MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Vermont (8-11-1, 1-8-1 HEA) returns to the Bay State for the second straight weekend for a Hockey East series against UMass Lowell (11-8-1, 5-4-1 HEA) at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.
 
Friday's game begins at 7:15 p.m. before a 7:05 p.m. start on Saturday. Both games will stream through GoRiverHawks.tv ($). A free audio broadcast of both games will air on WVMT 620-AM and CatamounTV.com with Michael Lehr on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Lekkas for Hobey
CatamounTV Preview
Friday: Watch ($) | Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes (.pdf)
Saturday: Watch ($) | Listen | Live Stats
 
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
UMass Lowell enters the weekend series against the Catamounts with an 11-8-1 overall record and 5-4-1 Hockey East mark. UML has won three straight games to open 2019, handing UMass its first conference loss of the season (Jan. 4) before a road sweep at Colgate last weekend.
 
Junior Ryan Lohin leads the team in goals (8), assists (9), and points (17). Five other River Hawk players have recorded double-digit points this season. Junior Tyler Wall has started 12 games for UML in goal. He holds a .916 save percentage and 2.22 goals against average. Senior Christoffer Hernberg has made eight starts for UML. He holds a .919 save percentage and 2.16 goals against average.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont and UMass Lowell meet for the first time in 2018-19 this weekend and for the 50th time in series history on Friday. The River Hawks hold a 28-15-4 all-time series advantage over Vermont. The teams first met in the 1979-80 season, a 7-4 UMass Lowell win. In recent series history, UMass Lowell holds an 8-1-1 record against Vermont in the last 10 meetings and a 23-11-7 record since Vermont joined Hockey East.
 
HOBEYLEKKAS | Vote for Stef
Stefanos Lekkas is one of 83 nominees for the 2019 Hobey Baker Memorial Award fan vote. Voting is open to fans through March 10, with a maximum of one vote allowed per day. Lekkas leads the country in saves per game (32.1) and is second in the nation in total saves (642). He ranks seventh in the nation in save percentage (.930).
 
Lekkas is one of eight goaltenders nominated for the award. Ryan Miller was the last netminder to win college hockey's top individual prize as a sophomore at Michigan State in 2001. Vermont's most recent Hobey Baker finalist was Viktor Stalberg in 2009.
 
HOCKEY EAST 35th ANNIVERSARY TEAM | Vote
Joe Fallon '08 and Viktor Stälberg '09 are Vermont's nominees for the Hockey East 35th Anniversary team. Fans can vote on the all-Hockey East squad using the link above.

ALUMNI WEEKEND SET FOR JAN. 25-26
Vermont Men's Hockey Alumni are invited back to campus as the Catamounts host Merrimack January 25 and 26.  The weekend will include two Vermont vs. Merrimack games, an alumni game and luncheon and a post-game alumni reception.  Alumni are asked to register at go.uvm.edu/mihalum19 by Tuesday, January 22.  For more information, please contact our Victory Club Office by calling 802-656-0956 or emailing Victory.Club@uvm.edu.

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 20 games is 44 goals and $4,400 donated.      
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 men's hockey season