three games, beating Bemidji State before splitting its most recent series with Michigan Tech.
 
Jack Jeffers leads the team with five goals and is one of five players with more than a single goal on the season. Jesper Ohrvall leads the team in assists with six helpers. Mark Sinclair has started 12 games between the pipes for the Chargers. He holds a .927 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont and Alabama Huntsville meet for just the second time in series history Friday night at Gutterson Fieldhouse. The Chargers visiting the Gut during the 2010-11 season to take part in that season's Catamount Cup. Vermont took a 4-3 win over UAH in that contest.
 
SCOUTING THE ENGINEERS
RPI enters the weekend with a 4-11 overall record and 3-6 ECAC mark. The Engineers have lost five straight games and seven of its last eight contests. RPI has a 1-4 record against Hockey East schools this season.
 
Jacob Hayhurst leads the team with 12 assists and 14 points. Patrick Polino is the team's leading goal-scorer with four tallies this season.
 
Between the pipes, sophomore Linden Marshall has started 10 games and holds a .889 save percentage and 3-7 record. Freshman netminder Owen Savory has made five starts in goal, including the last three games, and holds a .926 save percentage and 1-4 record.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Cats will look to even the all-time series against the Engineers Saturday at Gutterson Fieldhouse. RPI holds a 32-31-7 all-time series record against Vermont. Saturday marks the first meeting between the two schools since the 2008-09 season, when Vermont took a 4-1 win in Quebec City.
 
Vermont has won the last four games against RPI.
 
CATAMOUNT CUP HISTORY
Vermont hosts the holiday tournament for the 14th time since Kevin Sneddon took the helm of the program prior to the 2003-04 season. Sneddon holds a 17-7-2 all-time record in the Catamount Cup, and Vermont has won the tournament six times.
 
St. Lawrence won last year's tournament with wins over Vermont and UMass Lowell.
 
LEKKAS LEADS
Lekkas leads Hockey East and is third in the country with a stellar .936 save percentage. The junior goalie ranks 26th of 80 eligible Division I goalies with a 2.27 goals against average.
 
Entering the weekend, Lekkas ranks sixth among active goalies in the NCAA with 2,283 career stops. Lekkas' 48-save performance against Colorado College was the eighth career game with 40 or more stops for the junior. Since 2000, a Vermont goalie has recorded 40 or more saves in a game just 28 times.
 
CATS IN THE NCAA
Vermont's penalty kill percentage of 89.4% (42-of-47) ranks first in Hockey East and fourth in the NCAA. The Cats are one of 27 Division I teams with multiple short-handed goals.
 
UVM's scoring defense is tied for second in Hockey East and 16th nationally, allowing 2.36 goals per contest.
 
GOALS FOR GOOD with Community Bank
Vermont men's hockey has partnered with Community Bank for 'Goals for Good.' For every goal the Cats score this season, Community bank will donate $100 to Special Olympics Vermont. This season's total through ten games is 21 goals and $2,100 donated.         
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 men's hockey season