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The Vermont Catamounts open the 2019 men's lacrosse season with a trip to take on the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City, Utah.
 
The game is slated to begin at 6 p.m. Eastern time and marks Utah's inaugural Division I men's lacrosse game. The game is also the first NCAA lacrosse game of the 2019 season.
 
RELATED LINKS
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes (.pdf)
 
NEW RULES
The NCAA has added an 80 second shot clock for the 2019 season. Teams will now have 20 seconds to clear the ball to the offensive side of the field, and then the remainder of the clock for an offensive possession.
 
The NCAA has also relaxed rules around the crease to allow a player to voluntarily leave his feet and shoot before touching the crease. More simply, diving is back in college lacrosse.
 
SCOUTING THE UTES
Utah opens the 2019 NCAA Division I lacrosse season as one of two brand new programs - St. Bonaventure brings the total number of DI lacrosse programs to 73. The Utes feature 32 freshmen and 36 underclassmen on a 43-man roster. Nineteen players played on Utah's club lacrosse team a season ago.
 
Head coach Brian Holman is serving in his first head coaching role, having previously served as an assistant at North Carolina and Johns Hopkins.
 
2019 CAPTAINS
Four Catamount seniors will serve as captains in 2019: Braiden Davis, Andrew Simeon, Thomas Stockham, and Dawes Milchling.
 
UTAH CONNECTIONS
Senior captain Thomas Stockham and sophomore Jack Mintz both hail from Utah and will return to his home state Friday. Stockham is from Salt Lake City and played lacrosse for two seasons at Waterford High School. Mintz is from Park City and played lacrosse at Park City High School for three seasons.
 
Vermont head coach Chris Feifs and Utah head coach Brian Holman served as assistants together at North Carolina, winning the 2016 National Championship. Vermont assistant coach Jake Bernhardt and Utah assistant coach Marcus Holman played for Team USA at the 2018 FIL World Championships, winning goal in Israel. Bernhardt also plays with Utah assistant coach Will Manny with the New York Lizards of the MLL.
 
2018 RUN
With a 12-4 record a season ago, the Vermont Catamounts completed the most successful season in program history. The team ranked sixth in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing just 8.06 goals per game.
 
The squad was the first Cat team to post 12 wins in a single season, the first team to beat 10 Division I opponents in a season, and the first UVM team to remain nationally ranked for more than three weeks. The 2018 Cats featured a pair of All-Americans: Ian MacKay '18 and Nick Washuta - doubling the program's all-time All-Americans.
 
The Class of 2018 graduated with 32 wins against DI opponents, the most by any class in program history.
 
ALL-AMERICA NICK
Junior goalie Nick Washuta returns for the 2019 season after leading the country in save percentage (.609) a season ago. He was the first Catamount goalie to record a save percentage above .600 and lead the country in the category since Mike Gabel '05 accomplished both in 2003.
 
In 2018, he ranked 13th nationally with 11.50 saves per game and third in goals against average (7.72). He was one of 12 goalies to record 10 or more wins in 2018, one of eight goalies with 11 or more wins, and one of just five goalies with 12 or more wins. Washuta earned USILA All-American Honorable Mention honors, Inside Lacrosse Third Team All-America honors, America East Second Team All-Conference honors.
 
Washuta, a mechanical engineering major, was also an America East All-Academic team selection. He ranks sixth in program history with 16 career wins, and is just 14 wins shy of matching Scott Bevill '95 for most in program history.
 
MILESTONE WATCH
Andrew Simeon enters his senior season with 93 career ground balls. He is 36 scoops shy of matching Luke LaBranche '09 for 10th in program history.
 
Dawes Milchling (45), Warren Jeffrey (41), Jack Knight (41), Braiden Davis (38), and Andrew Simeon (37) all have the opportunity to reach 50 career games played in 2019. Milchling is 13 assists shy of 50 career helpers.
 
Junior Ben French is one goal shy of 50 for his career. Knight (49), Davis (48), Hudson (47), and Limoges (32) all have the opporunity to reach 50 career points in 2019.
 
A LOOK AHEAD
Vermont heads to Annapolis, Maryland next Satuday (Feb. 9) for a matchup against the Naval Academy. Navy received votes in both the USILA and Inside Lacrosse Preseason Polls. It marks the first meeting between Vermont and Navy.
 
Following the Midshipmen, UVM returns to Burlington for meetings against Holy Cross (Feb. 16) and Quinnipiac (Feb. 23) at Virtue Field.