WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont Catamounts (9-17-4, 6-12-3 WHEA) take the ice at Gutterson Fieldhouse for the final time in the 2017-18 season as they host a weekend series with the Connecticut Huskies (11-11-8, 5-10-5 WHEA).     
 
RELATED LINKS
Friday: Video | Live Stats
Saturday: Video | Live Stats
CatamounTV Preview
 
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.
 
SENIOR DAY
The University of Vermont will honor the five members of the Class of 2018 prior to their final regular season home game at Gutterson Fieldhouse on Sunday (Feb. 4). Amanda Drobot, Mackenzie MacNeil, Kourtney Menches, Katherine Pate, and Taylor Willard will receive a deserved farewell for their four years of contributions to the University of Vermont women's hockey program.
 
SCOUTING UCONN
The Connecticut Huskies enter the weekend with four Hockey East games remaining in the regular season. With 15 points through 20 Hockey East games, the Huskies and Catamounts are even in the standings.
 
Following its weekend at UVM, UConn will return to Storrs, Connecticut for a pair of conference games against Merrimack to close out the season. The Huskies are riding a four-game winning streak into the weekend in Burlington, having defeated Maine twice along with Northeastern and Providence once.
 
Freshman Natalie Snodgrass leads UConn in scoring with 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points on the season. Leah Lum has eight goals and 25 points on the season to rank second for UConn in scoring. Eight other Huskies have recorded at least 10 points this season. 
 
Senior goaltender Annie Belanger has anchored the UConn defense and ranks third in Hockey East and 20th nationally in goals against average (2.06) with over 1,200 minutes between the pipes. Her .930 save percentage tops the conference and places her 12th nationally. Sophomore Morgan Fisher has played nine games in goal for the Huskies, recording a pair of shutouts along with a 1.86 goals against average and .933 save percentage.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UVM pulled out a 2-1 win on the road over the Huskies at the start of the season. Mackenzie MacNeil and Saana Valkama each scored a power play goal in the second period to turn a one-goal deficit into a one-goal lead and eventual victory. Vermont killed all five Catamount penalties while striking twice in five tries on the man-advantage. Sydney Scobee made 27 saves in the win.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY RECAP 
On Friday (Feb. 2), Vermont made a trip to Boston University's Walter Brown Arena looking to avenge the Terrier weekend sweep at Gutterson Fieldhouse last November. Goals from Ève-Audrey Picard and Jesse Compher had the game deadlocked until Valkama ripped home the eventual game winner late in the second period.
 
Valkama added her second of the night on the power play in the third and Picard added another pair to record a hat trick in her second straight game as Vermont won handily, 5-1. Scobee made 35 stops for UVM in the road win. 
 
MERRIMACK RECAP
The Warriors of Merrimack held off a season sweep and stopped a three-game Catamount winning streak Sunday (Feb. 4) afternoon at Gutterson Fieldhouse. After falling behind 2-0 after 20 minutes of play, freshman Olivia Kilberg cut the score to 2-1 with a breakaway goal early in the middle period.
 
Kristina Shanahan scored late in the third period to make it a 3-2 game, but Vermont could not tie the game before Mikyla Grant-Mentis added an empty-net goal to seal a 4-2 Merrimack win.
 
SENIORS CRACK PROGRAM ALL-TIME MARKS
Captain Taylor Willard has played 140 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 tied for fourth in assists (41). Additionally, she is tied for sixth all-time in points (62) 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 140 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 and UConn are currently tied for the seventh spot in the Hockey East standings with 15 points. UVM has played 21 conference games this season and has three remaining. UConn has played in 20 conference games and has four remaining.
 
Boston College has clinched the regular season crown with 37 points through 21 games. Maine (25 points) and Providence (24 points) round out the top-3. New Hampshire is fourth with 21 points, Northeastern is fifth with 20 points, and Boston University is in sixth with 17 points.

NEXT UP
Vermont closes out the regular season with a trip to Matthews Arena to take on the Northeastern Huskies. The Catamounts look to sweep the season series with the Huskies for the first time in program history.
 
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2017-18 women's hockey season