WOMEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Vermont (8-9-5, 5-7-3 HEAW) and Merrimack (4-16-2, 1-12-2 HEAW) close out the regular season series on Saturday (Jan. 11) at Gutterson Fieldhouse. Puck drop between the Catamounts and Warriors is scheduled for 4 p.m.
RELATED LINKS
Tickets | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Merrimack begins Saturday's game on a five-game losing streak. The Warriors are led by Mikyla Grant-Mentis who paces the offense with a team-high 16 goals and 25 points. The senior has the most goals in Hockey East and is second in points to Northeastern's Alina Mueller. Sophomore Keisha DiCaire has the most assists for Merrimack this season. Léa-Kristine Demers has seen the bulk of the action in net with an .890 save percentage and a 3.33 goals against average in 15 starts. However, Demers and Emma Gorski (.905 SV%, 3.14 GAA) have split time over the last five games.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Saturday is the 15th all-time meeting between the Catamounts and the Warriors. Vermont is 5-7-2 in the all-time series and 5-4-1 in the last 10 meetings. UVM earned three of four points down in North Andover when it visited Merrimack in late October. The conference counterparts skated to a 4-4 tie (Oct. 25) as
Sini Karjalainen matched a program record with four assists. Vermont won 6-2 the following day led by
Val Caldwell's four-point game (2 goals, 2 assists), which also matched a program record.
HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Corinne McCool earned Hockey East Player of the Month honors after a four-point output in three December games. The sophomore registered a goal in each game, including a pair of game-winners to sweep Maine early in the month. Her clinching goals also earned her Player of the Week (Dec. 9) honors by the conference. The West Roxbury, Massachusetts native recorded her third goal and fourth point of December at No. 3 Northeastern (Dec. 30).
PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS FOR POULIN-LABELLE
Maude Poulin-Labelle was named Hockey East Player of the Week (Jan. 6) after recording a league-high two goals, three assists, and five points. The sophomore's goal total was also the most by a blueliner in the country over the week. She tied with Emily Curlett of Robert Morris for the most points by a Division-I defenseman.
16 HELPERS
Sini Karjalainen's assist on Sunday (Jan. 5) against Providence matched the most by a UVM blueliner in a single season. The sophomore registered her 16th helper of the year, which tied Peggy Wakeham's total from the 2008-09 season. Karjalainen is seven assists away from the UVM single-season record (23) set by Brittany Zuback in 2013-14.
SHOOTER'S DON'T SHOOT
The Catamounts allow the fewest shots per game (22.1). Vermont has the third-lowest total allowed in the country behind top-ranked Wisconsin (18.4) and fourth-ranked Cornell (20.9). UVM has allowed 20 shots or fewer seven times this season with a 4-1-2 record in those contests.
The Windjammer and Upper Deck Pub is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 women's hockey season
