WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont Catamounts (9-16-4, 6-11-3 WHEA) take the ice at Gutterson Fieldhouse against the Merrimack Warriors (10-17-3, 5-13-2 WHEA). It is the annual Rally Against Cancer game for UVM.
 
RELATED LINKS
Sunday: Video | Live Stats | Tickets
CatamounTV Preview
 
NORTHEASTERN RECAP 
UVM swept the Northeastern Huskies last weekend at Gutterson Fieldhouse with a 5-2 win on Friday (Jan. 26) followed by a thrilling 4-3 win on Saturday (Jan. 27).
 
Sophomore Ève-Audrey Picard scored a pair of goals and added an assist on Friday, and Vermont scored three second period goals to break a 1-1 deadlock. Sydney Scobee made 27 saves in the victory.
 
On Saturday, Northeastern broke a 1-1 deadlock 1:57 into the third period on a goal from Veronika Pettey. Picard responded immediately, tying the game just 19 seconds later with an unassisted goal. Alyssa Gorecki scored her seventh of the season with five minutes remaining on the power play to give the Catamounts the late 3-2 lead.
 
The Huskies tied the game with two minutes remaining in regulation and controlled the next minute of play in Vermont's defensive zone. Kourtney Menches got a shot on net and Saana Valkama tipped the rebound to Picard in the slot, who buried the game winner with 11 seconds remaining.

SCOUTING MERRIMACK
Merrimack enters the weekend with five games remaining in the regular season. On Friday (Feb. 2), the Warriors head to Rhode Island for a tilt against the Providence College Friars.
 
Merrimack was swept by the Terriers last weekend, falling 5-1 on Thursday (Jan. 25) and 6-1 on Saturday (Jan. 27). The weekend prior, Merrimack and Maine split a weekend series in Orono.
 
Katelyn Rae leads the Warriors with 18 goals and 23 points through 29 games this season. Mikyla Grant-Mentis (16) and Paige Voight (10) are the only other players with double digit point totals.
 
Samantha Ridgewell and Léa-Kristine Demers have both played significant minutes in goal, with the duo making 19 and 12 starts, respectively. Ridgewell has posted a .924 save percentage and a 2.31 GAA to go with a 6-10-1 overall record. Demers has a .909 save percentage, a 3.01 GAA, and a 3-7-2 overall record. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
Vermont traveled to North Andover, Massachusetts for a pair of games with the Warriors in late October.
 
The Catamounts won the first game 3-0 with goals from Taylor Flaherty, Sammy Kolowrat, and Mackenzie MacNeil. Scobee made 30 saves in the victory. In the second game, Taylor Willard broke a 1-1 deadlock with nine minutes remaining in regulation to push Vermont over the Warriors, 2-1. Scobee tallied 28 saves in that win.
 
RALLY AGAINST CANCER (presented by Otter Creek Awnings & Vermont Custom Closets)
Sunday's game against Merrimack is Vermont's annual Rally Against Cancer game, presented by Otter Creek Awnings and Vermont Custom Closets. The Catamounts will don pink jerseys to show support and fans are encouraged to wear pink as well.
 
Game worn pink jerseys will be available through an auction beginning on Thursday, Feb, 1 and running through 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 8. All proceeds benefit the University of Vermont Cancer Center. Visit uvmathletics.com/auctions to place your bids.
 
2018 HEADWAY FOUNDATION CONCUSSION AWARENESS WEEKEND
The University of Vermont women's hockey program has teamed up with the Headway Foundation for the 2018 Concussion Awareness Weekend. The Headway Foundation has worked to provide a platform for athletes of all ages and sports to positively change the athletes' approach to concussions.
 
Fans can visit go.uvm.edu/qc8t7 for more information and to donate to the 'New Tough' Concussion Awareness Campaign.
 
PICARD CLIMBS INTO THE RECORD BOOK
With a five goal and six-point weekend, Ève-Audrey Picard now has 11 goals and 21 points in 26 games this season.
 
The Longueuil, Québec native is tied for eighth in program history in points (52). Picard is also tied for tenth in both goals (25) and assists (27) less than two seasons into her Catamount career.
 
SENIORS CRACK PROGRAM ALL-TIME MARKS
Captain Taylor Willard has played 138 career games since arriving in Burlington prior to the 2014-15 season. She has only missed a single game in her career and currently sits tied for sixth all-time in games played and seventh in assists (38). Additionally, she is tied for sixth all-time in points (59) and is the program's all-time leading scorer among defensemen.

Senior defenseman Amanda Drobot has missed just a single game in her Catamount career, tallying 138 career games to this point of the season. She sits tied for sixth with teammate Willard in career games played. Drobot also has 37 assists in her career, placing her in a tie for seventh in the program record book.
 
INSIDE THE STANDINGS
Vermont currently holds the seventh spot in the Hockey East standings with five games remaining in the regular season. With 13 points through 19 games, the Cats are four points behind the Terriers of Boston University, who have 17 points through 21 games.
 
Connecticut and Merrimack trail UVM with 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Huskies have six Hockey East games remaining while Merrimack has five.
 
Boston College has clinched the regular season crown with 37 points through 21 games. Providence (22 points) and Maine (20 points) round out the top-3. New Hampshire and Northeastern are tied in the fourth spot with 20 points each.

PACK THE GUT (presented by The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub)
On Friday, Feb. 9, the Vermont Catamounts host the annual Pack the Gut challenge and look to break the Hockey East attendance record that was set at last year's Pack the Gut game. All tickets are on sale for $2 and the first 500 fans in attendance will receive either a Pack the Gut shirt or a This Is Vermont scarf.

Last year's game set the conference record with 2,136 fans in attendance. This year's push to break the record is presented by The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub, and will see the Catamounts host the Connecticut Huskies.

NEXT UP
The Catamounts host the annual Pack the Gut game on Friday, Feb. 9 against Connecticut. The teams play again on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m. to close out the season series.
 
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2017-18 women's hockey season