MEN'S HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
The Vermont (1-9-1, 1-4-1) men's hockey team continues its four-game road trip tomorrow evening as they head down I89 to face Dartmouth (2-5-0, 2-3-0) in non-conference action. Sunday's game will air live on ESPN+ and NESN+ at 5 p.m. The voice of the Catamounts, Adam LaFleur, will also broadcast the action live on WVMT (FM 96.3 / AM 620).
 
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LAGUNOV AND NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT
Graduate forward Philip Lagunov has made an immediate impact with the Catamounts, he leads the team in goals and points this season with five goals and three assists for eight points. On November 1, he was named Hockey East Co-Player of the Week after scoring twice in UVM's 5-4 overtime win over No. 9 Boston College, including the game-winner.
 
12 of Vermont's 21 goals have come from newcomers this season. Newcomers have also been responsible for 51.6% of UVM's points scored.
 
IT ALL STARTS AT THE DOT
Vermont is sixth in the NCAA and second in Hockey East winning 54.6% of their faceoffs. First year Simon Jellus has won 64.9% of his draws and sophomore forward Ray Vitolins has won 63.1%
 
SCOUTING THE BIG GREEN
After not competing during the 2020-21 campaign due to Ivy League COVID-19 policies Dartmouth is 2-5-0 in the early-going this year. In exhibition play Dartmouth defeated UMass 3-2 on October 23. Dartmouth's wins in the regular season came in 3-2 decisions over Colgate and at St. Lawrence. In their last contest Dartmouth fell 7-4 at No. 14 Providence on Friday afternoon after jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
 
Junior forward Mark Gallant leads the team in scoring with four goals this season. He has scored one goal in four of the Big Green's contests. Gallant is tied for the team-lead in points with Jeff Losurdo, Sean Chisholm and Tanner Palocsik at five.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday night marks the 82nd meeting between Vermont and Dartmouth in series history. The twin-state rivals have met annually since the 1977-78 season, except for last year due to COVID-19. Vermont holds a 50-24-7 all-time record against Dartmouth. UVM has won five of the last six meetings and holds an 7-1-2 record in the last 10 meetings
 
PAIR OF NEW COACHES WITH NHL TIES
In the 2020 offseason Dartmouth and Vermont looked to the NHL as they hired new head coaches for their programs. UVM Head Coach Todd Woodcroft was an assistant coach with the Winnipeg Jets for four seasons before coming to Catamount Country. Dartmouth's new head coach Reid Cashman was an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals for two seasons before coming to Hanover.
 
DRAFT CAPITAL
The Catamounts enter the new season with five NHL Draft picks on the roster. It is the first time in the 2000s UVM has had more than three players drafted on the roster at one time. Robbie Stucker (Columbus, 2017 7th Rd.), Andrei Buyalsky (Colorado, 2021 3rd Rd.), Luca Mu¨nzenberger (Edmonton, 2021 3rd Rd.), Isak Walther (Nashville, 2019 6th Rd.) and Timofei Spitserov (San Jose, 2020 7th Rd.) are sure to bring NHL attention to the program this season.
 
NEW FACES AT THE GUT
Second year Head Coach Todd Woodcroft will field a significantly different team this year in Catamount Country. 14 Catamounts are eligible to make their debut for Vermont tomorrow night. UVM's newcomers include 10 first years, two juniors, one senior and a grad transfer.
 
GUT HOCKEY GOES INTERNATIONAL
The Vermont roster is comprised of student-athletes from nine different countries. There is at least one player from Finland, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Germany, Kazakhstan, Canada and the United States. UVM features five players from Ontario the most of any province or state. Vermont's eight players from outside North America is tied for the second most of any Division I program with Lake Superior State. Only Alaska has more with 14.
 
WOODCROFT HEADED TO 2022 OLYMPICS WITH SWEDEN
Vermont Head Coach Todd Woodcroft has been named an assistant coach with the Swedish national men's team for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. The men's ice hockey competition at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games is slated for February 9-20, 2022. Games will be played at the National Indoor Stadium and the Wukesong Sports Centre in Beijing. 
 
This past season he served as an assistant coach remotely with the 2021 Sweden national junior team at the IIHF World Junior Championships hosted in Edmonton, Alberta.
 
Handy Toyota is the presenting sponsor of the 2021-22 men's hockey season